Substantial Errors Invalidate the Conclusion from Wang and Fan (2025) About ChatGPT and Learning Outcomes

Wang and Fan (2025) conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of ChatGPT on learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking. They conclude that “ChatGPT has a large positive impact on improving learning performance (g = 0.867)” and advocate for “broad use of ChatGPT at various grade levels.” However, we have serious concerns about the quality and validity of the meta-analysis, as the study contains numerous data extraction errors, inconsistent reporting and several analytical issues. Since these problems have remained unresolved after two weeks of author correspondence, we urge the editors to consider editorial action, including retraction.