AUTHOR=Alpala Luis Omar , Naranjo Jeffery , Yacelga Cecilia 
  
TITLE=Integrating immersive technologies, artificial emotional intelligence, and FabLabs in early-childhood STEAM education: a systematic review
  
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Education
  
VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2026
  
YEAR=2026
  
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1812533
  
DOI=10.3389/feduc.2026.1812533
  
ISSN=2504-284X
  
ABSTRACT=IntroductionEarly–childhood STEAM education increasingly incorporates immersive, affective, and maker–based technologies; however, existing evidence remains conceptually fragmented across physical, digital, and emotional domains. This study systematically synthesizes interdisciplinary research on Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI), and FabLab–based interventions in early–childhood STEAM contexts.MethodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, eligible empirical studies were analyzed through systematic review procedures, and a complementary meta-analytic synthesis was conducted to estimate the effects of these technologies on learning outcomes.ResultsThe findings indicate a statistically significant positive effect on learning outcomes. Immersive technologies primarily enhance conceptual understanding and motivation; AEI supports engagement and emotional regulation; and maker–based environments foster creativity, collaboration, and embodied problem–solving.DiscussionDespite these benefits, few interventions intentionally integrate these mediational domains. The study advances a Physical-Digital-Emotional (PDE) framework that reconceptualizes early–childhood STEAM learning as the coordinated alignment of embodied, cognitive, and affective processes. This integrative model strengthens the link between theory and practice and offers a developmentally grounded foundation for designing holistic STEAM environments in early childhood.