A Systematic Literature Review of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) for Interpreting Student Performance Prediction in Computer Science and STEM Education

Educational Data Mining (EDM) supports early detection of learning difficulties by predicting student performance. However, machine learning models often operate as black boxes. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) helps to explain why black-box models produce specific predictions. This paper systematically reviews the past five years of research on XAI applications for interpreting student performance prediction in Computer Science and STEM education. We found that behavioral and academic performance data were the most commonly used features, with the main prediction goals focused on course failure risk or grades. This study also examined the application areas of XAI, revealing that the most common uses were global feature importance analysis, individual prediction explanations, and supporting interventions and decision-making. Moreover, we found that SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were the most frequently utilized XAI technique, predominantly applied at the global level, with limited use at the individual level. Furthermore, a research gap was identified in utilizing XAI to support course improvements, customize visualizations, and generate personalized recommendations. Addressing this gap could enable educators to provide personalized, data-driven guidance to better support individual students.