<p>As global education systems are going through rapid digital transformation, identifying how smart education contributes to educational quality has become a critical policy and research imperative. This study conceptualizes smart education as a multi-layered ecosystem, integrating Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory with the smart education ecosystem framework. It operationalizes six core dimensions, student development, teacher capacity, learning environment, governance, equity, and improvement culture, using internationally comparable data from 79 countries. Based on fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the study uncovers seven sufficient configurations for achieving educational quality, which are clustered into three transformation pathways: governance-led, human capital-centered, and system-integrated models. Results reveal clear income-based divergence. High-income countries often adopt professionalized configurations with flexible governance and advanced teacher capacity, while low-income countries rely on basic enablers such as ICT infrastructure and centralized governance. Middle-income countries exhibit institutional-equity configurations that combine ethical orientation, targeted innovation, and adaptive structures. These findings demonstrate the importance of ecosystemic coherence, functional substitutability, and causal asymmetry in shaping effective smart education systems. Rather than advocating for one-size-fits-all reform models, the study highlights the need for context-sensitive configurations aligned with national capacities and priorities. The research provides a novel configurational approach to smart education, offering theoretical insights and practical guidance for designing resilient and equitable digital education systems worldwide.</p>