Fostering AI literacy: overcoming concerns and nurturing confidence among preservice teachers
| Date | 04 July 2024 |
| Pages | 56-74 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-11-2023-0170 |
| Published date | 04 July 2024 |
| Author | Jung Won Hur |
Fostering AI literacy: overcoming
concerns and nurturing confidence
among preservice teachers
Jung Won Hur
Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology,
Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to investigatehow preservice teachers’stages of concern, beliefs,confidence and
interest in AI literacy education evolve as they deepen their understanding of AI concepts and AI literacy
education.
Design/methodology/approach –AI literacy lessons were integrated into a technology integration
course for preserviceteachers, and the impacts of the lessons were evaluated through a mixed-methodsstudy.
The Concerns-Based Adoption Model was employed as the analytical framework to explore participants’
specific concernsrelated to AI.
Findings –Findings revealed that participants initially lacked AI knowledge and awareness. However,
targeted AI literacy educationenhanced preservice teachers’awareness and confidencein teaching AI. While
acknowledging AI’s educationalbenefits, participants expressed ongoing concerns after AI literacylessons,
such as fears of teacher displacement and the potential adverse effects of incorporating generative AI on
students’criticallearning skills development.
Originality/value –Despite the importance of providing preservice teachers with AIliteracy skills and
knowledge, research in this domain remains scarce. This study fills this gap by enhancing the AI-related
knowledge and skills of future educators, while also identifying their specific concerns regarding the
integrationof AI into their future classrooms. The findings of thisstudy offer valuable insights and guidelines
for teachereducators to incorporate AI literacy educationinto teacher training programs.
Keywords Preservice teachers, AI literacy, ChatGPT, Generative AI, AI in education,
Concerns-based adoption model, Stages of concern
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, Artificial Intelligence(AI) has emerged
as a tool with the potential to reshapevarious facets of human life, including education (Mao
et al., 2024). Scholars have examined the vast possibilities offered by AI, spanning from
personalized learningsupport, and facilitation of meaningful online and blended learning, to
automated and dynamic assessment (Celiket al.,2022;Murphy, 2019; Tack and Piech, 2022;
Zhang and Aslan, 2021).
As AI increasinglybecomes an integral part of our dailylives, scholars have emphasized
the importanceof providing AI literacy educationacross K-12 and higher educationsettings
(Ng et al.,2021;Su et al.,2023;Southworth et al.,2023;Williamset al.,2023). With many future
job roles expected to involve AI components, AI education is anticipated to be as vital as
traditional literacy skills in reading and writing (Casal-Otero et al.,2023;Ng et al.,2021).
Scholars have suggested that AI literacy education encompasses not only comprehending
how AI systems operate but also the ability to critically evaluate and ethically utilize them
ILS
126,1/2
56
Received1 November 2023
Revised13 March 2024
Accepted15 May 2024
Informationand Learning
Sciences
Vol.126 No. 1/2, 2025
pp. 56-74
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-11-2023-0170
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/2398-5348.htm
(Su et al.,2023;Zhang et al.,2023). The acquisition of these new literacy skills can empower
students to become knowledgeable AI users while also fostering the necessary expertise for
innovatingAI technology in the burgeoning AI era (Mohammadkarimi,2023;Ng et al.,2021).
To deliver AI literacy education to K-12 students successfully, it is crucial to support
teachers’development of AI knowledge and skills whilealso assessing their perspectives on
this innovation(Casal-Otero et al.,2023;Kim and Kim, 2022). Decades of researchon teachers’
adoption of new technology revealed that unless teachers believe in the importance of
technologyand feel confident in usingit, the integration of new technology is limited(Ertmer,
2005;Hur et al.,2016). Although the importance of teacher knowledge and beliefs is widely
acknowledged,recent studies have highlighted teachers’limited understanding of AI and, in
some cases,their negative perceptionsof its use in education (Chountaet al.,2021;Jong, 2022).
Furthermore,despite the emphasis on AI education at K-12 levels,there is a dearth of studies
examiningAI lesson integration in teachereducation programs (Celik et al.,2022).
To bridge these researchgaps, the study aims to investigate shifts in preservice teachers’
stages of concern related to AI following an 8-week AI literacyprogram. Stages of Concern,
a key component of the Concerns-Based AdoptionModel (CBAM, Hall and Hord, 2006), was
developed to assist facilitatorsin understanding the feelings, thoughts, andattitudes of staff
members toward a new program or initiative. By employing CBAM as an analytical
framework, this study seeks to identify preservice teachers’specific concerns regarding the
integration of AI into their future classrooms. Additionally, the study aims to assess the
impact of AI literacy lessons on preservice teachers’beliefs, confidence and interest as they
engage in AI instruction.
Literature reviews
AI literacy education
The term “Artificial Intelligence(AI)”was first coined by Stanford Professor John McCarthy
in 1955 and was defined as “making a machine behave in ways that would be called
intelligent if a human were so behaving”(as cited by Cope et al.,2021, p. 1229). Since its
inception, AI research has undergone significant fluctuations in progress, oftenin response
to advancements in computing power and data availability (Southworth et al.,2023).
Currently, AI encompasses a broad spectrum of areas, including machine learning, deep
learning, natural languageprocessing, robotics, neural networks and computer vision (Chen
et al.,2022;Hamet and Tremblay, 2017).
While computer science studentshave been studying AI for years, AI education in K-12
schools was not introduced untilthe middle of the 2010s due to the requirement of advanced
programming skills to comprehend the underlying concepts (Ng et al., 2023a,2023b).
However, recent developments in age-appropriate, AI-powered software and hardware,
along with AI-based curricula, enable even young students to explore and appreciate AI
technologies (Ottenbreit-Leftwich et al.,2023;Su et al.,2023). Additionally, access to various
types of AI technologies in day-to-day life,such as maps and navigation systems, chatbots,
and smart home virtual assistants (e.g., Amazon’s Alexa), has helped everyone understand
and use AI in everyday life and enabled teachers to introduce AI examples for AI literacy
education (Ng et al.,2021).
Due to the recentacknowledgment of AI literacyeducation, there is no universallyagreed-
upon definition.Thus, scholars have defined AI literacy in various ways.For instance, Long
and Magerko (2020) defined it as “a set of competencies that enable individuals to critically
evaluate AI technologies, communicate and collaborate effectively with AI, and use AI as a
tool online, at home, and in the workplace”(p. 2). Yi’s(2021)definition of AI literacy
encompasses one’s ability to understand and utilize AI, as well as design their own life.
Fostering AI
literacy
57
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