In search of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in teacher education: A scoping review

• Published in: Computers and education open 2024-06, Vol.6, p.100169, Article 100169
• Main Authors: Sperling, Katarina, Stenberg, Carl-Johan, McGrath, Cormac, Åkerfeldt, Anna, Heintz, Fredrik, Stenliden, Linnéa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AI education; AI readiness; Aristoteles; Education; pedagogik; Pre-service teachers; Professional development; Teacher training
• ISSN: 2666-5573; 2666-5573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100169

•AI literacy is a globally emerging research topic in education but almost absent in the context of teacher education.•Computer science and exploratory teaching approaches influence what type of epistemic, practical, and ethical knowledge is deemed desirable.•Questions of ethics are predominantly addressed as a matter of understanding technical configurations of data-driven AI technologies.•Teacher's’ practical knowledge tends to translate into the adoption of digital resources for teaching about AI or the integration of AI EdTech into teaching.•A greater presence of representatives from educational sciences, including teachers and educators, is needed to better capture what AI literacy should be in the future of education. Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy has recently emerged on the educational agenda raising expectations on teachers’ and teacher educators’ professional knowledge. This scoping review examines how the scientific literature conceptualises AI literacy in relation to teachers’ different forms of professional knowledge relevant for Teacher Education (TE). The search strategy included papers and proceedings from 2000 to 2023 related to AI literacy and TE as well as the intersection of AI and teaching. Thirty-four papers were included in the analysis. The Aristotelian concepts episteme (theoretical-scientific knowledge), techne (practical-productive knowledge), and phronesis (professional judgement) were used as a lens to capture implicit and explicit dimensions of teachers’ professional knowledge. Results indicate that AI literacy is a globally emerging research topic in education but almost absent in the context of TE. The literature covers many different topics and draws on different methodological approaches. Computer science and exploratory teaching approaches influence the type of epistemic, practical, and ethical knowledge. Currently, teachers’ professional knowledge is not broadly addressed or captured in the research. Questions of ethics are predominantly addressed as a matter of understanding technical configurations of data-driven AI technologies. Teachers’ practical knowledge tends to translate into the adoption of digital resources for teaching about AI or the integration of AI EdTech into teaching. By identifying several research gaps, particularly concerning teachers' practical and ethical knowledge, this paper adds to a more comprehensive understanding of AI literacy in teaching and can contribute to a more well-informed AI