Abstract
Pre-service teachers (PSTs) face competing influences that shape their values and decision-making regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in education. This study investigates how teacher education can shift agency and decision-making to PSTs, enabling them to critically and confidently engage with AI as both a sociotechnical phenomenon and pedagogical subject. Drawing on Critical Digital Literacies and sociomateriality, this paper introduces the 3E Model of Critical AI Literacy (empowerment, ethical awareness, and efficacy) as a framework to support pedagogical agency. Through a qualitative case study, final-semester PSTs participated in a sociotechnical AI inquiry project that culminated in the creation of capstone Critical AI Literacy (CAIL) Boundary Objects: flexible, shared artifacts designed to facilitate dialogue about AI across diverse educational settings and levels of influence. Findings demonstrate that the 3E model helped PSTs rethink their practices and make informed decisions grounded in CAIL and evolving professional values. The boundary objects guided participants in articulating their developing values while encouraging critical reflection on existing hierarchies of AI agency in education. This work contributes to ongoing discussions in teacher education and sociotechnical change by presenting the 3E model as a tool for reflective practice, a means to strengthen pedagogical agency, and a foundation for critically informed approaches to AI.
Presenters
Tess Butler UlrichLab Manager/Research Assistant/Faculty/Doctoral Student, Education, Ontario Tech University, Ontario, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Considering Digital Pedagogies
KEYWORDS
AI LITERACY, BOUNDARY OBJECTS, PEDAGOGICAL AGENCY, TEACHER EDUCATION
