Teacher Training on Artificial Intelligence in Education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today, and innovate teaching and learning practices. The use of AI in education is characterized by a large gap between the ease of use of AI-based tools (for educational purposes, but also in other aspects of daily life), and consequently their widespread use by students, and the difficulty for teachers to explain the mechanisms and technologies behind them, given their complexity. It is crucial to provide training for teachers on the theoretical concepts related to these themes but also, above all, on the planning of didactic activities that adopt innovative educational approaches. The design of educational activities can involve three areas: learning with AI, which encompasses the use of AI-powered tools in classrooms; learning about AI, which involves the study of its technologies and techniques; and preparing for AI, which entails empowering all citizens to gain a better understanding of the potential impact of AI on human lives. The research is based on an immersive 3-hour workshop on the “Mathematics and AI” theme. It involved 52 teachers from all over Italy, ranging from primary to secondary school. The research questions aim to determine the current teaching practices regarding AI in Italian schools and identify the aspects and characteristics that should be emphasized in the planning of didactic activities by school teachers. To address the research questions, we examined educators’ answers to the preliminary survey before the session and to the concluding survey at the end of the workshop. The activities designed by the teachers were also analyzed, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and classified according to the three areas mentioned above. Some particularly significant examples of activities are also presented. Significant discoveries demonstrate that instructors do not significantly cover themes relating to AI in their classes, despite being cognizant of the significance of recognizing and comprehending AI. Based on this research experience, we present the main observations that may be useful for future teacher training on AI in education.