Proposed Artificial Intelligence Literacy Curriculum in K–12 Education for Cultivating Competent Users, Smart Learners, and Passionate Thinkers

This research was grounded in a thorough literature review of global AI education in K–12 settings in the past 5 years. This study started by analyzing 65 studies on K–12 AI education published between 2020 and 2024, and 29 studies using a 4-dimensional AI literacy framework—cognition, metacognition, affect, and social aspects. Then, the study proposed an AI literacy curriculum for K–12 education with three strategic objectives. Firstly, students should be developed as competent users by providing opportunities for them to understand fundamental concepts of AI and engage with AI applications and act appropriately. Secondly, students should be developed as smart learners by providing opportunities for them to understand how AI works and engage with AI applications for developing communication skills, problem-solving skills, and self-regulated learning skills. Thirdly, students should be developed as passionate thinkers when working with generative AI tools. They should be encouraged to reflect with passion on the relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. The implications of this study were discussed.