
AI Literacies and the TPACK Framework: Insights from a Global Study on AI in Education
Abstract
How can educators develop the technical, pedagogical, and content knowledge needed to integrate AI ethically, impactfully, and responsibly? As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in education, aligning AI literacies with the TPACK framework provides a structured approach to developing the essential competencies educators need to navigate AI-enhanced teaching and learning. This paper presents findings from a UNESCO IITE-commissioned global study that collected perspectives from over 50 educators across 25 countries, representing diverse teaching and leadership roles. The study highlights how AI literacies development is filling critical gaps in technical AI proficiency, pedagogical strategies, and subject-matter applications, enabling educators to align AI usage with ethical principles, effective teaching methodologies, and meaningful content engagement. Findings illustrate how AI literacies support: (1) Technical Knowledge: Understanding AI capabilities, limitations, and responsible use; (2) Pedagogical Knowledge: Designing AI-infused learning experiences that foster engagement, creativity, and student agency; (3) Content Knowledge: Applying AI tools to discipline-specific instructional challenges and research. Through a qualitative portraiture method, this research surfaces how AI literacies are being integrated into professional development programs, instructional design frameworks, and institutional strategies worldwide. The study also reveals ongoing challenges in scaling AI literacies equitably, ensuring ethical AI use, and adapting AI for diverse learning contexts. By positioning AI literacies as a core competency within the TPACK framework, this paper offers a global perspective on the evolving role of AI in education and presents a replicable model for embedding AI literacies into faculty development, curriculum design, and institutional capacity-building efforts.
© 2025 Angela Gunder, Cristi Ford, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.