Abstract
The widespread introduction of AI technologies is rapidly transforming the landscape of education, presenting both opportunities and challenges for teachers. AI tools offer innovative ways to enhance instruction, personalise learning, and simplify administrative tasks, but they also require educators to acquire new skills and adapt to a continually evolving environment.
Despite the pressing need to prepare teachers for the integration of advanced educational technologies, including AI, research in how teacher education programmes can enhance teachers’ AI competencies while professional development in this area remains scarce. A substantial gap also exists in the availability of comprehensive frameworks and guidelines to equip educators with the essential digital and AI skills required to navigate this evolving landscape.
This qualitative study investigates the perspectives of South African teacher educators on the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers (AI CFT) as a tool for teacher development in response to AI’s growing presence in education. The study makes recommendations to improve the framework for AI integration into classroom practice and strengthen the alignment between teacher education and national policies. The study also provides solutions to enhance teachers' professional development practices.
Findings reveal that teacher educators recognise the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers as a valuable tool for equipping all teachers, including those specialising in ICT or STEM, with essential AI competencies. However, challenges such as resource limitations and curriculum integration hinder its implementation. Despite these challenges, teacher educators emphasised the importance of incorporating AI into teacher education programmes and suggested improvements to enhance the framework’s relevance and support for teachers' professional development.
The findings indicate the importance of AI literacy in teacher education programmes to ensure that future teachers have the necessary AI skills for integrating AI into their teaching. In addition, teachers’ autonomy in designing their programmes plays a crucial role in incorporating the framework.