Teachers and teaching in the age of AI and digital automation

The digital software, systems and platforms now being used in school classrooms often include aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) and other forms of automated decision-making (ADM). As such, teachers’ work is becoming increasingly punctuated by small (often imperceptible) instances of digital automation – where tasks of checking, noticing, choosing, and deciding that might previously have been the responsibility of the teacher are now delegated to technology.

These automations cover a range of administrative and pedagogical tasks. For example, classroom software and school systems will often include features that can grade student work, judge whether students are engaged in their studies, record student attendance, and even recommend appropriate learning content and pedagogical approach. On one hand, it is anticipated that such technological features will simply support and enhance teacher professionalism (Luckin et al. 2017, Chounta et al. 2022). On the other hand, are fears that educational AI technologies might lead to the diminishment of classroom processes and teacher professionalism (Schiff 2021, Selwyn 2022).

Against this background, the overarching aim of this research project is to investigate how best to support teacher capabilities to respond to, and engage with, automated technologies in their classrooms. Using in-depth classroom case studies and participatory design research, this project will achieve the following objectives:

• Generate new knowledge of the ways in which AI and ADM technologies are currently present in Swedish and Australian classrooms – identifying contextual issues that will drive and/or inhibit future take-up of the technology over the next ten years.

• Generate new knowledge around how teachers are working with AI and ADM tools in their classrooms - identifying the organisational, technical, pedagogical and social factors that underpin beneficial (and less beneficial) implementation of this technology.

• Work with teachers, school policymakers and software developers to co-design new professional learning, school policies and product design protocols that can support the more effective engagement with AI and ADM technologies.

Drawing on established theories of teacher change (Guskey 2002) and the growing area of educational scholarship that approaches school-related technology use from a sociotechnical perspective (e.g. Degennaro 2009), the project aims to generate rich insights into the pedagogical, technical, infrastructural and organisational issues surrounding the take-up of AI and ADM technologies in secondary schools - engaging teachers and other staff in developing ways of better supporting beneficial uses of these technologies in school contexts.