Xi Bei Xiong;Simin Cao;Tianhang Gao;Xiya Feng;Hui Li
{"title":"From Hesitant Beginners to Confident Experts: Profiles and Predictors of AI Literacy Among Preschool Teachers in Guangxi, China","authors":"Xi Bei Xiong;Simin Cao;Tianhang Gao;Xiya Feng;Hui Li","doi":"10.1109/TLT.2025.3596125","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This study examined early childhood teachers’ artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in Guangxi, China. Utilizing data from 1522 kindergarten teachers, we developed and validated a culturally adapted AI literacy scale through factor analyses, confirming a three-construct structure: Safety, Attitude, and Capability. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct teacher profiles: “Hesitant Beginners” (9.6%), “Enthusiastic Practitioners” (64.2%), and “Confident Experts” (26.2%), revealing significant heterogeneity. Teachers generally exhibited positive attitudes toward AI but lower safety awareness and capability levels. Regression analyses indicated that education level, working experience (negatively associated), kindergarten type, and geographic location (urban/rural) significantly influence AI literacy levels and profile membership. These findings underscore the need for context-specific assessment tools and tailored teacher education programs to enhance their digital literacy and promote equitable AI integration in Chinese early childhood education.","PeriodicalId":49191,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies","volume":"18 ","pages":"812-821"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11113484/","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study examined early childhood teachers’ artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in Guangxi, China. Utilizing data from 1522 kindergarten teachers, we developed and validated a culturally adapted AI literacy scale through factor analyses, confirming a three-construct structure: Safety, Attitude, and Capability. Latent profile analysis identified three distinct teacher profiles: “Hesitant Beginners” (9.6%), “Enthusiastic Practitioners” (64.2%), and “Confident Experts” (26.2%), revealing significant heterogeneity. Teachers generally exhibited positive attitudes toward AI but lower safety awareness and capability levels. Regression analyses indicated that education level, working experience (negatively associated), kindergarten type, and geographic location (urban/rural) significantly influence AI literacy levels and profile membership. These findings underscore the need for context-specific assessment tools and tailored teacher education programs to enhance their digital literacy and promote equitable AI integration in Chinese early childhood education.
期刊介绍:
The IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies covers all advances in learning technologies and their applications, including but not limited to the following topics: innovative online learning systems; intelligent tutors; educational games; simulation systems for education and training; collaborative learning tools; learning with mobile devices; wearable devices and interfaces for learning; personalized and adaptive learning systems; tools for formative and summative assessment; tools for learning analytics and educational data mining; ontologies for learning systems; standards and web services that support learning; authoring tools for learning materials; computer support for peer tutoring; learning via computer-mediated inquiry, field, and lab work; social learning techniques; social networks and infrastructures for learning and knowledge sharing; and creation and management of learning objects.