A collective self-study of teacher educators on preparing early and elementary educators for reflective AI-integrated pedagogy

The introduction of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into teacher education has raised urgent questions about pedagogy, ethics, and teacher roles. This collective self-study of three teacher educators in an early childhood and elementary education program examined how they integrated GenAI into their coursework for pre- and in-service teachers. Guided by the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers (AI CFT), we investigated our practices, focusing on the human-centered, ethical, and pedagogical dimensions involved in supporting teachers to engage critically and agentively with AI tools. Findings revealed that intentional integration of GenAI can open new pedagogical spaces that move beyond prohibition toward critical and ehtical AI use. At the same time, our courses revealed persistent challenges: AI-generated content frequently contained cultural biases or inaccuracies, and many teachers initially accepted such content uncritically, underscoring the need for scaffolding and the development of critical digital literacy. Finally, we found that working with GenAI prompted teachers to (re)negotiate questions of authorship, originality, and professional identity, with responses ranging from resistance to cautious adaptation to growing curiosity. These insights suggest that teacher education must foreground critical AI literacy, ethical reasoning, and teacher agency to prepare educators for thoughtful, human-centered AI integration.