This study explores how digital literacy influences AI literacy among preservice teachers and investigates whether media literacy moderates this relationship. Grounded in the expanding use of AI in education, the study positions digital literacy as a foundational competency that enables effective engagement with AI tools, including their use for teaching, learning, and educational decision-making. Additionally, media literacy—through its emphasis on critical evaluation, reflection on information credibility, and responsible use of digital content—is proposed as a potential moderator of this influence. Data were gathered from 276 teacher candidates from ten universities in Türkiye through a correlational survey design to examine the relationships between digital literacy, media literacy, and AI literacy in an educational context. Findings suggest that digital literacy was a significant predictor of AI literacy, indicating that stronger digital capabilities were associated with higher competence in navigating, understanding, and utilizing AI technologies effectively. Moreover, media literacy was found to moderate this relationship, strengthening the positive effect of digital literacy on AI literacy, potentially by supporting more critical and informed engagement with AI tools. These results suggest that embedding both digital and media literacy within teacher education curricula is essential for fostering AI literacy, enabling future educators to employ AI tools to support teaching and learning.
Mehmet Fatih YİĞİT (Fri,) studied this question.