Exploring Challenges and Opportunities in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy and Educational AI Development: A Qualitative Study of Teachers and Researchers' Perspectives

This qualitative study examined how educators and researchers perceived the challenges and opportunities related to both AI literacy and educational AI development. Drawing on interviews with 15 participants from education and research contexts, the study identified four major opportunity areas: the establishment of national AI literacy frameworks, interdisciplinary project-based learning, ethics-integrated curricula, and the use of simulation-based tools for both instruction and assessment. In contrast, five key challenges emerged, including fragmented definitions of AI literacy, insufficient teacher expertise, unequal access to infrastructure, overreliance on generative AI by students, and the absence of sustained policy and financial support. Participants also highlighted the lack of standardized assessment tools to evaluate AI literacy competencies, which limits effective curriculum implementation and policy evaluation. Addressing a critical gap in the literature, this study contributed a much-needed qualitative perspective on how educational professionals understand and navigate the evolving landscape of AI in education. The findings emphasized the importance of treating AI literacy and educational AI development as central to contemporary education, requiring systemic integration, professional development, and equitable access.