Toward a coherent AI literacy pathway in technology education

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping curricula and work, yet technology and engineering education lack a coherent, critical AI literacy pathway. In this study, we (1) mapped dominant themes and intellectual bases and (2) compared AI literacy between secondary technical students and pre-service technology and engineering teachers to inform curriculum design. moreover, we conducted a Web of Science bibliometric analysis (2015–2025) and derived a four-pillar framework (Foundational Knowledge, Critical Appraisal, Participatory Design, and Pedagogical Integration) of themes consolidated around GenAI/LLMs and ethics, with strong growth (1259 documents, 587 sources). Phase 2 was a cross-sectional field study (n = 145