Science educators’ AI literacy and AI usage in teaching: Implications for post-qualification programs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly relevant in both professional and everyday contexts, making its integration into educational curricula essential. In addition, teachers can use AI to support lesson planning, implementation, and follow-up. To leverage these opportunities effectively, teachers require AI-related knowledge and competencies that enable them to optimize its use and prepare students for an AI-driven world. This study investigates the need for AI-related post-qualification programs for in-service science educators and identifies relevant areas of focus. Therefore, the study investigated the extent to which in-service science educators in secondary education possess general AI knowledge (AI literacy) and how, why, and for what purposes they use AI in lesson planning and follow-up, as well as in teaching. To answer these questions, n = 115 in-service science educators from Germany and Switzerland were surveyed. Quantitative data on AI usage and AI literacy were collected via questionnaires; in addition, n = 21 of the surveyed teachers were interviewed to provide qualitative support for our findings. The results of the study indicate a clear need for AI-related post-qualification programs. Although in-service science educators possess general solid level of AI literacy, no significant correlation was found between their level of AI literacy and the actual use of AI in educational practice. Analysis of reported usage areas suggests that post-qualification programs should place a stronger emphasis on school- and subject-specific AI literacy and on concrete subject-specific applications of AI in science education.