Current Research

The recent CITE editorial “Picturing the Theory of GenAI: Frameworks for Teaching and Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” (Cherner et al., 2026) offered a timely synthesis of conceptual frameworks for guiding educators’ use of generative AI (genAI). The contributors emphasized the importance of theory-building as a way to move our field toward more intentional, pedagogically grounded use of genAI. This editorial is a response and proposes an extension to shift the perspective from AI literacy to AI design agency, and from educators as consumers of genAI tools and using existing AI tools in assessments or assignments with students to educators as creators of AI-driven learning experiences (AI-X). Emerging “vibe coding” and low-code tools now enable educators to design and share their own AI-mediated applications. This shift from consuming to creating AI-X raises new pedagogical, ethical, and societal challenges that have not been fully addressed by existing frameworks. This shift changes the stakes and introduces new layers of responsibility around ethics, pedagogy, and impact: What supports do creators need to design ethical, learner-centered AI-X? How can frameworks and tools operationalize those supports? If educators are to become responsible, ethical creators of AI-X, then frameworks must guide design decisions, scaffold evaluation, and surface ethical considerations in the context of creating AI-X.

Harmful deepfakes and synthetic media can now be created quickly and easily by everyday users of artificial intelligence (AI), which introduces new opportunities for interpersonal harm and adds complexity to existing school conduct procedures. The authors present findings from a codesign session with nine public high school teachers, in which they discussed the salient issues of harmful deepfakes in schools. During the session, participants cocreated realistic scenarios, identifying when and how deepfakes might emerge in school settings and then used those scenarios to create recommendations for policymakers, education leaders, and AI developers. Teachers’ central recommendation was for teachers, administrators, caregivers and families to have greater access to AI literacy education, particularly around noncurricular AI use. Findings contribute to the emerging discussion of AI literacy and a collective understanding of privacy, consent, and individuals’ rights to their likeness and voice.

This systematic literature review examined the use of video cases and clubs for in-service teacher professional learning from 2014-2024. The researchers identified a total of 17 studies, of which nine examined the role of a facilitator during video club/cases professional learning and eight dealt with professional learning led by the participants. The researchers determined video cases can generate teacher discussion and reflection, and the professional learning facilitator plays an important role in the scaffolding of this discussion and reflection. The researchers recommend more studies about the use of video cases/clubs tied to student outcomes. More studies are also needed that describe the role of the facilitator and ways they can support discussion and reflection that leads to teacher growth. Studies that further examine what types of video are most effective for professional learning are also necessary to understand how different videos promote changes in teacher practice.

Despite increased technology access across US schools and communities, minoritized students disproportionately use technology for lower level, teacher-driven tasks compared to their more privileged peers. To address this digital use divide, experts have called for preparing preservice teachers (PSTs) to integrate technology more equitably in their instruction. This study examined how 26 PSTs in an asynchronous technology integration course applied contextual knowledge (XK) about their students to design equitable, technology-enhanced lessons in an online simulation. PSTs’ responses from two sessions of the simulation and subsequent debrief activities were analyzed to assess if and how their application of XK evolved from pre- to postcourse. Findings revealed that after learning about the digital use divide’s impact on historically marginalized students, PSTs applied XK in ways that resulted in more equitable lessons. This study highlights the essential role of teacher preparation programs in bridging the digital use divide by cultivating novice teachers’ contextual awareness through an equity lens.

This study examined the development of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) among Chinese language teachers in a professional development program. Specifically, the study examined the teachers’ changes in pedagogical beliefs, technological beliefs, student-centered instructional practices, and assessment practices in relationship to TPACK. Findings indicated significant improvements across all domains of TPACK, in both pedagogical and technological beliefs, as well as in the teaching practices. Technological beliefs were significantly associated with posttest TPACK scores, while pedagogical beliefs were significantly correlated with both technological beliefs and TPACK after the program, underscoring their interactive role in TPACK development. Assessment practices were also consistently correlated with TPACK and technological beliefs, whereas student-centered instructional practices showed no significant correlations, possibly due to the short duration of the training. The findings in this study highlight the complex relationship among beliefs and practices to shape TPACK and underscore the importance of professional development that genuinely integrates content, pedagogy, and technology. Future research should focus on the long-term impacts of TPACK on teachers’ classroom practices to identify how changes in teachers’ beliefs and knowledge translate into enacted instruction.