Article
An Exploratory Study on the Effects of an AI Literacy Enhancement Program for Early Childhood Educators
| e-ISSN | 2982-6845 |
| p-ISSN | 1226-4474 |
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Abstract
This study aims to develop an artificial intelligence(AI) literacy enhancement program for early childhood educators and to exploratorily examine its effectiveness. The program was designed based on the Ministry of Education’s (2021) AI Education with Young Children materials and incorporated five components of AI literacy: AI understanding, utilization, development, ethics, and play and instructional support. Content validity was established through expert review by six specialists in early childhood and AI education. A quasi-experimental design was employed with an experimental group (n = 17) and a control group (n = 16). The program was implemented only with the experimental group. Pre- and post-tests were conducted using an AI literacy scale, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed with pre-test scores as a covariate. Results showed that the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements over the control group in overall AI literacy and all subdomains. Notably, stronger effects were observed in AI play and instructional support and AI utilization. Open-ended responses indicated that teachers increasingly recognized AI as an educational resource and extended its application in play-based instruction. These findings highlight the potential of structured AI literacy programs to strengthen early childhood educators’ practical competencies in AI-integrated education.