Didactic activities on Artificial Intelligence: the perspective of STEM teachers

The concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) might seem something very distant from the world of schools: a theme that is far from today's reality, especially when the education and training system is committed to tackling the problems associated with the pandemic situation. However, the impact that AI is producing in various areas of our life also requires reflection on the world of education and training. Research and education policies are therefore required to direct education to prepare students for technological challenges, enabling schools and teachers to guide innovation. It is necessary to train teachers not only on the theoretical contents inherent to these themes, but also and above all on the planning of didactic activities to adopt innovative educational approaches. The context of this research is the immersive 3-hour workshop on the theme "Mathematics and AI" which involved 52 teachers from all over Italy from primary to secondary school. The research questions are: What is the current teaching practice in schools in Italy in terms of AI? Which characteristics should be emphasized, and which aspects should be favored in the planning of didactic activities by school teachers? To answer the research questions, we analyzed teachers’ responses to the initial questionnaire before the workshop and to the final questionnaire at the end of the workshop. Key findings show that teachers do not treat AI-related topics too much with their classes while being aware of the importance of recognizing and understanding AI.