Teaching artificial intelligence in secondary school: from development to practice

Abstract

Problem statement . Currently, various global and national institutions promote mainstreaming artificial intelligence (AI) technology into training programs for school students. The effectiveness of introducing artificial intelligence into school curricula depends on four factors: 1) defining methodological foundations for creating educational content; 2) selecting and structuring appropriate learning content; 3) adapting the content to the needs of different age groups; 4) integrating the content into school programs. The current study provides theoretical foundations for generating learning content for AI lessons aimed at secondary school students and determines possible ways of integrating that content into school programs. Methodology. The empirical part of the study involved 225 secondary school students aged 11-14 (forms 5 to 9) as well as 125 teachers from comprehensive schools located in Moscow and the Moscow region. Analysis, synthesis, testing and sampling average methods were used. Results. The authors conducted a pilot testing of the developed educational materials, measured students’ AI-related skill and knowledge and processed the obtained data using the method of selective averages. The theoretical research conducted showed the leadership of artificial intelligence training in primary schools, mechanisms for developing learning outcomes in the field of artificial intelligence for primary school students, the opportunity to reveal the possibility of forming the content of artificial intelligence training based on various approaches. The goals and results of teaching the basics of artificial intelligence within the framework of basic school were determined. The content of training was formulated. Conclusion. The research is characterized by scientific and practical novelty, as it helps determine methodological grounds for teaching AI to secondary school students and proposes a detailed unit plan for an AI training course in secondary school.