In this article, we present a study on teachers’ perceptions about Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to support teaching in Estonian K-12 education. Estonia is promoting technological innovation in education. According to the Index of Readiness for Digital Lifelong Learning (IRDLL), Estonia was ranked first among 27 European countries. In this context, our goal was to explore teachers’ perceptions about cutting-edge technologies (in this case, AI) and to contextualize our results in the scope of Fairness, Accountability, Transparency and Ethics (FATE). We carried out a survey with 140 Estonian K-12 teachers and we asked them about their understanding and concerns regarding the use of AI in education and the challenges they face. The analysis of the survey responses suggests that teachers have limited knowledge about AI and how it could support them in practice. Nonetheless, they perceive it as an opportunity for education. The results indicate that teachers need support in order to be efficient and effective in their work practice; we envision that AI can be used to provide this support. Furthermore, we identified challenges that relate to the socio-cultural context of the study: for example, teachers perceived AI as a tool to support them in accessing, adapting and using multilingual content. To conclude, we discuss the findings of this work in relation to ethical AI, and elaborate on the implications and future aspects of this work in the context of FATE and participatory design of learning environments.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought challenges to the educational system on micro, meso or macro levels. In this article, we posit that the current emergency augmented, what we call the meso space, while at the same time representing a sort of magnifying glass to observe and examine how distance education tools, practices and new forms of collaboration can emerge within the patterns of re-organising. This article focuses on the meaning of the Covid-19 emergency-related changes in the field of educational technologies from a theoretical and practical perspective. While the article mainly represents a theoretical contribution, the main conclusions are derived from, illustrated and substantiated with an ethnographic case study based on Italian teacher online communities. As a result, while this article proposes much-needed theorising in the field of educational technologies during the Covid-19 crisis, it also brings insights into the practice with EdTech tools and teacher professional development.

Purpose: This study aims at redefining bounded rationality on the basis of a more socialized view of the individual. In doing so, it introduces “inquisitiveness” as a key disposition that some team members use to assemble and integrate knowledge when solving problems. Design/methodology/approach: Using an agent-based computational simulation, this research models different simulated employees working together in “ad hoc” teams to solve problems. Findings: Results show that inquisitiveness may work as an efficiency “driver” that, when present, economizes on the knowledge needed by team members to solve problems. In addition to that, results also show that environments with many problems are more suitable for inquisitive individuals to be effective. Originality/value: Following the late Herbert Simon, the paper takes the stance that rationality should be redefined as a socially oriented process and introduces inquisitiveness as one – although probably not the only one – of the characteristics that help individuals and teams to make rational decisions.

On the one hand, the pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for teachers all across the world; on the other, created opportunities for teacher professional development (TPD) as well. Furthermore, this educational emergency has uncovered the potential of digital technologies authentically and showcased its relation to the TPD and educational innovation. In this article, the concepts such as teacher agency, networked learning and reorganization are reexamined and theorized. The current article is a continuation of the research that has shed light on the TPD patterns and peer learning in the context of the pandemic and represents qualitative research covering 15 representatives of different-level schools from three different countries (Italy, Spain and Turkey), focusing on their experiences and future opportunities for TPD. Based on the said theorization, through iterative and abductive reasoning, and narrative inquiry, the lived experiences of teachers are examined and explored. The results indicate that in times of uncertainty and relaxation of macro-level frames, teachers have reorganized their teaching and learning activities relying on peer networks and collaboration while reinforcing their agentic qualities. The implications of the research contribute to the theory, policy and practice of TPD.