CONSTRUCTIVIST FOUNDATIONS FOR CULTIVATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LITERACY IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJMOE.831086Keywords:
Constructivism, Knowledge Construction, Artificial Intelligence Literacy, Vocational Education, Learning TheoryAbstract
Knowledge through prior experiences, authentic contexts, social interactions, and reflection. Grounded in Piaget’s cognitive constructivism and Vygotsky’s sociocultural constructivism, constructivism provides important insights into how learners develop knowledge and competencies. With the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education and workplaces, AI literacy has become an essential competency. In this paper, AI literacy refers to the ability to understand AI concepts, apply AI appropriately in learning and occupational tasks, and critically evaluate AI technologies, outputs, and associated ethical issues. However, AI literacy education in higher vocational institutions continues to face challenges, including fragmented knowledge delivery, limited authentic learning experiences, and insufficient opportunities for practical application and reflection. Existing studies have largely focused on defining AI literacy competencies and identifying relevant knowledge and skills, while providing less explanation of how these competencies develop through learning processes, particularly in higher vocational contexts. This paper aims to integrate constructivist principles to develop a conceptual framework for explaining AI literacy development in higher vocational education. Through conceptual analysis, relevant literature on constructivism, AI literacy, and vocational education is examined by identifying key theoretical principles and analysing their relationships with the understanding, application, and evaluation of AI. The paper considers how situated learning, collaborative learning, anchored instruction, and experiential learning may support AI literacy development. It further conceptualises AI not only as an instructional tool but also as a cultural mediating artifact that may influence how learners access information, engage in dialogue, solve problems, and construct knowledge. Based on the conceptual analysis, this paper proposes “understanding–application–reconstruction” as a constructivist learning process rather than an established stage model. Within this process, learners develop AI knowledge, apply AI technologies in authentic contexts, critically evaluate AI processes and outputs, and reconstruct their understanding through practice and reflection. The proposed framework provides a theoretical basis for AI curriculum design and learner-centred instructional practices in vocational education, while requiring further empirical validation.
Downloads
References
Ackermann, E. (2001). Piaget’s constructivism, Papert’s constructionism: What’s the difference. Future of Learning Group Publication, 5(3), 438 449.
Almatrafi, O., Johri, A., & Lee, H. (2024). A systematic review of AI literacy conceptualization, constructs, and implementation and assessment efforts (2019–2023). Computers and Education Open, 6, 100173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100173
Ai, X. (2007). Research on constructivist curriculum [Master’s thesis, Southwest University].
Amineh, R. J., & Asl, H. D. (2015). Review of constructivism and social constructivism. Journal of Social Sciences, Literature and Languages, 1(1), 9 16.
Biagini, G., Cuomo, S., & Ranieri, M. (2023). Developing and validating a multidimensional AI literacy questionnaire: Operationalizing AI literacy for higher education. In D. Schicchi, D. Taibi, & M. Temperini (Eds.), Proceedings of the First International Workshop on High Performance Artificial Intelligence Systems in Education (CEUR Workshop Proceedings, Vol. 3605). CEUR WS. https://ceur ws.org/Vol 3605/1.pdf
Billett, S. (2011). Vocational education: Purposes, traditions and prospects. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978 94 007 1954 5
Bruner, J. S. (1961). The act of discovery. Harvard Educational Review, 31(1), 21 32.
Casal Otero, L., Catala, A., Fernández Morante, C., Taboada, M., Cebreiro, B., & Barro, S. (2023). AI literacy in K–12: A systematic literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 10, 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594 023 00418 7
Chen, Q., & Liu, R. D. (1997). Contemporary educational psychology. Beijing Normal University Press.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1990). Anchored instruction and its relationship to situated cognition. Educational Researcher, 19(6), 2 10. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X019006002
Cole, M., & Derry, J. (2005). We have met technology and it is us. In Intelligence and technology (pp. 233 252). Routledge.
Engeness, I., & Gamlem, S. M. (2025). Exploring AI driven feedback as a cultural tool: A cultural historical perspective on design of AI environments to support students’ writing process. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 59, 23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124 025 09894 8
Grubaugh, S., Levitt, G., & Deever, D. (2023). Harnessing AI to power constructivist learning: An evolution in educational methodologies. Journal of Effective Teaching Methods, 1(3), 81 90. https://doi.org/10.59652/jetm.v1i3.43
Gulikers, J. T. M., Bastiaens, T. J., & Kirschner, P. A. (2004). A five dimensional framework for authentic assessment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(3), 67 86. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504676
Halagatti, M., Gadag, S., Mahantshetti, S., Hiremath, C. V., Tharkude, D., & Banakar, V. (2023). Artificial intelligence: The new disruption tool in educational performance assessment. In Smart Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Performance Management in a Global Digitalised Economy (Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis, Vol. 110, pp. 261 287). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1569 37592023000110A014
Kozulin, A. (2003). Psychological tools and mediated learning. In Vygotsky’s educational theory in cultural context (pp.15 38). Cambridge University Press.
Laupichler, M. C., Aster, A., Schirch, J., & Raupach, T. (2022). Artificial intelligence literacy in higher and adult education: A scoping literature review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100101
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815355
Liang, Y. (2024). Research on teaching strategies for cultivating postgraduates’ thinking ability from the perspective of constructivism [Master’s thesis, Northeast Petroleum University]. CNKI. https://doi.org/10.26995/d.cnki.gdqsc.2024.000570
Liu, G. (2022). Research on ideological and political theory courses for college students based on constructivist learning theory. Science Education Journal, (29), 110 112. https://doi.org/10.16400/j.cnki.kjdk.2022.29.036
Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1 16). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727
Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Chu, S. K. W., & Qiao, M. S. (2021). Conceptualizing AI literacy: An exploratory review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2, 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100041
Ng, D. T. K., Luo, W., Chan, H. M. Y., & Chu, S. K. W. (2022). Using digital story writing as a pedagogy to develop AI literacy among primary students. Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 1 14.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100142
Palincsar, A. S. (1998). Social constructivist perspectives on teaching and learning. Annual Review of Psychology, 49, 345 375. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.49.1.345
Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms: Children, computers, and powerful ideas. Basic Books.
Piaget, J. (1967). Biology and knowledge: An essay on the relations between organic regulations and cognitive processes (Original work published 1937). University of Chicago Press.
Piaget, J. (1972). The psychology of the child. Basic Books.
Slavin, R. E., Hurley, E. A., & Chamberlain, A. (2003). Cooperative learning and achievement: Theory and research. In W. M. Reynolds & G. E. Miller (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Vol.7. Educational psychology (pp. 177 198). Wiley.
Touretzky, D., Gardner McCune, C., Martin, F., & Seehorn, D. (2019). Envisioning AI for K 12: What should every child know about AI? Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 33(01), 9795 9799. https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v33i01.33019795
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Wang, H. (2022). Construction of classroom learning situations in vocational education based on constructivism. Liaoning Higher Vocational Journal, 24(11), 63 66.
Wu, S. Z. (2018). From cognition to practice: Practical logic of vocational education based on constructivism. Journal of Kaifeng Institute of Education, 38(11), 129 130.
Xu, H. W. (2014). An analysis of vocational education curriculum based on constructivism. Vocational Education Communications, (10), 1 4.
Yim, I. H. Y. (2024). A critical review of teaching and learning artificial intelligence (AI) literacy: Developing an intelligence based AI literacy framework for primary school education. Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence, 7, 100319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100319
