Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Education: Mediating and Moderating Roles of Innovative Thinking and AI Anxiety in the Relationship Between AI Literacy and AI-TPACK

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education holds significant potential to develop innovative and inclusive learning environments. This study investigated the relationship between teachers’ AI literacy and their AI-TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge integrated with AI). It further explored the mediating role of innovative thinking and the moderating effect of AI anxiety within this relationship. The research was conducted with 378 Turkish teachers (50.8% female). Findings demonstrated statistically significant positive relationships among AI literacy, AI-TPACK, and innovative thinking. Conversely, AI anxiety was negatively correlated with the other variables. Moreover, innovative thinking was found to significantly mediate the relationship between AI literacy and AI-TPACK. Additionally, AI anxiety moderates the AI literacy-AI-TPACK relationship; specifically, this relationship strengthens as teachers’ AI anxiety diminishes. The results underscore the critical importance of promoting innovative thinking and reducing AI anxiety to empower teachers to integrate AI effectively in education.