The illusion of teaching competence in AI-mediated education

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education is prompting a re-evaluation of teaching competence and the professional status of educators. A critical integrative review of international literature from 2018-2025 highlights that while digital competence and AI literacy are gaining attention, the pedagogical and professional aspects of teaching competence in an AI-mediated environment remain largely unexplored and under-theorized.

Why it matters

The rapid adoption of AI across various sectors necessitates a deep understanding of how core competencies for professionals are evolving. For fields where human interaction and judgment are critical, such as education, identifying and developing new pedagogical and professional standards in an AI-assisted environment is crucial for maintaining quality and relevance.

Key insights

• AI's accelerated integration into education is driving debates about redefining teaching competence and the teaching profession's status.
• Existing research has focused on teachers' digital competence, AI literacy, and attitudes towards technological tools.
• The pedagogical and professional dimensions of teaching competence in AI-mediated education are currently under-theorized.
• A critical integrative review was conducted, examining international literature from 2018-2025 to understand conceptualizations of teaching competence with AI.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1872857