Rethinking AI’s Role in Education: From Academic Products to Transformative Learning
A new article published in npj Science of Learning urges educators and researchers to shift focus from the academic outputs of AI—like essays or lesson plans—to its potential role in supporting meaningful learning processes. The authors argue that artificial intelligence should not merely streamline production of educational artifacts, but instead help foster deeper developmental growth, particularly in areas like socio-emotional learning and mathematics education.
The paper, written by Florence Gabriel, JohnPaul Kennedy, Rebecca Marrone, and Simon Leonard, emphasizes that AI can positively influence students’ perceptions of competence, control, and value. By transforming the nature of teacher-student interactions, AI may serve as a powerful tool to address persistent educational challenges such as math anxiety—an issue that continues to affect student achievement worldwide.
Rather than approaching AI from a purely technocentric perspective, the authors advocate for a broader, more pragmatic definition that centers on how these technologies can be meaningfully integrated into learning environments. They note that while AI has existed as a concept for over 75 years, current applications are not yet “intelligent” in a human sense—but still hold vast potential if used with purpose and care.
The article calls for a renewed research agenda focused on leveraging AI for transformative learning experiences rather than surface-level efficiency. Specifically, it proposes exploring AI’s applications in enhancing SEL and reducing math anxiety, which could yield long-term improvements in student outcomes and reshape how educational success is defined and supported.
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