Work

Empowering Higher-Order Thinking through Generative AI: The Mediating Roles of Teachers’ Digital Literacy and Pedagogical Innovation in Vocational Education

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: As Generative AI (GenAI) becomes integral to vocational education, this study investigates how teachers' GenAI proficiency fosters student higher-order thinking (HOT), and the mediating roles of digital literacy and innovative AI-supported pedagogy.Using a correlational design with 200 teacher-800 student dyads in Guangxi's vocational tourism programs, teachers completed the GenAI Application Ability Scale (α = .88),Digital Literacy Inventory (α = .85),and Innovative Teaching Strategies Questionnaire (α = .82),while students responded to a 14-item HOT Skills Scale (α = .90).Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed construct validity; structural equation modeling with bias-corrected bootstrapping assessed direct and indirect effects.Results show a strong direct path from GenAI ability to HOT (β = .45,p < .001;95% CI [.35, .55]).Mediation analyses reveal significant indirect effects via digital literacy (β = .32,p < .001;95% CI [.24, .40])and teaching strategies (β = .28,p < .001;95% CI [.18, .38]),yielding a total indirect effect of .60 (p < .001;95% CI [.50, .70]).The model accounted for 50% of HOT variance.This work underscores the need for training that fuses AI fluency with pedagogical innovation to prepare teachers for AI-enhanced classrooms.

Source: International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development

DOI: 10.6007/ijarped/v14-i3/25996

Authors: Zhong Mengmeng, Mohamad Izzuan Mohd Ishar, Muhammad Sukri Saud

Institutions: Liuzhou Polytechnic University, University of Technology Malaysia

Language: English

Topic: Artificial Intelligence in Education

Subfield: Information Systems

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4412585066