Opening the ‘Can of Worms’: A Comparative Case Study of Two ELA Teachers' Formation of AI Literacy Instruction

ABSTRACT Educators hold diverse beliefs and attitudes about generative artificial intelligence (AI). Irrespective of their stance, many acknowledge AI's growing influence and the pressing need for greater AI literacy. In this case study, we draw on Davis's (1989) technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine how two English teachers, Fiona and Margot, arrived at different enactments of AI literacy. Using qualitative methods, we found that Fiona was primarily concerned with cheating, held negative attitudes toward AI, and taught a standalone lesson on preventing cheating. Margot identified a range of AI risks and possibilities, held conflicted attitudes, and developed a unit on the societal impacts of AI. Our findings suggest that educators and professional learning designers should take concerns about cheating seriously, but also adopt a broader, dialectical orientation that prepares students to understand, critically evaluate, and use AI. As AI reshapes education, these skills are crucial to students' success and well‐being.