Understanding the Digital Divide: Exploring School Principals' Perspectives on Educational Artificial Intelligence in Science and Art Centers

Creative Commons License

Dede D., Dede D., Bavlı B., Erkoç M. F.

34th NISPAcee Conference, Sofija, Bulgaristan, 26 - 28 Mayıs 2026, ss.1-17, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Sofija
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Bulgaristan
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-17
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

In Turkiye, Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM) promote digital literacy and nurture talented students' unique abilities with personalized, tech-based programs. However, disparities in technological infrastructure and availability create significant inequalities across these centers. Despite a growing body of research on digital competencies, limited attention has been paid to inequalities. Addressing this gap, this study explores school principals’ perspectives on educational artificial intelligence and institutional technological competence in BİLSEMs.

This research, funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK), is entitled “The Impact of Digital Competencies for Mitigating the Digital Gap: School Principals’ Technology Leadership Competencies and Organizations’ Digital Competencies in Science and Art Centers,” and runs from 2024 to 2026. We plan international collaborations on training programs to develop digitally skilled citizens through teamwork and new partnerships. In the methodology section, a content analysis of qualitative data was conducted using MaxQDA 2024. Data were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews with school principals. By doing this, we have evaluated how principals understand the digital divide, especially concerning the effective and appropriate use of digital services was examined.

The findings reveal that differences in familiarity with artificial intelligence applications, contribute to varying levels of digital readiness across these institutions. These differences point to an emerging form of information and knowledge asymmetry in the adoption and use of AI in education. The study provides an initial framework for understanding the digital divide as not only a matter of access but also of knowledge. It also offers practical insights for policy development and future collaborative initiatives to foster more equitable and effective digital learning environments.