Exploring the influential factors and key dimensions of AI information literacy among high school students: a social-ecological perspective

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, have elicited both excitement and apprehension among educators. To effectively navigate the unprecedented opportunities and challenges presented by the increasing penetration of AI in various domains, it is crucial for schools to cultivate students’ artificial intelligence literacy (AIL). Grounded in the social-ecological perspective, this study examined the influences of extrinsic environmental factors and intrinsic learner characteristics on high school students’ AI-IL. A survey involving 1,132 high school students was conducted, with an exploratory analysis used to identify key predictors of AIL and its underlying dimensions. Learning is jointly predicted by both environmental factors (community, family) and intrinsic learner characteristics (learning strategy, self-regulation), with learning strategy emerging as the most significant predictor. The study highlights the importance of leveraging community resources, intrinsic motivation, and cognitive strategies as they exert the most significant positive effects, while barriers such as limited access to technology and support showed negative influences. Furthermore, a theoretical framework was developed that Evaluation and Management of AI, followed by Knowledge, with Ethics and Application being key analytical dimensions. This research provides comprehensive frameworks elucidating the key influences and opportunities for enhancing student learning in the realm of AI.