As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has entered mainstream use, new requirements are being placed on higher education institutions (HEIs) and teachers. Although many institutions provide guidelines and resources to support professional development (PD), there is limited knowledge about which competencies these initiatives prioritize and how the development of these emerging practices is supported. In this study, we analyse HEI PD initiatives through the lens of the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers. The document-based case study focused on two HEIs and their respective resources aimed at supporting PD in relation to GenAI. Through content mapping, the analysis reveals that current PD initiatives provide a broad introduction to GenAI, with a clear focus on foundational concepts and terminology. However, with few opportunities to develop sufficient depth, they offer limited support for sustained competence development and lack structured pedagogical guidance, feedback, and collegial reflection. Consequently, the resources function primarily as entry-level informational repositories that raise awareness but fall short of enabling confident, critical and ethically grounded AI integration, underscoring the need for more sustained, contextualised and pedagogically robust PD to strengthen teacher agency and situated competence. The study proposes design considerations for AI-related PD that emphasise progression, pedagogical integration, ethical reasoning, and practice-based learning. 

Although a growing body of research has examined students’ attitudes toward generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education, few studies have compared perceptions across contrasting institutional contexts or explored how students’ reported uses of GenAI relate to broader learning practices. This study addresses that gap by examining university students’ perceptions, self-reported competence, and use of GenAI at two Swedish universities with different academic profiles: a technology-oriented institution and a broader multidisciplinary institution. The study is based on an exploratory questionnaire survey administered to all enrolled students at both universities, yielding 1,097 responses (University A response rate: 11.27%, University B response rate: 14.06%) from students across diverse disciplines, including engineering, nursing, and criminology. Quantitative data were analyzed using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and non-parametric group comparisons, supplemented by thematic analysis of qualitative responses. The analysis identified three reliable constructs: perceived learning benefit, perceived institutional support and integration, and self-reported technical knowledge and competence. Across both institutions, students reported generally positive attitudes toward GenAI and described using it primarily for information retrieval, text refinement, and text analysis, but also as a discussion partner or personal tutor in ways that suggest both surface-level and more dialogic forms of engagement. Comparisons between the two universities showed broad similarity across most measures, with the only statistically significant difference relating to perceived institutional support and integration, which was rated higher by students at the technology-oriented university. Students at both institutions also viewed GenAI primarily as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, traditional teaching, while reporting only moderate trust in AI-generated outputs. These findings suggest that GenAI is already embedded in students’ study practices, but that its use is largely self-directed rather than strongly shaped by institutional context. The study thus contributes comparative empirical evidence on student engagement with GenAI across contrasting higher education settings and highlights the need for pedagogical and institutional strategies that support critical, reflective, and responsible use. © The Author(s) 2026

Pedagogical merit systems have become an increasingly common strategy for recognising and rewarding teaching excellence in higher education. In Sweden, such systems have been established at many universities as alternative or complementary career pathways to research-based advancement. This paper explores how teachers who have been formally recognised as excellent perceive the pedagogical merit process and its consequences for their professional identity, teaching practice and institutional engagement. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with sixteen excellent teachers at a Swedish university, the study examines motivations for applying, experiences of the assessment process and perceived outcomes following recognition. The findings reveal a complex picture: while pedagogical merit is widely experienced as affirming professional identity and enhancing confidence and status, its impact on teaching practice, collaboration and career development varies considerably. In particular, the study highlights tensions between individual recognition and organisational utilisation of pedagogical expertise. The paper contributes to academic development by foregrounding excellent teachers’ perspectives and by discussing how pedagogical merit systems can be more strategically aligned with institutional structures, cultures and educational development goals.

How K-12 education will handle generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is dependent upon educators’ preparedness and support structures. This study explores educational professionals’ perceptions regarding GAI and their support needs. 452 educational professionals, representing all years levels and educational roles in K-12, participated in a professional development (PD) intervention focused on GAI in education. Drawing on this cross-sectional design, we adopted a mixed-methods approach. Data from polls, surveys, and collegial reflections were analysed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis and Transformative Learning Theory. One of the key findings revealed a notable gap between positive attitudes toward GAI and an actual confidence in using it: although only 31% had used AI chatbots, 88% were inclined to adopt them. These results signal simultaneous enthusiasm and hesitation and emphasise the need for comprehensive PD and organisational support that extends beyond technical skills to advocate for responsible, sustainable and ethical GAI use. This study offers insights for policymakers aiming to achieve effective, whole-school GAI integration, highlighting how design and innovation perspectives can guide the process. © The Author(s) 2025.

Virtuell verklighet (VR) har kommit att bli en alltmer tillgänglig resurs för skolor och en växande grupp lärare implementerar teknologin i sin undervisning. VR är ett exempel på en resurs som erbjuder intressanta potentialer för elevers kunskapsutveckling. Genom VR kan ämnesinnehåll och kunskaper göras tillgängliga på nya sätt då tekniken gör det möjligt att uppleva platser och innehåll i en 3D-miljö som går bortom klassrummet. I ULF-projektet Virtuella lärmiljöer som stöd för elevers kunskapsutveckling i studiehandledning på modersmålet (VRiS) arbetar två studiehandledare på modersmålet, en IKT-pedagog, en VR-konsult och tre forskare tillsammans med att utveckla teoretisk och praktisk förståelse för elevers kunskapsutveckling i studiehandledning på modersmålet genom anpassade VR-miljöer. Studiehandledning på modersmålet är ett stöd som finns i svenska skolor för att stötta flerspråkiga elever att nå kunskapskraven i de olika skolämnena. Det har visat sig att studiehandledning inte alltid ger det förväntade stöd som eleverna är i behov av och att den i flera fall inte anpassas till elevers individuella behov. Syftet med projektet är att utveckla en didaktiskt anpassad studiehandledning med anpassade VR-miljöer för att främja elevers kunskapsutveckling. Med hjälp av iterativa och design-baserade metoder (DBR) undersöks följande fråga: Hur kan studiehandledningen utformas och användas för att främja elevers lärande genom anpassade VR-miljöer? Projektets resultat visar att studiehandledarna använder anpassade VR-miljöer som en resurs för att stötta elevernas förståelse av ämnesspecifika begrepp i främst NO-undervisningen. De planerar och organiserar sin undervisning i VR med fokus på att visualisera och materialisera begrepp och innehåll för eleverna genom att anpassa existerande VR-miljöer eller skapa egna miljöer med 3D-modeller och objekt som eleverna kan interagera med. Copyright (c) 2025 Emma Edstrand, Jeanette Sjöberg, Sylvana Sofkova Hashemi.

Access to AI-driven chatbots is triggering schools to transform. Easy access and questions of cheating are balanced against potential upsides of individual support, time savings, and the risk of falling behind. Therefore, insights into teachers’ AI self-efficacy and attitudes towards the integration of AI-driven chatbots in education necessitate research. This study approaches teachers' readiness to use AI-driven chatbots. A survey and poll questions were administered, yielding 312 and 406 responses respectively, focusing on AI self-efficacy, attitudes, and perceived usefulness in education. Preliminary findings show that while teachers are generally positive about the potential of AI in education, their AI self-efficacy varies significantly based on prior use of the technology, perceived relevance, and the support available to them. The study highlights the need for internal support and targeted professional development interventions and offers practical insights for policymakers, educators, and curriculum developers to foster teacher readiness and competence in using AI-driven chatbots in their professional tasks, in and outside of class © 2025 The Authors.

School development is important in society. This study investigates how questions work as an information carrier between different levels in a school organization. The questions are organized in a hierarchy, with the regional steering committee’s overarching question at the top and then distributed further on to the municipalities to interpret the questions that engage with their practice management. At the bottom of the hierarchy are the schools, and they create the final professional research questions that engage with day-to-day practice. Previous studies show that supporting and challenging each other can lead to the development of new knowledge in the organization. This is an empirical study based on documents with questions from the three levels (regional, municipal, and school). The questions were collected and the content in the questions was analyzed. The results show that it is possible to develop an organization by asking development-related questions, from top to bottom, in a hierarchical organization. However, problems arise when the developing questions require interpretation, and the interpretation leads to the shifting of the original goal. In this study, the aim at regional-level students and knowledge/learning was shifted to a focus on teachers and teaching especially at school level. © 2025 by the authors.

As online education becomes increasingly common in language learning, there is a pressing need to understand how students experience bichronous (synchronous and asynchronous) teaching formats in second language learning contexts. Drawing on qualitative group interviews with participants enrolled in an SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) program, the study identifies key benefits and challenges associated with this blended format. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, revealing insights into the advantages and limitations of online sessions for language skills development. The findings indicate that bichronous online teaching supports language skills development, feedback practices, structured participation, flexibility, and autonomy. However, the students reported challenges to self-paced learning, peer interaction, and digital competence. Teacher presence, feedback, and session design emerges as crucial for students’ engagement and participation. These insights suggested an enhanced approach to online teaching, combining synchronous and asynchronous methods for second language learning. Recommendations for optimising online second language teaching were discussed, emphasising the importance of adaptive pedagogical strategies, technological support, and individualised approaches to meet diverse learner needs. Copyright © 2025 Rasha Al Massalmeh, Pernilla Nilsson, Jeanette Sjöberg, Marie Utterberg