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After the coining of the phrase “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) nearly seven decades ago (McCarthy et al., 2006), AI research has been conducted across many fields, including education. However, despite its long history, nothing could have fully prepared the field of education for the specific type of AI that was introduced to the general public in November 2022 (Alfarwan, 2025). Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) suddenly became publicly available, on demand, to anyone with a smartphone or personal computing device, and immediately raised both new promise and new uncertainty for the field—from opportunities for personalized learning and improved accessibility to pressing concerns about academic integrity and assessment. Controversies quickly arose as to whether, or how, GenAI might have a place in educational settings.

GenAI researchers have called on higher education to build the body of research needed to inform K-12 partners about which GenAI integration approaches are feasible, appropriate, and effective (Yusuf et al., 2024; Alfarwan, 2025). Early frameworks have emerged to guide this work, including strategies for integrating AI education into educator preparation programs (Black et al., 2024). Given the breadth and rapid evolution of emerging AI literacy research, learning trajectories in this area remain less established (Jacob et al., in press). In addition, Zhang et al. (2025) found in their review of K-12 GenAI research that most published work consisted of “early stage” and “short-term” studies, and they called for more longitudinal research to uncover long-term implications.

In this special issue of the Journal of Computer Science Integration (JCSI), we seek research examining the experiences of four key contributors influencing the potential for GenAI integration in K-12 schools: teachers, administrators, students, and parents. In addition to inquiry into approaches for fostering GenAI literacy, we are interested in research that identifies these contributors’ prevailing attitudes toward AI in the classroom, as well as their perspectives on the environmental and societal effects of increased GenAI use. Research may address one or more contributor groups and is encouraged to engage thoughtfully with the benefits, risks, and open debates surrounding GenAI integration in K-12 education. We welcome empirical, theoretical, and mixed-methods submissions that advance understanding of these issues.

This call seeks manuscripts that address questions such as the following:

1. What are current teacher attitudes about the use of GenAI in K-12 classroom settings?
2. What are K-12 teachers’ comfort levels with incorporating GenAI into their own lessons, materials, and assessments?
3. What are current K-12 students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding the ethical and appropriate use of GenAI?
4. What are the attitudes of parents and guardians of K-12 students toward their children’s use of GenAI in the classroom?
5. What are current K-12 school administrators’ attitudes about the use of GenAI by teachers and/or students in classroom settings?
6. What role do professional development for teachers and administrators and AI literacy instruction for students play in shaping attitudes toward GenAI use in K-12 classroom settings?
7. What are contributors’ perceptions of the environmental and societal impacts of widespread GenAI use in K-12 schools?

September 30, 2026: Submit a 500-word abstract that includes an overview of the manuscript to [email protected]. Use “GenAI Special Issue” as the email subject line. References are not included in the word count.

October 30, 2026: Notifications of accepted abstracts sent to potential authors.

February 15, 2027: Full manuscripts due through JCSI Submission.

April 15, 2027: Final decisions and/or revision requests sent to authors.

May 31, 2027: Final manuscripts due through JCSI Submission.

For details, visit the Journal of Computer Science Integration Editorial Policies page.