Prompt’n’Play: Improving Teachers’ AI literacy through Secondary Learning Outcomes of a Serious Game

Abstract

The increasing diffusion of generative artificial intelligence in educational contexts calls for strengthening teachers’ AI literacy. AI literacy is increasingly understood as a multidimensional construct encompassing cognitive, operational, critical, and ethical competencies, including understanding AI systems, evaluating their outputs, and applying them responsibly in educational settings (Ranieri et al., 2024; Chiu et al., 2024; Tenberga & Daniela, 2024; Pei et al., 2026). In line with self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1997), teachers’ perceived competence and confidence are crucial for translating such knowledge into pedagogical practices. However, while many studies focus on students, research examining how interventions designed for pupils may also produce professional learning benefits for the teachers who implement them remains limited (Traga Philippakos & Rocconi, 2025). This study addresses this gap by analyzing the indirect effects of Prompt’n’Play, a serious board game designed to develop primary school students’ skills in prompt engineering, understanding generative models, bias awareness, and responsible AI use. The intervention builds on evidence highlighting the significant impact of serious games and game-based learning on motivation, cognitive engagement, and deep learning (Schrader, 2023), as well as on situated teacher professional development (Pozzi & Persico, 2024). After a short introductory training session, teachers implemented the game in their classrooms as facilitators. A single-group pre–post design with repeated measures was adopted with 15 primary school teachers. Data were collected through Likert-scale instruments measuring perceived understanding of AI, instructional use of AI tools, self-efficacy in AI integration, and intention for future use, in line with technology acceptance models (Davis, 1989; Venkatesh et al., 2012). Paired-sample analyses and regression analyses were conducted to examine pre–post changes and the predictive role of perceived understanding and self-efficacy on teachers’ intention to integrate AI into future practice. The results suggest that facilitating AI-focused game-based activities, although designed for students, can also constitute a form of situated professional learning for teachers, strengthening AI literacy and teaching agency.