UNESCO framework outlines 15 AI competencies teachers need in the classroom

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has outlined a global AI Competency Framework for Teachers, defining the knowledge, skills and values educators need to use artificial intelligence responsibly in teaching and learning.

The framework, published by UNESCO in 2024 and highlighted in a recent report, identifies 15 competencies across five dimensions. It is intended as a reference for countries developing national AI competency frameworks and teacher-training programmes.

Five areas of AI competency

The framework groups teacher competencies into five dimensions:

-Human-centred mindset
-Ethics of AI
-AI foundations and applications
-AI pedagogy
-AI for professional learning

These areas cover teachers' understanding of AI, the ethical and responsible use of the technology, its application in teaching, and its role in teachers' own professional development.

UNESCO has also divided the competencies into three progression levels: Acquire, Deepen and Create. The levels are intended to represent increasing degrees of knowledge and ability in using AI for education.

Framework focuses on human role in AI-enabled education

The framework notes that AI has changed the traditional teacher-student relationship into what it describes as a teacher-AI-student dynamic. This change, according to UNESCO, requires a reassessment of teachers' roles and the competencies they need.

The framework places emphasis on protecting teachers' rights, maintaining human agency and promoting sustainability. It also calls for teachers to develop the ability to assess both the potential benefits and risks of AI in education.

UNESCO describes teachers as key users of AI in education who need to be able to design and facilitate learning involving AI, promote safe and ethical practices and continue developing their own understanding of the technology.

The framework therefore does not treat AI competency as simply the ability to operate AI tools. It also includes ethical judgement, pedagogical application and professional learning.

Only seven countries had AI frameworks for teachers by 2022

According to the UNESCO framework, only seven countries had developed AI competency frameworks or professional development programmes for teachers by 2022.

UNESCO said the limited availability of such frameworks left many educators without clear guidance on the knowledge and skills required to work with AI in education. The global framework was developed partly to address this gap.

The framework is intended to help countries develop their own national approaches while providing a common reference for teacher education and professional development.

AI use should go beyond automated answers

The UNESCO document also distinguishes between using AI simply to access information or generate standardised responses and using the technology to support deeper educational objectives.

It states that AI in education should contribute to inquiry, intellectual development and the empowerment of learners rather than reducing education to tasks that can be automated.

The framework also stresses that digital technologies should not weaken people's connections with one another or with the real world, and that AI use should remain consistent with human rights and diverse ways of learning and knowing.

UNESCO framework being used in national initiatives

The global framework has also informed national-level efforts. In June 2026, UNESCO and Egypt's Ministry of Education and Technical Education launched a national AI competency framework for teachers based on the global framework and adapted to Egypt's education system.

In September, UNESCO Bangladesh also supported a workshop presenting an ICT-AI Competency Framework for primary teachers, covering areas including digital literacy, technology-enabled pedagogy, ethical AI use and professional practice.

UNESCO's approach thus places teacher preparation alongside the wider integration of AI into education, with emphasis on developing educators' ability to understand, evaluate and use the technology within human-centred and ethical boundaries.