Early Childhood Teachers’ Core Competency in the era of Artificial Intelligence

Purpose: Currently, the world is experiencing revolutionary changes in every aspect of social,economic, and cultural sides as it is shifting from the time of the 4th industrial revolution to the era of artificial intelligence. The need to re-evaluate the role of teachers in providing appropriate education and support to children who will be living in the age of artificial intelligence as the main subjects is raised. Methods: In this article, the desired images and core competencies of early childhood teachers have been reconstructed through a literature review. Results: The eight competencies were as follows; “professional emotionality, passion, ethics, curriculum execution, communication-based collaboration skills, extended sense of community, artificial intelligence literacy, and reflective thinking.” The images of teachers equipped with all of the above competencies were categorized into four branches, ‘teachers with healthy character qualities, teachers with practical knowledges, teachers with solidarity and execution skills, and teachers with innovative perspectives.’ Conclusion: The eight core competencies necessary for the era of artificial intelligence should be considered along with the practical issues early childhood education is facing: the continuity of education between pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and elementary school, the integration of public and private kindergartens, curriculum, and restructuring of curriculums for teacher training institution, and other areas. By examining the images and core competencies of early childhood teachers in the era of artificial intelligence, we hope to contribute to the establishment of a clear direction for teachers to hold fast even in times of uncertainty.