Teacher AI Literacy and Readiness for AI-Enhanced Instruction: A Scoping Review of Competencies, Barriers, and Professional Development in Education

Abstract

The growing presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms has placed teacher preparation in a challenging position, as educators are expected to utilize tools that influence lesson design, instruction, assessment, feedback, and student support, while formal training has not always advanced at the same pace. Consequently, the central question is no longer whether AI will become integrated into educational practice, but what preparation enables teachers to use it with pedagogical judgment, ethical awareness, and institutional support. This scoping review examined recent literature on teacher AI literacy and readiness for AI-enhanced instruction, focusing on required competences, barriers to classroom use, theoretical models, and professional development responses. Searches were conducted in Web of Science and Scopus databases for studies published from January 2021 to April 2026, following a PRISMA-ScR-oriented process. After duplicate removal, screening, eligibility assessment, and thematic analysis, 70 studies were included. The findings indicate that teacher AI literacy extends beyond technical knowledge to include understanding system capabilities and limitations, adapting tools to classroom needs, critically evaluating generated outputs, and determining when AI use genuinely supports learning. Readiness is shaped by self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, institutional support, resources, infrastructure, and the preservation of professional responsibility. The evidence also reveals a mismatch between structural barriers and the short-term training commonly offered, highlighting the need for sustained, contextualized, and practice-based professional development.