Abstract:

Digitalization is transforming school environments from an early age, making it increasingly important to create meaningful opportunities for students and teachers to engage with emerging technologies. Although digital tools are now widely embedded in educational practice, structured and age-appropriate opportunities to engage with topics such as artificial intelligence and blockchain remain limited. Addressing this gap, this paper presents an exploratory study based on an awareness initiative implemented in a Portuguese school setting with three target groups: lower secondary students, vocational students enrolled in information technology programmes, and teachers. The initiative is organized through differentiated sessions tailored to each audience, combining a stronger focus on artificial intelligence for lower secondary students with a broader approach to artificial intelligence and blockchain for vocational students and teachers.

The study examines how participation in this initiative influences students’ perceived understanding, interest, and engagement, while also exploring teachers’ views on its pedagogical relevance and potential for replication in school settings. More specifically, it analyses whether brief, accessible, and context-sensitive awareness activities can foster motivation to learn about emerging technologies and support their more meaningful introduction into educational environments. The study is grounded in the view that digital literacy should extend beyond the operational use of digital tools and include early opportunities to reflect on technological concepts that are increasingly shaping social, educational, and professional life.

Methodologically, the study follows an exploratory case study design in a Portuguese school context. Data are collected through brief feedback questionnaires administered to the participating groups, combining structured items with a small number of open-ended questions. Whenever feasible, student feedback is gathered immediately before and/or after the sessions, while teachers’ perceptions are collected at the end of their session. This approach makes it possible to examine perceptions of usefulness, accessibility, interest in further learning, and pedagogical relevance, while preserving flexibility in the data collection process.

As an exploratory study, this paper presents findings on how differentiated awareness activities on emerging technologies are perceived by students and teachers in a school context. It provides evidence regarding students’ interest, perceived learning, and engagement, as well as teachers’ views on the educational relevance of such initiatives. Although limited in scope, the study contributes to ongoing reflections on digital literacy and on how emerging technologies can be introduced into school education through accessible and context-sensitive formats.

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Emerging Technologies, Digital Literacy, School Education, Teacher Perceptions, Student Perceptions.