Applied use of technologies

Being curious and creative about the role of artificial intelligences (AI) in primary education

Education and Childhood Research Group | 6 July 20266 July 2026

By Dr Claire Osborne, Senior Lecturer in Education

In an interview with the journalist Faisal Islam on BBC Newsnight (broadcast June 2026), Jack Clark, co-founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) company ‘Anthropic’ which built the AI software program ‘Claude’, suggested that the people who will benefit most from AI and have the advantage are those that think creatively, are curious, and have broad interests. These remarks were in response to growing concerns around the acceleration of AI technologies without human input. Hence Clark’s call for individuals to ‘indulge in curiosity’ and creativity and even take up a hobby as this may benefit how people use technology.

As the capabilities of generative artificial intelligences (Gen AI) advance and AI systems learn from and with other machines, humans will most likely become ever more reliant on AI generated outputs to inform collective knowledge and our understanding(s) of the world. However, it could be argued that an over reliance on AI outputs without question, or critical evaluation may inhibit original thought and defer our abilities to think for ourselves. Moreover, whose and what knowledge is being constructed and re-produced by artificial intelligences is a matter of contention, whilst issues around ethics, bias, and AI safety are real concerns.

As a professional educator with a background in the arts and humanities, I have begun to ponder on what it means to be in the age of AI. Moreover, I have been thinking about the role of schools in enhancing a state of curiosity in young learners and how teachers are well positioned to foster children’s creative and critical thinking skills across a range of subject disciplines. Developing such learning dispositions may enable us to engage well and responsibly with AI tools now and in the future, so we gain the most from this fast-evolving technology.

Fostering curiosity

The state of being curious is a cognitive activity which can be liken to the creation of thought. According to Loewenstein (1994, p.75), curiosity is “a form of cognitively induced deprivation that arises from the perception of a gap in knowledge or understanding”. To be curious means being interested in the world around you and asking questions. It’s about being inquisitive, seeking out gaps in knowledge, thinking deeply about what we think we know (or do not know) and finding out more. The state of curiosity can help us imagine a wealth of possibilities as we contemplate life and what it means to be. Moreover, being curious about the world can enable us to produce creative and innovative solutions to human problems. Whether or not Gen AI has (or will have) the capacity to think creatively (or be curious) was a question alluded to by Jack Clark in the afore mentioned interview. It was therefore of note, that during the interview Clark suggested that studying the liberal arts, including philosophy – which by design, are subjects that stimulate curiosity and creative thinking – may be especially useful to young people and provide them with an advantage in the age of AI.

The capacity to be mindfully curious will undoubtedly be a powerful human resource much needed in the years ahead as we engage with an ever-changing world. Notwithstanding, as AI becomes a ubiquitous presence in many people’s daily lives, humans will need to learn how to utilise these digital technologies well whilst being curious and critical about how, what, and whose knowledge is circulated in society. Moreover, humans will need to question whether Gen AI outputs are accurate, representative, and contribute to knowledge growth and a better world.

The role of primary schools

Primary school classrooms are unique places where human curiosity can be encouraged and nurtured. As Cross et al., (2016) asserts: “Primary teachers are in a particularly powerful position to stimulate or encourage curiosity through the learning contexts they develop and the ways they scaffold learning with challenges, explanation and invitations to think and act”. These fundamental pedagogical principles can be applied to a range of subject disciplines in the primary years, including the arts and humanities. They can also be applied to how AI systems based on large language models (LLM) are used to generate knowledge whilst encouraging children to think and respond to what is being produced. Evaluating how outputs are created could increase critical dialogue and deepen understanding around how Gen AI can be used effectively as one of many pedagogical tools in the box to advance learning. However, a UK government report into the risks and opportunities of Gen AI (DfE, 2024) conducted by The Open Innovation Team (OIT), suggests that there are some key barriers to AI adoption in education. This includes a lack of knowledge, poor digital skills, and limited infrastructure which could impact on teacher’s digital capabilities (DfE, 2024, p.5). That said, the report contends that Gen AI has the potential to transform education. It goes on to outline the many stated benefits of Gen AI usage among teachers. This includes automating tasks resulting in time efficiency, assisting with lesson content, and helping teachers generate new ideas to enhance creative and engaging teaching (DfE, 2024, p.16). Moreover, the OIT report suggests that adapting to Gen AI technology could change how and what people learn because of the way in which ‘information is synthesised and presented’ (DfE, 2024, p.8).

As people’s digital capabilities grow, and learning communities become more curious about the functionalities of AI systems, primary classrooms have the potential to be and become enabling and creative places where students can play with big ideas using appropriate digital tools as and when needed to advance learning across a broad and balanced primary curriculum (DfE, 2013). Presently, the government seem keen on supporting safe and effective Gen AI adoption in education (DfE, 2024). In addition, last year, the UK government produced an AI Action Plan (DfSIT, 2025) with the intent to increase AI take up across society so Britain can benefit economically and socially from the opportunities AI has to offer. While the English education system undergoes curriculum reform (DfE, 2025a) and the government declares its commitment to supporting primary and secondary schools in England teach a knowledge-rich computing curriculum (DfE, 2025b) it will be of interest to see whether AI education will be high on the curriculum agenda as we face the changes and challenges ahead. As Rachel Arthur, chief learning officer at the independent charity ‘Raspberry Pi’, stresses in a recent interview, every young person needs to digitally upskill, learn how to code, and understand how AI systems work whilst being able to evaluate outputs, especially with regards to bias, ethics, and security (Arthur, 2026). If the UK government is strongly committed to ‘ramping up AI adoption across the UK’ (DfSIT, 2025) and augmenting AI in education, they will need to continue to invest in developing students and teacher’s digital capabilities whilst emphasising the risks and opportunities of AI at the earliest stages in our learning journeys.

Looking forwards

AI will undoubtedly transform (and possibly disrupt) how we work, think, and learn. However, the capacity to think creatively and philosophically whilst remaining curious about the world in which we have been ‘thrown’ (Heidegger, 1927) will be central to human advancement with or without AI. That said, as AI systems become more sophisticated, all knowing, and all doing, humans will need to learn how to use this fast-evolving technology well and to our advantage, whilst critically evaluating the information being generated by the machines we have created. Moreover, teachers and students will need to continually upskill to keep a pace with change so that, together, we can explore new ways artificial intelligences can enhance excellent learning and teaching and enable curious and creative learners of the future to thrive and become active, not passive, participants in shaping the world. I will continue to ponder this as a research project with ECRG members in the 4 strands of research during the next academic year.

References

Arthur, R., (2026) Interview with Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong, Will AI replace the people who built it? The Artificial Human, BBC Radio Four, 17 June.

Clark, J. (2026) Interview with Faisal Islam, Newsnight, BBC Two, 04 June.

Cross, A., Borthwick, A., Beswick, K., Board, J. and Chippindall, J. (2016). Introduction. In: A. Cross., A. Borthwock., K. Beswick., J. Board., J. Chippindall ed. (2016) Curious Learners in Primary Maths, Science, Computing and DT [online]. London: SAGE Publications, pp. 1-12 [Accessed 18 June 2026]

DfE (Department for Education) (2013) The National Curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document. Runcorn: DfE. Available from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-primary-curriculum [Last accessed 22 June 2026].

DfE (Department for Education) (2024) Generative AI in Education: Educator and Expert Views (Gov. UK) Available at: Generative AI in education: educator and expert views – GOV.UK [Accessed 18 June 2026].

DfE (Department for Education) (2025a) Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report: Building a world class curriculum for all. Gov. UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-final-report [Accessed 12 November 2025].

DfE (Department for Education) (2025b) Generative AI in Education: Educator and Expert Views. Updated 12 August 2025 (Gov. UK). Available at: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education – GOV.UK [Accessed 18 June 2026].

DfSIT (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) (2025) AI Opportunities Action Plan: Ramping up AI adoption across the UK to boost economic growth, provide jobs for the future and improve people’s everyday lives. Independent Report. Gov. UK. Available at: AI Opportunities Action Plan – GOV.UK [Accessed 18 June 2026].

Heidegger, M. (2003 [1927]). Being and Time. Oxford: Blackwell.

Loewenstein, G. (1994) The Psychology of Curiosity: A Review and Reinterpretation. Psychological Bulletin. Volume 116 (1) pp, 75-98.

Are we listening?

Education and Childhood Research Group | 21 May 202523 June 2025

Chloe Newman shares processes, findings and next steps of her research using Photovoice to advocate for the voices of children with autism in a mainstream EYFS setting

By Chloe Newman (chloe2.newman@live.uwe.ac.uk)

This blog discusses the process, findings and next steps of Chloe Newman’s 2024 Masters project; ‘Are we listening? Photovoice research advocating for the voices of children with autism in a mainstream EYFS setting’.

I grew up being educated in both English and Welsh schools and now, having been an undergraduate and postgraduate student at UWE Bristol, I am proud to be a neurodiverse teacher in mainstream and special schools. My values in education are ever-growing but at my core I believe in continual personal reflection and creating meaningful relationships with students as individuals. In fact, countless conversations with my Masters supervisor have led me to acknowledge myself as a Freirean who does not fit within the traditional ‘banking model’ of education where teachers hold the power and students are simply taught, disciplined, and comply instead, I am driven by a Freirean sense of mutual respect, care and hope for social change from the current political framework of education.

Working with four-year-old children with autism and limited verbal communication I wanted to examine if, with the right support, they would be able to express views. I wanted to know what was important to them in school, how I could help them to share their voice and how we, as educators, could respond to Reception aged children with autism’s voices.

This research would allow me to shine a light on important, yet often minoritised, individual voices. It enabled me to challenge what is often the line of least resistance for mainstream educators due to competing educational demands. My hope was, and still is, to continue to open the conversation around more awareness of strategies that authentically invite children with special needs to the table.

My search for an appropriate methodology led me to Burris and Wang’s 1990’s Photovoice which was created to give a voice to marginalised groups of society. For me, another appealing feature was it’s underpinning in Freire’s belief in a researcher as a facilitator with the hope of having an impact on policy. Photovoice typically follows the structure of using the method of participant led photography, reflection upon photographs and sharing with the community to promote policy.

It is widely acknowledged within special schools that children with autism benefit from a total communication approach and using Alternative and Augmentative Communication (more can be read on this within the New Siblands Special School Total Communication Policy). Using self-led photography felt like an innovative tool for which could be used as a type of AAC. Do. et al.’s meta-synthesis in 2021 found that photovoice has been used with individuals with autism. However, in these studies the youngest children were eight years old and had verbal communication, this was notably different in comparison to my project. This created an interesting reflection point for me and as a Freirean based methodology, relationships had to be at the heart of the study which meant adapting and then extending the methods used.

The project used a variety of AAC strategies including the iPad for self-led photography and an additional communication board for one student. These, alongside using a relational approach and parents to support with reflections, were the flexible tools that begun a process of allowing children to share their viewpoints. When holding the iPad to explore their world, I was surprised to find both children’s imaginative play and vocabulary was increased. This has led me to consider further exploration into whether using a camera as a relational tool could support children with autism’s imaginative vocabulary.

The findings of my project and supporting literature appeared to create some generalised answers which would be worth further investigation. These included both children’s desire to communicate with trusted adults, the importance for them of accessing outdoor spaces and chosen quiet spaces and their interest in school display art. However, the children also surprised me in their own individual ways. For example, there was a held assumption prior to the project that one child did not understand emotions and yet during their self-led photography they chose to take countless photos of other children who they described as ‘friends’ who ‘were happy’.

A key aspect of my title was ‘Are We Listening?’ and when considering the educators’ responses to these children’s expression of self, it would have been too simplistic for me to say educators listened to children’s voices and actioned these to give the children agency. Within the political and social climate of mainstream education, educators held what appeared to be deep-rooted concerns around funding available for support these children and debates around whether mainstream was an appropriate setting. Educators had good intentions and were surprised by the children’s ability to express themselves, but real change is an authentic process which takes time.

The project has created what feels like a responsibility to continue a collective dialogue across educational settings around the following questions:

Could special schools and mainstream schools be working closer together to share their best practice? And could this in turn, help to foster a holistic approach to education where guidance can be given on how to appropriately implement AAC within mainstream schools?

Do we give children with SEN, parents and educators the agency to contribute to conversations around ongoing improvements for the AAC which impact them directly?

How are we preparing our future teachers at initial teacher training to use practical and experiential approaches to total communication for children regardless of if they are training to be in mainstream, specialist or alternative provision?

For more information around this project and future research, please contact Chloe Newman (chloe2.newman@live.uwe.ac.uk).

References

Do, P. L., Frawley, P., Goldingay, S., O’Shea, A. (2021) The use of Photovoice in research with people on the autism spectrum: A meta-synthesis of the literature. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder. 87 1-14. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946721001033 [Accessed 24 April 2024]
Freire, P. (2014) Pedagogy of Hope. London: Bloomsbury.
Freire, P. (2013) Education for Critical Consciousness. London: Bloomsbury.
Freire, P. (2005) Teachers as Cultural Workers: Those who dare teach. Boulder, Routledge Second Ed.
Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin Books
New Siblands School (2025) Total Communication Procedure. Available from: https://www.newsiblands.org.uk/Policies-and-Documents/ [Accessed 9 April 2025]

How do you teach science through engineering amidst lockdowns and school closures?

Bristol Inter-disciplinary Group for Education Research | 24 March 202124 March 2021

Dr Fay Lewis, Programme Leader MA – Education in the Department of Education and Childhood at UWE Bristol, describes how students from UWE Bristol provided an innovative introduction to science and engineering for local primary school children.

British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) taking place this year between 5-14th March.

Despite the many challenges of taking part in Science Week during a global pandemic, UWE Primary Education students have been engaging with celebrations whole-heartedly, ensuring that local children have the best opportunity possible to celebrate science and its role in society. The students have been exploring novel ways of cross curricular working, finding new ways of connecting with local schools despite lockdowns, school closures and a whole lot of uncertainty!

This cross-faculty work brought together groups of student teachers and student engineers to design a range of engineering challenges and activities to introduce local primary school children to engineering and to help them to explore science through engineering.

But how to teach a class of pupils during a time of school closures and remote learning?

Our students solved that problem, collaborating together to create their own blend of face to face and digital educational resources providing children across the primary age phase with opportunities to meet engineers, gain an insight into their work and experience some engineering themselves.

Over 50 student engineers recorded a set of videos; the first to introduce themselves to the pupils, the area of engineering they study, their interests, what inspired them to become engineers, and advice about different engineering career pathways. The second video was more subject-specific, helping teach the pupils some of their curriculum-linked learning using a combination of presentations, demonstrations and follow-along activities. The student teachers then took these materials into schools and explored these videos with children alongside working through the engineering challenges devised by the collaborative groups.

From the feedback coming in so far from all students involved, it looks like the project has been a huge success! We’d like to thank all of the students and schools involved!

____________________________________________________________________________

Meet Noble, student engineer at UWE Bristol, introducing himself to KS1 students and having some fun with forces.

Link to further videos from students in the UWE Bristol Department of Engineering Design and Mathematics

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWUBEPQDGTOhLVpNGY8R8nw/playlists

Dr Fay Lewis

Programme Leader – MA Education, Department of Education and Childhood

Fay.Lewis@uwe.ac.uk

Covid- Proof Engineering in Schools

Bristol Inter-disciplinary Group for Education Research | 12 March 202112 March 2021

Despite the pandemic, approximately sixty primary schools, took part in an engineering challenge as part of British Science week supporting the ‘Big Beam In’ run by DETI (Digital Engineering Technology & Innovation Initiative). The challenges were planned by teacher education and engineering students from UWE Bristol.

For the live teaching by our students in schools, the children were given an engaging engineering challenge supported by videos from the engineers on what it is like being an engineering student and also explaining the science in their task. Other schools were sent teaching packs with activities and videos from the teacher and engineers. Some of engineers’ videos can be seen on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9z52T1dzQlb-Q4UiNnfloq4R7BPLply_

The aim of the project is to develop communication and outreach skills in engineers and to give the education students an experience of planning and teaching an engineering task in schools. The children will get an understanding of the broad range of engineering careers as well as exposure to everyday role models studying engineering and talking about why it interests them. Elizabeth Hadlington (Yr 2 Primary Education) said this was ‘an exciting opportunity to gather an insight into engineering allowing us to inspire young minds and create opportunities for the future’.

For further details please contact juliet.edmonds@uwe.ac.uk or Fay.lewis@uwe.ac.uk

The image is a slide from UWE students Charlie Simmonds (Yr 2 Primary Education) and Noble Varghese ( Yr 3 Engineering) for KS1

Empowering autistic children: Experiencing a museum through a customised app

Bristol Inter-disciplinary Group for Education Research | 19 February 201919 February 2019

For most of us, a visit to the museum is a chance to relax, to learn interesting stories from our past. We can probably remember school visits to museums when we were younger. However, for some children, the visit can be challenging: namely autistic children.

Some research highlights that involving children with autism in recreational activities helps to support inclusion, reinforces positive behaviours, and enhances well-being. Within this context, a museum visit is considered a pleasant way to spend leisure time, as it provides interesting stories to inspire and engage visitors; while offering opportunities for experiential learning through play-based activities.

In response to the growing international drive for equal rights and diversity, museums have been encouraged to embrace new ways to provide access to services, with a focus on providing access to people with a diverse range of disabilities. This coupled with an ongoing rise in diagnoses of autism has led museums to address issues of integration. Considering the needs of autistic visitors, museums have attempted to integrate an individualised supportive environment and to provide sensory-friendly activities. In addition, improvements have been made to the physical spaces of these environments. Responding to the prevalence of digital media, museums have gone one step further to consider digital practices as a means of engaging visitors with various impairments. However, the adoption of mobile services in museums seems to target specific groups, and there is little work regarding digital platforms developed specifically for autistic people.

With technology for autistic users being well researched with many attributed benefits, the role of technology in museums represents a timely area of study – this is the focus of my PhD work.

Benefits of technology for autistic users includes:

Slower presentation of information/communication;
Reduced pressures of completing activity (with others);
Computers and technologies can be predictable, systematic and logical; all supporting the strengths of the autistic communities.

With this in mind novel technology programs have been developed to promote various aspects of education, communication, and entertainment, as well as social skills.

My PhD study has been focused on addressing the potential of using digital services in a museum for autistic visitors. It investigated the views and impact of a digital museum experience (through a museum-based app) of autistic children. One of the main aims was to examine whether a museum-based app could be a mediating tool to enable groups of autistic children to have an inclusive experience in a barrier-free environment.

My study was conducted in several stages, and cycles of an iterative process were included to help build an optimal version of the touch-screen interface. This study was conducted in collaboration with a special educational needs school and the M Shed museum in Bristol. The design and development of the app was based on existing literature coupled with recommendations and feedback from the participating children.

So far, the findings suggest that a museum-based app was viewed as a useful tool to provide equal opportunities for autistic children in which to participate with museum-related activities. Given that autistic people can encounter profound challenges in their daily life and feel marginalized from society, a specific adaptation is necessary in this context (a museum). The use of the app during the visit seemed to act as a bridge and to guide the children by focusing on specific exhibits in the gallery. The data also revealed that the choice of the exhibits through play-based activities encouraged the children to be more motivated and to remain focused on the requested tasks.

Overall, the findings from this study support the idea that:

The use of technology-based museum activities can contribute to the inclusion of the autistic community.
The role of partnerships with specialists from different fields are an important aspect of providing high quality outcomes.

This study aimed to shed light on an under researched area and to inform future policy and services provided by museums. This, in turn, could help young autistic people (and their caregivers) access museums in meaningful and supportive ways – and so they can get more out of the experience.

Author: Dimitra Magkafa is a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Arts, Cultural Industries and Education, the University of the West of England.

Category: Applied use of technologies