STRENGTHENING TEACHER COMPETENCE TO SUPPORT SDG 4 THROUGH A GROUNDED AI WORKSHOP

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has considerable potential to support Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by improving educational quality and strengthening teacher competencies. However, many teachers still face challenges related to AI literacy, information verification, and the risk of AI hallucination, while most training programs focus primarily on general-purpose generative AI. This community service program aimed to strengthen teachers’ competencies through a grounded AI workshop using Google Notebook, emphasizing responsible AI use and source-based information verification. The program was implemented for teachers at SMA Al-Abidin Bilingual School (ABBS) Surakarta through preparation, workshop implementation, and evaluation stages. Competency improvement was assessed using a pre-test and post-test design covering five domains: Basic AI Literacy, Preparation and Development of Teaching Materials, Knowledge Management and Classroom Implementation, Learning Evaluation and Feedback, and Professional Development. Statistical analysis was conducted using paired-sample Student’s t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Although 60 teachers attended the workshop, 39 complete paired responses were available for analysis. The overall competence score increased significantly from 2.774 to 3.931 (t = -15.882, p < 0.001), with a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.543). Significant improvements were observed across all competency domains, with the strongest gains found in Professional Development. The grounded AI workshop effectively strengthened teachers’ competencies and promoted more responsible, evidence-based AI usage. The program contributes to SDG 4 by supporting teacher professional development and enhancing educational quality through the adoption of trustworthy AI practices.