Four- and five-year-old children’s use of Doubao conversational artificial intelligence in kindergarten classrooms

Abstract Young children observe adults using GenAI and conversational artificial intelligence (CAI) in their homes and increasingly, access it themselves at home and at kindergarten. Yet, little research has explored the extent to which kindergarten children are able to use such technologies independently. In this exploratory, qualitative study, using a convenience sample and taking a strengths-based approach, 32 children in Year 2 and Year 3 in a Shanghai kindergarten were invited to demonstrate their CAI knowledge and skills soon after the start of the academic year. Twenty-three children participated in a brief, semi-structured interview within a familiar environment: their kindergarten classrooms. During the interview, they were invited to show what they know about a popular CAI application called Doubao. In line with Navarro and Tudge’s neo-ecological theory (2023), we treated Doubao as a Person potentially contributing to proximal processes. Three key themes were identified: Physical Person facilitation of entry into AI interactions , Children’s differing locations in virtual and physical worlds , and The paradox of Person as human or non-human . The interview data revealed that children engage simultaneously within the virtual microsystem and interact with their kindergarten teachers within the physical microsystem. The findings offer implications for pedagogical practices and suggest directions for future research.