Teachers bridging technical and reflective stances in K–9 AI education

As AI tools enter K-9 classrooms, teachers face the challenge of supporting both technical understanding and critical reflection.This study examines how lower secondary teachers integrate technical and reflective stances of AI through participatory lesson design with simplified Large Language Model activities.Analysis of classroom enactments, lesson plans, and interviews shows that: First, technical and reflective stances can be bridged in discrete, well-structured activities.Second, teachers stress technical insights before critical reflection.Third, abstract reflection concepts can cause classroom detachment, and fourth, bridging technical and reflective stances requires more than explanation.Additionally, these findings lead us to suggest implications highlighting awareness of teachers' assumptions, deliberate activity scaffolding, and pedagogical strategies to support teachers in balancing technical and reflective stances of AI literacy.