The School Development and AI Agency Research Lab (SD-AI) received funding in the UA Ruhr Postdoclab programme. SD-AI conducts research on school development, considering the role of agency in implementing artificial intelligence (AI) at different levels in schools. Applying AI for various purposes in the school system creates a socio-technical environment in which the attribution of agency to AI systems occurs. The overarching question of the working group is: (How) can epistemic accountability be ensured when AI is used in the complex school system? 

The main objectives are to elaborate a theoretical model of the role of AI in the field of school development on different levels of the school system and of collective responsibilities in a socio-technical environment, and to empirically evaluate core assumptions of the theoretical model and AI accountability in school development. 

To achieve these objectives, the working group is currently composing a research review as a basis for deriving a theoretical model of school development and AI accountability. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this theoretical model will be validated and improved through workshops scheduled for October 2026 combining lectures by international guest scholars and in-depth discussions with national experts. Moreover, the working group will conduct an experimental study with teachers and school principals to explore the use of AI for specific areas of school development. The study will compare a setting with controlled conditions with special attention to perceptions, potential for action, and credibility of AI, to a setting with uncontrolled AI use.

The SD-AI project will serve as a starting point for further investigation of the challenges and potentials of AI integration in schools. It will pave the way for understanding the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders at different levels of the school system, and, most importantly, for deriving practical knowledge and guidelines that will help establish AI as an essential tool for maintaining and fostering school quality in a joint effort at all levels.

SD-AI is funded as part of the programme PostdocLab | College UA Ruhr. The programme matches the intention of the Research Community Future of Education by bringing together early career researchers from TU Dortmund and University of Duisburg-Essen University working on an important educational topic that will shape the future of schooling, teaching and learning. As both associated members of the College for Social Sciences and Humanities and active participants in the Research Community Future of Education, Dr. Manuela Endberg and Dr. Ramona Lorenz are certain to further develop sustainable academic networks within the Ruhr region and beyond.