Contemporary education is undergoing an accelerated process of transformation driven by the development and integration of emerging technologies across multiple sectors of society. In educational contexts, these technologies extend beyond the digitalization of instructional tools, influencing the structure of teaching, learning, and assessment processes, as well as redefining the traditional roles of teachers and learners. This article examines the concept of emerging technologies from a pedagogical perspective, highlighting their implications for educational practice and the necessity of a critical and reflective approach by educators. Particular attention is given to the relationship between artificial intelligence, digital learning environments, and teachers’ professional competences, with the aim of supporting a responsible and pedagogically grounded integration of these technologies in education.
Keywords: emerging technologies, digital education, artificial intelligence, pedagogy, professional competences
Introduction
Education has consistently been shaped by technological developments; however, the scale and speed of current transformations exceed traditional institutional mechanisms of adaptation. While earlier stages of educational digitalization primarily focused on improving access to information and introducing basic digital tools, the present context is characterized by the emergence of technologies with profound transformative potential—technologies capable of directly influencing cognitive, decision-making, and evaluative processes.
Emerging technologies, particularly those based on artificial intelligence, no longer function merely as external supports for teaching and learning. Instead, they are becoming active components of learning environments, capable of analysing learning behaviours, adapting educational content in real time, and reshaping how educational success is defined and measured. In this context, teachers are confronted not simply with the need to adopt new tools, but with a structural transformation of their professional role.
From a pedagogical perspective, the integration of emerging technologies raises fundamental questions regarding teacher autonomy, decision-making responsibility, assessment validity, and the nature of educational relationships. Consequently, the central issue is not whether these technologies will be used in education, but under what conditions, for what purposes, and based on which pedagogical principles.
Emerging Technologies: Conceptual Delimitations and Educational Relevance
The concept of emerging technologies is frequently employed in contemporary educational discourse, often without rigorous theoretical clarification. In the academic literature, the term generally refers to technologies that are in the process of rapid development and adoption and that possess the potential to generate significant structural, institutional, and cultural change (Rotolo, Hicks & Martin, 2015).
In educational contexts, emerging technologies are not defined solely by their technical novelty, but by their capacity to transform existing pedagogical practices. Artificial intelligence, adaptive learning systems, learning analytics, and intelligent digital platforms differ fundamentally from traditional educational technologies in that they can perform automated or semi-automated decision-making processes based on large-scale data analysis.
A defining characteristic of these technologies is their predictive and adaptive functionality. AI-based systems can anticipate learning difficulties, personalize learning pathways, and provide immediate feedback. Pedagogically, this represents a shift from standardized instruction toward differentiated learning. At the same time, it introduces critical concerns related to algorithmic transparency, accountability, and control over educational processes.
It is essential to emphasize that emerging technologies are not pedagogically neutral. They embed implicit models of learning, performance, and assessment that may or may not align with the foundational values of formal education. In the absence of a robust pedagogical framework, there is a significant risk that educational decision-making will be tacitly transferred to technological systems designed outside the educational domain.
From this perspective, the teacher’s role becomes critically important: not merely as a user of technology, but as a mediator between algorithmic logics and educational purposes. A clear conceptual understanding of emerging technologies therefore constitutes a prerequisite for their responsible and effective integration into educational practice.
Selected references
Rotolo, D., Hicks, D., & Martin, B. R. (2015). What is an emerging technology? Research Policy, 44(10), 1827–1843.
OECD (2021). Artificial Intelligence in Education: Challenges and Opportunities. OECD Publishing.
Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M., & Forcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence Unleashed: An Argument for AI in Education. Pearson.
Selwyn, N. (2019). Should Robots Replace Teachers? AI and the Future of Education. Polity Press.