UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers: Pedagogical Integration Guide
The UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers (2024) defines what educators should know and be able to do to use artificial intelligence responsibly. It sets out fifteen competencies organised across five dimensions and three progression levels — Acquire, Deepen and Create — anchored in a human-centred mindset.
What this guide covers
- The five dimensions of the UNESCO AI CFT (2024)
- The three progression levels: Acquire, Deepen, Create
- How the 15 competencies map onto dimensions and levels
- What a “human-centred mindset” means in practice for language teachers
Out of scope
- The companion AI competency framework for students (separate publication)
- Vendor- or tool-specific implementation instructions
Scope of this guide
This page summarises the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers, published by UNESCO in 2024, and translates it for English language teachers. It describes the structure of the framework rather than reproducing the full publication, which remains the authoritative source.
The five dimensions
The framework organises teacher competencies into five dimensions, beginning with mindset and ethics and moving toward pedagogy and professional growth.
| # | Dimension | Focus for language teachers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Human-centred mindset | Keeping human agency, oversight and wellbeing central; AI serves learning, not the reverse |
| 2 | Ethics of AI | Applying principles of fairness, transparency, privacy and accountability in classroom use |
| 3 | AI foundations and applications | Understanding what AI can and cannot do, including the limits of language models |
| 4 | AI pedagogy | Integrating AI into lesson design, feedback and assessment appropriately |
| 5 | AI for professional development | Using AI to support one’s own ongoing learning and reflective practice |
Summarised from UNESCO (2024), AI Competency Framework for Teachers.
The three progression levels
Each dimension is described at three progression levels, reflecting deepening capability from first contact to creative leadership.
The three levels are:
- Acquire — gaining foundational knowledge and basic, guided use of AI tools.
- Deepen — applying AI purposefully and critically in one’s own teaching context.
- Create — innovating, evaluating and leading responsible AI practice for others.
Five dimensions across three levels yield the 15 competencies that make up the framework — one competency per dimension at each progression level.
| Dimension | Acquire | Deepen | Create |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human-centred mindset | Competency 1 | Competency 6 | Competency 11 |
| Ethics of AI | Competency 2 | Competency 7 | Competency 12 |
| AI foundations & applications | Competency 3 | Competency 8 | Competency 13 |
| AI pedagogy | Competency 4 | Competency 9 | Competency 14 |
| AI for professional development | Competency 5 | Competency 10 | Competency 15 |
The framework specifies 15 competencies as the intersection of five dimensions and three progression levels.
What “human-centred” means in practice
A human-centred mindset means the teacher — not the tool — remains accountable for pedagogical decisions. AI can draft, suggest and analyse, but a qualified human validates outputs, protects learner data and preserves student agency. This principle connects directly to responsible-use policy (see the generative AI policy page).
The framework is a professional-development map, not a compliance checklist. Use it to identify where you currently sit (Acquire / Deepen / Create) on each dimension and to plan realistic next steps.
Free download
UNESCO AI Teacher Competency Self-Assessment Rubric
A self-assessment rubric letting you place yourself at Acquire, Deepen or Create on each of the five dimensions, with prompts to plan your next professional step.
Frequently asked questions
What are the five dimensions of the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers?
The five dimensions are: a human-centred mindset; ethics of AI; AI foundations and applications; AI pedagogy; and AI for professional development. Together they move from the values and ethics that should guide use, through technical understanding, to how AI is integrated into teaching and a teacher’s own growth.
What are the three progression levels defined in UNESCO’s AI CFT?
The three progression levels are Acquire, Deepen and Create. Acquire is foundational, guided use; Deepen is purposeful, critical application in one’s own context; and Create is innovating, evaluating and leading responsible AI practice for others. Combined with the five dimensions they produce the framework’s fifteen competencies.
How does UNESCO define a “human-centred mindset” in educational AI deployment?
A human-centred mindset keeps human agency, oversight and wellbeing at the centre of any AI use. The teacher remains accountable for pedagogical decisions and validates AI outputs, while learner data and student agency are protected. AI is positioned as a tool that supports human judgement rather than replacing it.
The UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers outlines 15 competencies across five dimensions and three progression levels to ensure educators ethically, critically and effectively integrate AI while upholding human agency.
Save hours of planning and marking
TeflToday gives you AI-powered tools for lesson planning, CEFR writing assessment, Cambridge exam prep and more — built by a teacher, for teachers.
Continue reading
References & further reading
Written and reviewed by Ian L. Evans, TeflToday.org. Last reviewed August 4, 2026.