Curriculum-embedded AI literacy: a mixed-method study of framework implementation in undergraduate management education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi41.1835

Keywords:

AI literacy, AI competencies, curriculum integration, generative artificial intelligence, business education

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a mixed-methods study examining the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) literacy within an undergraduate Business Management programme. Drawing on Zhou and Schofield’s (2024) AI literacy framework, AI-integrated learning activities were embedded across each year of study to support four dimensions of AI literacy: ’Know and Understand’, ‘Use and Apply’, ‘Evaluate and Create’, and ‘AI Ethics’. Data collected through surveys and focus groups suggest that students perceived curriculum-embedded AI activities as supporting AI literacy development; however, outcomes varied. Year 1 students reported the strongest development in the Know and Understand dimension, while Year 2 students demonstrated greater development in Use and Apply, and in Evaluate and Create. Year 3 students continued to emphasise foundational understanding, highlighting the need for greater scaffolding of advanced competencies. Engagement with AI Ethics remained comparatively limited. The study demonstrates the importance of a strategic, curriculum-wide approach to AI literacy development.

Author Biographies

Lilian Schofield, Queen Mary University of London

Lilian Ngozi Schofield is Reader in Management Education and Deputy Director of Education (Student Experience) at the School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, where she is also Co-Director of the Centre for Education and Scholarship Research in Economics, Finance and Business Management. A HEA Senior Fellow, Lilian’s scholarship and publications focus on management education, curriculum innovation, student employability, and AI-enhanced teaching and learning. She has led institutional initiatives and funded projects in these areas and has published extensively on the subject.

Xue Zhou, University of Leicester, UK

Xue Zhou is Professor in AI in Business Education and Dean of AI in the College of Business at the University of Leicester. Her research focuses on artificial intelligence in education, AI literacy, digital literacy, technology-enhanced learning, and the adoption of emerging technologies in higher education. She has led several externally funded projects exploring the integration of AI into teaching, learning, and assessment, and has published extensively in these areas. Professor Zhou serves as Associate Editor for academic journals. 

Georgy Petrov, Queen Mary University of London

Georgy Petrov is Reader in Management Education and Practice and Director of Skills and Employability at the School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and holds a PhD in Higher Education and Organisation Studies from University College London. His scholarship interests include employability, experiential learning, project- and problem-based learning, and curriculum innovation. Georgy has published and presented widely on these topics and is the author of the book Project-Based and Problem-Based Learning. He has also led several institutional initiatives focused on enhancing student learning and graduate outcomes.

Andrew Woon, Monash University Malaysia

Andrew Woon is a Senior Lecturer at Monash University Malaysia. His research explores compassion and wellbeing in higher education, with particular attention to the experiences of faculty and students, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in shaping learning and wellbeing. His doctoral work examined compassion fatigue among academics in private higher education institutions. He continues to develop this area of inquiry through collaborative research and writing, contributing to wider conversations on how universities can better support the people within them. His work has been shared through academic publications, sector blogs, and international conferences.

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Published

30-09-2026

How to Cite

Schofield, L., Zhou, X., Petrov, G., & Woon, A. (2026). Curriculum-embedded AI literacy: a mixed-method study of framework implementation in undergraduate management education. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (41). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi41.1835

Issue

No. 41 (2026)

Section

Papers

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