Artificial Intelligence Education Policy in Elementary Schools for K12
As governments increasingly promote coding and artificial intelligence (AI) in primary education, attention has shifted from policy adoption to the realities of implementation at the school level. This study investigates how elementary s...
As governments increasingly promote coding and artificial intelligence (AI) in primary education, attention has shifted from policy adoption to the realities of implementation at the school level. This study investigates how elementary schools in Grobogan District, Indonesia, translate national expectations for coding and AI education into everyday teaching practices under the Merdeka Curriculum. Using a qualitative collective case study design, the research combines policy enactment theory, the TPACK framework, and computational thinking as complementary analytical perspectives. Data were generated through interviews with eight teachers, four principals, and twelve students, supported by observations of six classroom sessions and analysis of relevant school and policy documents. The findings show that implementation does not follow a single model. Instead, schools adopt different approaches according to their available resources, teacher competence, and organizational capacity. These approaches include project-based activities using digital coding tools, combinations of unplugged and plugged tasks, integration of unplugged coding concepts into existing subjects, and introductory teacher-led demonstrations. The extent to which the policy was enacted also depended strongly on school leadership and on individual teachers who assumed a leading role in introducing new practices. Differences in teachers’ technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge were evident, with technological competence emerging as the weakest area. Although limited infrastructure restricted the scope of implementation, schools were able to adapt activities to local conditions rather than abandoning the policy altogether. Students showed initial signs of computational thinking, particularly when they decomposed problems, tested alternative solutions, corrected errors collaboratively, and refined their approaches through repeated attempts. Overall, the study indicates that the success of coding and AI education depends not only on curriculum policy, but also on sustained professional development, supportive school leadership, adequate infrastructure, and coordinated assistance at the district level. These findings contribute to discussions on how emerging digital education policies can be implemented more effectively in resource-constrained school systems.