Scholarships for postgraduate research students

The research aims to have a positive impact by:

Broad Social Impact: transforming how young people understand and engage with artificial intelligence, ensuring the next generation are empowered as ethical innovators, not just consumers, of emerging technologies.

Focus on Educational Equity: addressing inequalities in AI literacy education and making high-quality, inclusive and engaging units of work accessible to all learners, regardless of background or prior attainment.

Policy and Practice: informing national educational policy and classroom practice with robust evidence on how to integrate AI literacy and critical thinking skills throughout the curriculum in meaningful and sustainable ways.

Teacher and School Empowerment: developing practical, research-informed frameworks, resources and high-quality training to support teachers, schools and education leaders to embed AI literacy meaningfully across all subjects and phases.

Sustainable and Ethical Innovation: advancing ethical and environmentally conscious approaches to AI literacy education, fostering responsible innovation in young learners.

Workforce, Future Skills and Careers: bridging the gap between education and industry, equipping students with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in a future shaped by AI and technology.

The primary objective of this PhD project is to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) education can be effectively embedded within the UK school system to empower young people as ethical creators of AI technologies. The research will explore curriculum design, teacher professional development, learner outcomes and whole-school approaches to AI literacy and computational thinking. The project aims to generate evidence-informed frameworks and strategies that support equitable, sustainable and impactful AI education at scale.

Specifically:

• Examine current practices and gaps in AI education across primary and secondary schools.
• Co-design and evaluate interventions that integrate AI literacy and ethics into the existing curriculum.
• Investigate the impact of AI education on students’ knowledge, creativity, confidence and aspirations.
• Develop a practical model for whole-school implementation of AI education, including leadership and teacher training.
• Contribute to national and international discourse around policy, pedagogy and practice in AI education.

The following are indicative of potential research questions:

• What pedagogical approaches are most effective for teaching AI concepts to children and young people across different key stages?
• How can schools implement a whole-school strategy for AI literacy education that aligns with curriculum goals, teacher training needs and ethical AI principles?
• What impact does early exposure to AI education have on students’ digital agency, critical thinking and career aspirations, especially amongst underrepresented groups?
• How can educators be supported to develop the confidence, skills and resources required to deliver high-quality AI literacy education?
• What ethical, environmental and societal considerations should underpin the design and delivery of AI literacy education in schools?

The research will adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data to develop a comprehensive understanding of effective AI education practices in schools. The candidate will undertake:

• A literature review to map existing research, policy and practice in AI education.
• Case studies of schools implementing AI education initiatives, using interviews, observations and existing document analysis.
• Co-design of workshops with teachers, pupils and education leaders to develop and trial new approaches.
• Pre- and post-intervention surveys to measure changes in attitudes, knowledge and confidence among pupils and staff.
• Thematic and statistical analysis to evaluate impact and generate insights that inform a scalable framework for AI literacy education.

The methodology will be iterative and participatory, ensuring that findings are grounded in real-world practice and responsive to the needs of educators and learners.

Successful applicants should have a postgraduate master's degree from a UK HEI. The degree must be in a discipline that is relevant to the research. We are not able to accept applications from international students.

The Institute of AI Education (AI Education Group Ltd) welcome applications from candidates with lived experience reflective of the research context of this project and/or encourage candidates from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in postgraduate study.

Applicants are required to provide a research proposal in the area identified above OR a personal statement outlining their interest in this research and strategies to progress this.  This should be around 1500 words and will be evaluated in regard to its originality, impact, rigour, feasibility, and benefits to the sponsor. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview. This is an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the topic and research design, as well as provide us with an opportunity to assess alignment between the proposed work and the overall aims for the scholarship. 

This scholarship will cover UK tuition fees for the duration of the PhD (£5,006 per year for the 25-26 academic year full time, and £2,503 part time) but does not include a stipend. You may be eligible for a doctoral loan to cover living expenses through Student Finance England. More information can be found on the Government web pages: Doctoral Loan: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

This fee scholarship is open to candidates interested in pursuing a PhD either full time over three years or part time over 6 years starting on 1 February 2026.

Professor Tom Dobson, Professor of Education, School of Education, Language and Psychology, t.dobson@yorksj.ac.uk.
 
Keither Parker, Associate Head: Education, School of Education, Language & Psychology k.parker@yorksj.ac.uk.

Please contact Dr Beth Lane, info@instituteofaieducation.com for any questions relating the research and scholarship.

Application should be made by following the YSJU admission process. To submit an application, please follow the link below.

Apply for scholarship

Please submit a research proposal or personal statement of up to 1,500 words, with reference to the enquiry questions included here, and how you would focus and approach researching these questions. Please note that CVs will not be accepted in place of the application form.  

For admissions queries, please contact pgr.admissions@yorksj.ac.uk.