Volume/Issue :

Article type :

Original articles

Page No :

89-101

Abstract :

Recent discussion of generative AI in education has focused on student use and AI literacy in the curriculum. Less attention has been paid to a different shift: teachers can now use large language models to build simple classroom tools by specifying functions in natural language. This matters in early childhood and primary education, where teachers often need localised, developmentally appropriate resources that commercial software does not provide. Current teacher AI literacy and digital competence frameworks address selection and responsible use of AI systems, but they say much less about teachers who use AI to build tools for their own classrooms. Teachers' use of generative AI for small-scale classroom tool creation is professional competence, in a limited sense. The claim is that some forms of low-level tool creation are now accessible to non-programmers, and that this shifts the professional demand from code writing to pedagogical specification and iterative testing. The Teacher as Micro-Developer (TMD) framework structures this shift, organised around three layers: Pedagogical Intent, Prompt Architecture, and Critical Curation.

Keywords :

vibe coding, generative AI, early childhood education, primary education, teacher professional development, natural language programming, prompt engineering

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Cite as :

Papadakis, S. (2026). From consumers to creators: Vibe coding as a professional competency for early childhood and primary school teachers. Gamtamokslinis ugdymas bendrojo ugdymo mokykloje / Natural Science Education in a Comprehensive School, 32, 89–101. https://doi.org/10.48127/gu/26.32.89