Ensino da disciplina de Inteligência Artificial para os alunos do Ensino Médio do CETI Helvídio Nunes

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) subject in high school at the Centro de Ensino de Tempo Integral Helvídio Nunes, in Teresina, Piauí. The main objective was to analyze how AI teaching has been conducted in the school context, identifying the challenges and the perceptions of both students and the teacher. The methodology was qualitative and exploratory, based on questionnaires applied to thirty-six students and the subject teacher, as well as classroom observations carried out in five different lessons. The results showed that, although students are familiar with technology through social media and digital games, formal teaching faces significant structural barriers, such as unstable internet connection and lack of functional equipment, which lead to a predominantly theoretical and lecture-based approach using printed materials. The findings indicate that the effectiveness of critical digital literacy depends on overcoming these practical limitations. Therefore, the study suggests the adoption of unplugged methodologies, as proposed in official teaching materials, as a viable alternative to promote computational thinking and student engagement even in contexts with limited infrastructure. It is concluded that the inclusion of AI in the curriculum must be accompanied by technological investments and continuous teacher training in order to reduce inequalities in access to knowledge.