Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2026 Newsletter
This shift is particularly important in relation to artificial intelligence. AI tools can support lesson planning, content creation, personalised learning, feedback and assessment. Nevertheless, they also raise complex questions. What happens to the data introduced into AI systems? How transparent are algorithmic processes? Can these tools reproduce bias or inequality? How can teachers ensure that AI supports, rather than replaces, human judgement and the pedagogical relationship? The European Commission’ s ethical guidelines on the use of AI and data in teaching and learning stress the need for educators to develop a critical and ethical understanding of these technologies( European Commission, 2022).
The Artificial Intelligence Act also reinforces the importance of this debate. By establishing a risk-based framework for AI, the European Union seeks to promote trustworthy and human-centred artificial intelligence while protecting fundamental rights( European Parliament and Council of the European Union, 2024). In education, this is especially relevant because digital systems may affect learners’ opportunities, assessment
processes and academic pathways. Teachers should therefore be prepared to identify risks, explain the use of AI tools to students and families, and ensure that digital innovation remains aligned with educational values.
Data protection is another central dimension of digital sovereignty. Schools increasingly use platforms that collect, store and process information about students’ performance, behaviour, participation and learning paths. These data can support more informed pedagogical decisions, but they can also create risks of surveillance, profiling and loss of control over personal information. Teacher education should therefore include reflection on privacy, consent, transparency and responsible data governance. Teachers do not need to become legal experts, but they do need to understand that educational data are sensitive and must be handled with care. European digital sovereignty is also linked to inclusion. Digital technologies can make learning more flexible, accessible and personalised. Yet they may also deepen inequalities when access to devices, connectivity, digital skills or teacher support is uneven. A digitally sovereign education system should ensure that technological innovation does not exclude vulnerable learners. For this reason, teacher education must connect digital competence with equity, accessibility and social justice.
In practical terms, teacher education should move from a logic of“ learning how to use tools” to a logic of“ learning how to choose, question and transform digital
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