| Sumario: | Background: Teachers often lack the time and structured guidance needed to address the pedagogical and ethical challenges involved in the integration of artificial intelligence in education (AIED). Although prior research identifies these challenges, empirically grounded frameworks that help teachers integrate AIED in responsible and pedagogically meaningful ways remain limited. Addressing this gap is essential to ensure AIED enhances student engagement and higher‐order thinking skills (HOTS) rather than undermining them. Objectives: This study examines how teachers' understanding and adoption of AI tools change after participating in a collaborative professional development course on ethical and constructive AI use, and how students perceive and engage with AI‐supported learning. Drawing on study findings and the ACAD meta‐theoretical framework, the study proposes design dimensions for planning AI‐supported learning. Methods: The study involved 45 teachers and 266 students from three countries. Data sources included pre‐ and post‐course teacher surveys on ethical and constructive AI use; student surveys on engagement and perceived AI affordances; and qualitative analysis of 12 teacher‐designed lesson plans examining student engagement levels (informed by the ICAP framework), development of HOTS, and AI roles in planned activities. Results and Conclusions: Results show that effective AI adoption is not intuitive. Teachers grounded in critical thinking pedagogy and collaborative practice communities were better able to recognise and adapt AIED's instructional value. Students reported greater engagement when AI functioned as a tutor, study companion, or Socratic opponent rather than merely a design aid. AI affordances were perceived as either challenging or encouraging depending on activity design. Based on these insights, the study proposes design dimensions for teachers to support responsible and pedagogically aligned AI integration into learning tasks. Lay Summary: What is currently known about this topic? ○AI is being used more and more in schools—for administrative support and creating materials; however, the use of AI with K‐12 students is still scarce.○Research warns about ethical risks (e.g., privacy, bias), but teachers often lack clear, practical guidance on how to design good AI‐supported lessons○AI can play different roles and enhance deep learning, but many AI‐assisted classroom tasks still focus on generating content (text, images, etc.)○Students learn best when they are actively thinking, discussing, creating, and interacting—not just listening or copying.What does this paper add? ○Through collaborative time and space where teachers can share and discuss AI practices and learn from peers, their concerns regarding ethical and constructive use of AI refocused on student engagement and learning○AI adoption is not intuitive. More than half of the AI‐supported lessons promoted higher‐order thinking—but this varied between schools.○Students were more engaged when AI acted as a personal tutor (helping solve problems and check answers); a study companion (supporting practice and understanding); a Socratic partner (challenging ideas and encouraging debate); and generally experienced AI as supportive and helpful, rather than challenging or discouraging.○The paper offers design guidelines for planning AI‐supported lessons, based on learning goals; focus on higher‐order thinking; constructive and interactive learning; ethical awareness; and careful choice of the AI's role in the lesson.Implications for practice and policy ○For teachers: Start with your learning goals, not the AI tool. Assign AI a role that supports higher‐order thinking skills (e.g., AI as a tutor or debate partner); and talk openly with students about ethical issues such as privacy, bias, sustainability, and plagiarism.○For schools: Provide structured professional development on ethical AI use; sharing effective practices, teacher collaboration, and reflection. Ensure safe and responsible access to AI tools.○For policymakers: Support clear, practical frameworks for using AI in classrooms; include AI ethics and responsible use in teacher training standards; and recognise that successful AI use depends on teacher preparation, school support, and strong instructional design.
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