This paper is situated within the vast literature that examines issues of under-representation, microaggressions, and social inequities faced by racially and gender diverse students in STEM education. As part of the special issue "Centering Affect and Emotion Toward Justice and Dignity in Science Education," it focuses on analyzing the…

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in the daily lives of young learners, there is growing interest in exploring how they conceptualize AI prior to formal instruction. This qualitative study investigates the pre-instructional conceptions of key AI concepts held by upper elementary students (n = 75), focusing on five…