Teachers' Experiences with AI in K-12 Education: Opportunities and Challenges
Saved in:
| Title: | Teachers' Experiences with AI in K-12 Education: Opportunities and Challenges |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Kevser Güneş Metin (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Educational Technology Systems. 2026 54(4):711-732. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 22 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Artificial Intelligence, Technology Uses in Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Teacher Attitudes, Affordances, Barriers, Ethics, Constructivism (Learning), Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | Turkey |
| DOI: | 10.1177/00472395261415889 |
| ISSN: | 0047-2395 1541-3810 |
| Abstract: | This study explores K-12 teachers' perceptions and sense-making processes regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 teachers from public and private schools. Findings indicate that teachers associate AI with potential benefits such as instructional efficiency, personalized learning, formative assessment and professional development, while also expressing ethical and emotional concerns related to data privacy, algorithmic bias and unequal access. Teachers primarily interpret AI through its anticipated pedagogical implications rather than through sustained classroom implementation. The results emphasize the importance of teacher agency, ethical awareness and contextual factors in shaping how AI is understood and positioned within educational practice. By foregrounding teachers' perspectives, this study addresses the gap between the predominantly higher education--focused AI literature and the underexplored K-12 context, highlighting the need for supportive policies, equitable infrastructure and professional development initiatives that promote human-centered and ethically grounded approaches to AI in education. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504342 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study explores K-12 teachers' perceptions and sense-making processes regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 teachers from public and private schools. Findings indicate that teachers associate AI with potential benefits such as instructional efficiency, personalized learning, formative assessment and professional development, while also expressing ethical and emotional concerns related to data privacy, algorithmic bias and unequal access. Teachers primarily interpret AI through its anticipated pedagogical implications rather than through sustained classroom implementation. The results emphasize the importance of teacher agency, ethical awareness and contextual factors in shaping how AI is understood and positioned within educational practice. By foregrounding teachers' perspectives, this study addresses the gap between the predominantly higher education--focused AI literature and the underexplored K-12 context, highlighting the need for supportive policies, equitable infrastructure and professional development initiatives that promote human-centered and ethically grounded approaches to AI in education. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0047-2395 1541-3810 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/00472395261415889 |
