Parental adjustment to AI learning tools during the preschool-to-primary transition: a qualitative study in China

This study explores how parents adjust their use of AI learning tools as children move from preschool to primary school. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), twenty-five semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that parental attitudes shifted from efficiency-oriented evaluations to context-based judgments of educational fit. Social norms were renegotiated as institutional expectations and peer discussions gained influence. Perceived behavioral control declined due to cognitive overload and resource constraints. Together, these changes led parents to reframe AI tools from routine aids to conditional supports within new schooling structures. The study extends TPB by illustrating how families adapt AI technology use as a form of strategic adaptation within shifting educational and social contexts. By clarifying how parental intentions evolve during institutional transition, it offers practical implications for schools, AI developers, and policymakers seeking to support sustainable and context-sensitive integration of AI in home learning.