Teachers' Thoughts about Using AI Technologies in Classroom Lessons

Schools have long been seen as conservative institutions slow to change in their teaching methods. However, recent forces have prompted policymakers and teachers to reconsider classroom teaching. The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated that teachers learn to teach online, and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is raising new opportunities and challenges for classroom teaching. Using a teacher inquiry method, we elicited teachers' written thoughts about the AI technologies. Forty teachers enrolled in graduate courses in middle school literacy education composed argument essays pertaining to a curriculum topic of their choice. Then they compared their essays with those produced by ChatGPT. Analyses of their responses revealed that 80% of them planned to continue using AI, with a majority of their responses reflecting enthusiasm for it. Fifteen percent of the teachers expressed concern about whether the technology would interfere with student effort and learning, and 5% claimed they would never use it in their teaching. Unlike previous research suggesting resistance to pedagogical change, these teachers proved to be receptive and many eager to adopt new AI technologies. Reasons for their receptivity are explored and we share our commitment for discovering strategies for using AI technologies to advance teaching and learning in schools.