Integrating artificial intelligence [AI] into music education: student teachers' engagement, attitudes and perceptions at methodist college of education, Akyem Asene-Aboabo, Oda, Ghana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly reshaping academic work in teacher training institutions, yet empirical evidence regarding their application within domain-specific practical fields like music education remains sparse in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined student teachers' utilisation patterns and perceptions of AI tools in music course assignments at Methodist College of Education, Akyem Asene-Aboabo, Oda, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Anchored in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion of Innovations theory, the study adopted a quantitative descriptive survey design. A sample of 25 student teachers across levels 200 to 400 was selected via simple random sampling from a total population of 49 music education students; 24 fully completed questionnaires were retrieved (96% response rate). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations). The findings revealed high baseline AI awareness (Grand Mean = 4.24, SD = 0.63) and strong positive perceptions regarding AI's capacity to enhance academic productivity, task comprehension, and lesson planning (Composite Mean = 4.22, SD = 0.61). ChatGPT, Grammarly and Gemini emerged as the primary tools used for information retrieval, text refinement and idea generation. However, reliance on AI raised concerns regarding reduced creative independence, diminished musical originality and infrastructural challenges such as unreliable internet access. The study concludes that while AI serves as an effective academic scaffold, its unchecked use threatens authentic musical creation and pedagogical reasoning. It recommends the implementation of institutional AI literacy frameworks and clear guidelines for ethical integration in creative disciplines.