Secondary School Teachers’ Narratives on AI’s Impact in Everyday Teaching

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching with AI: Identities, Challenges, and Burnout

Abstract

As generative AI becomes increasingly embedded in U.S. schools and everyday life, this study examines how K–12 teachers describe their experiences with AI across personal and professional contexts. While public discourse emphasizes personalization and efficiency, teachers’ perspectives on what is gained—or lost—remain underexplored. Drawing on 52 semi-structured interviews with secondary educators, this qualitative study uses a sociocultural lens and the “5A foundations frame” (Accuracy, Agency, Accessibility, Assessment, and Authenticity) to analyze how teachers negotiate AI’s classroom role. Findings reveal teachers neither embrace nor reject AI wholesale but adapt its use critically—balancing opportunity with concern for student voice, authentic teaching and deeper learning. The study contributes timely insights for ethical AI policy and professional learning based on teachers’ experiences.

Authors

• Carrie Holmberg, San José State University

• Brent Duckor, San José State University