How Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Orientations and School Contexts Shape GenAI Use

• In Event: Building Teacher Capacity for AI: Self-Efficacy, Pedagogy, and Professional Development

Abstract

This study examines how science teachers’ pedagogical orientations and school contexts shape their use of generative AI (GenAI) tools. Using a revised SAMR framework to distinguish between substitutive, amplified, and transformative uses, we analyze GenAI use cases from secondary science teachers across varied settings. We present three case studies to show teachers with ambitious science pedagogy, when supported by collaborative structures and clear AI policies, resources, and messaging, are more likely to use GenAI in amplified or transformative ways. In contrast, teachers with traditional pedagogies or limited support tended to use GenAI in substitutive ways or not at all. These findings highlight the need for further research to situate GenAI use within teachers’ social and institutional contexts and pedagogical orientations.

Authors

• Sarah Nielsen, WestEd

• Drew Nucci, WestEd