"Make Sense, Not Sensors": A Case Study of Teacher Professional Sensemaking about AI Surveillance in Education

• In Event: Negotiating Power and Translating Technology Policies and Standards into Practice

Abstract

The rise of AI surveillance in education presents an equivocal challenge to teacher professionalism. This qualitative case study examines how teachers collectively make sense of this technology. Based on focus groups with 206 teachers, the findings show they construct narratives framing AI as a surveillance tool, not a pedagogical aid, prioritizing professional plausibility over technical accuracy. The sensemaking process evolves into an enactment of autonomy as teachers challenge the top-down implementation. The study concludes that high-quality professional sensemaking is a critical defense against the misuse of AI and argues that strengthening teacher professionalism is the most effective response to this technological wave.

Author

• Xingyuan Gao, East China Normal University