Framework for AI Professional Development: Insights from Needs and Challenges of K-12 Educators

• In Event: Beyond the Hype: Teachers, GenAI, and the Human Factor

Abstract

As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) becomes increasingly embedded in K-12 education, educators are expected to adopt and apply AI tools without sufficient professional preparation. This study investigates educators’ professional development (PD) priorities and challenges related to ethical literacy, pedagogical integration, and technical fluency three interrelated domains identified as essential for responsible GenAI implementation. Drawing on a convergent mixed-methods survey of 406 K-12 educators across four public school districts in a Southern U.S. state, the study integrates a 20-item PD interest inventory with thematic analysis of 408 open-ended responses. Based on these findings, the study proposes a Three-Pillar Framework for AI Professional Development to guide the design of differentiated, role-sensitive, and ethically grounded PD programs.

Authors

• Rizwan Shaikh, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

• Kimberly S. Reinhardt, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi