K-12 Teachers’ Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Work

• In Event: Virtual Roundtable Session 3
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Transforming Schools and Classrooms: Leadership, Literacy, and Technology in Diverse Educational Contexts

Proposal

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies had begun reshaping K-12 education, offering tools such as AI-assisted lesson planning, grading, communication, and classroom management. Building on prior scholarship that emphasized the transformative potential of AI in instructional and administrative tasks (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019), our study examined K-12 teachers’ lived experiences with AI integration, focusing on perceived benefits, limitations, ethical concerns, barriers, and professional learning needs. National reports indicated that nearly 60% of U.S. teachers were already using AI tools during the 2024–2025 school year and reported saving an average of six hours per week (Walton Family Foundation & Gallup, 2025). However, other research found that only a small fraction of teachers viewed AI as a net positive in education, with many expressing skepticism about its overall value (Pew Research Center, 2024). These conflicting perspectives underscored the need for qualitative exploration of teachers’ voices and experiences.

We employed a phenomenological design to capture the essence of these experiences (Moustakas, 1994). Fifteen K-12 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The analysis revealed three major themes. First, teachers consistently described significant time savings from using AI to automate administrative tasks, which allowed them to reinvest effort into instructional planning and student engagement. This finding echoed recent survey results showing that educators viewed AI as a powerful assistant for workload reduction and personalized learning (Kong & Li, 2024). Second, participants highlighted uneven levels of preparedness and training. Some teachers leveraged AI regularly, while others admitted limited confidence in integrating it beyond lesson planning and grading. These observations aligned with Hodges and Gibeault’s (2024) findings that fewer than half of teachers felt adequately prepared to use generative AI in their classrooms. Similarly, an international study by Lee et al. (2023) demonstrated that teacher trust in AI-EdTech was mediated by both self-efficacy and understanding, suggesting that AI literacy remains a critical area of professional development. Third, teachers expressed caution about AI’s socio-emotional limitations. While they acknowledged AI’s efficiency, they emphasized that it could not replicate empathy, nuanced judgment, or interpersonal connection with students. This concern mirrored Choi and Ahn’s (2024) study of Korean elementary school educators, who identified AI’s socio-emotional deficit as both a limitation and an opportunity for rethinking teacher roles. Additional insights pointed to systemic and contextual barriers. Teachers cited inequities in training opportunities, reflecting findings from Türkiye where psychological and pedagogical readiness significantly influenced AI adoption (Kaya & Yilmaz, 2025). Participants also raised ethical and policy-related concerns, consistent with calls for stronger safeguards and regulatory frameworks (Johansson & Rolfsson, 2022).

In conclusion, our study confirmed that teachers viewed AI as a valuable tool for reducing workload and enhancing creativity, but only when implementation was guided by ethical safeguards, robust training, and preservation of teacher agency. Echoing prior reviews on AI’s potential in education (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019), our findings emphasized that AI must function as a supportive partner rather than a replacement for educators.

Author

• Le Kang, Gardner-Webb University