Navigating the AI Landscape: Educator Insights and Pedagogical Implications in New Zealand
Free access to the preprint of our recent publication
In our recent research published in the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, "Navigating the AI Landscape: Educator Insights and Pedagogical Implications in New Zealand," Bee Shaw and I explored how educators across New Zealand perceive and integrate generative AI into their teaching practices. As AI technologies become increasingly present in classrooms, it's crucial to understand educators' perspectives on both the benefits and challenges of these tools, particularly in enhancing pedagogy and addressing ethical considerations.
Through the AI-focused Community of Practice (CoP), we collaboratively designed a survey to capture insights from educators. The findings reveal a spectrum of attitudes: some educators view AI as a transformative aid for reducing administrative workloads and personalising learning, while others express concerns about potential issues like plagiarism and ethical misuse. For instance, there were reports of school boards misusing AI for data analysis, breaching privacy and trust.
One significant theme is the lack of AI literacy and professional development—over half of the educators had no training in AI. Many also noted the absence of policies to guide ethical AI integration. The educators with access to AI found it beneficial in creating differentiated resources and providing faster feedback, showing its potential to support inclusive and personalised learning.
This study emphasises the need for strategic policies and professional development to help educators navigate AI's complexities effectively. As New Zealand's education sector moves forward, we see an opportunity to promote AI literacy and responsible use, creating environments where AI supports, rather than replaces, human-centred teaching and learning.
For those interested in the broader implications of AI in education, this research highlights how we can leverage technology thoughtfully to enrich pedagogical practices while addressing its inherent challenges. Several people have asked for access to the full research report so I am including the preprint version to facilitate broader access and early engagement with our findings.