AI Integration in Education: Teachers’ Perspectives, Professional Development & Academic Performance

Abstract

AI is quickly transforming the education industry and is affecting the delivery of teaching, learning process, assessment, and learning outcomes. This paper addresses the views of the teachers concerning the introduction of AI in the classroom, the influence of professional development on the improvement of AI skills, and the outcomes of AI-enhanced practices on performance. Based on the quantitative and qualitative evidence gathered about 250 teachers in the primary, secondary, and higher education institutions, the study examines the way teachers learn, embrace, and take advantage of AI technologies in their classrooms. The results show that although teachers are aware of the possible advantages of AI, such as personalized learning, effective assessment, and adaptive feedback, they also state that they have such issues as limited training, insufficient infrastructure, and fears related to deskilling. Professional development was found as one of the most important variables of forming positive attitudes towards AI; teachers who were systematically trained said that they were confident and able to use technology. The statistical results indicate that the degree of AI-related professional development is significantly correlated with the teacher confidence (r =.62, p < .001) and student academic performance gains (r =.48, p <.01). The qualitative interviews highlight the significance of contextualized training, sustained support, and learning communities to create sustainable AI integration. The paper ends with a series of recommendations to policymakers, leaders of institutions, and teachers’ educators to create effective professional development systems, redistribute resources, and consider ethical imperatives in the implementation of AI. On the whole, the introduction of AI has a transformative potential, and its effective application requires specific assistance to teachers and the focus on its alignment with pedagogical objectives.