What the study found
Prospective teachers’ acceptance of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and artificial intelligence literacy (AIL) varied across several factors. GenAI acceptance did not differ significantly by gender or daily internet use, while AIL did show significant differences by gender, department, grade, tool usage, and self-perceived proficiency.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings help identify factors related to GenAI acceptance and AIL among prospective teachers. They also suggest that training in artificial intelligence is associated with higher AIL scores.
What the researchers tested
The study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Quantitative data came from 723 prospective teachers using an Information Form, a GenAI Acceptance Scale, and an AIL Scale; qualitative data came from interviews with 48 prospective teachers.
What worked and what didn't
Quantitative analysis found no significant differences in GenAI acceptance by gender or daily internet use, but differences did appear for department, grade level, AI tools used, and self-perceived proficiency. For AIL, significant differences were found by gender, department, tool usage, and proficiency level, with higher scores among those trained in artificial intelligence. Qualitative themes identified factors shaping GenAI acceptance, including daily use, problem-solving, learning applications, mentor usage, assistance from others, proficiency, productivity, discipline-specific skills, and task efficiency; for AIL, themes included understanding AI importance, ethics, AI in daily life, deep learning and machine learning relationships, big data, decision-making processes, AI tools, critical evaluation, data privacy, and evaluating AI applications in their discipline.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations in the available summary. The findings are based on prospective teachers in this study and on the specific scales, interviews, and analysis methods used here.
Key points
- GenAI acceptance did not differ significantly by gender or daily internet use.
- AIL differed significantly by gender, department, grade, tool usage, and self-perceived proficiency.
- Higher AIL scores were reported among participants trained in artificial intelligence.
- Qualitative themes linked GenAI acceptance to daily use, problem-solving, learning applications, and task efficiency.
- Qualitative themes for AIL included ethics, data privacy, machine learning, big data, and evaluating AI applications in their discipline.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Acceptance of generative AI and AI literacy vary across teacher candidates
- Authors:
- Berker Kurt, Gözdegül Arık Karamık, Ali Özkaya
- Institutions:
- Akdeniz University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-05
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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