PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF AI-ENHANCED TEACHING AND RESEARCH: A GENDER-BASED COMPARISON AMONG STUDENT OF TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

Abstract

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is penetrating our environment and education as well, resulting in potential benefits for teaching preparation and research activities. Therefore, this study aimed to help investigate the perceived benefits by student-teachers towards an AI for teacher training and how perceptions may be different from each other based on gender. The methodology, which includes the target population, participants, sampling method and data collection procedure with instrument details consisting of a self-developed questionnaire was made up of two dimensions: AI-enhanced teaching benefits and AI-enhanced research benefits that were collected from student-teachers. The data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The results indicate that student-teachers generally perceived AI positively for research and teaching purposes but more so concerning research activities. In teaching, the highest perception of benefit was for developing assessment questions and feedback; whilst in research, it was speeding up access to academic information. The results also highlighted some notable gender differences across both domains, with female student-teachers perceiving greater potential benefits of AI-enhanced teaching and research compared to male student-teachers. Overall, the study anticipates that AI is considered an entry point for assisting student-teachers in term of professionalism and academic works. It advises on embedding applied AI training into teacher education programmes, especially regarding lesson planning, literature reviews and the critical evaluation of information provided by AI tools as well as responsible use of these technologies. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening AI literacy to prepare future teachers for the responsible and effective integration of AI into educational practice.