Analyzing elementary school teachers' perceptions of using AI tools

Objectives The purpose of this study is to understand the level of awareness of AI tools among elementary school teachers, their perceptions of the use of AI tools at different stages of lesson design, and their considerations when introducing AI tools into the classroom. Methods For this purpose, a survey was conducted among 130 teachers working in elementary schools. To analyze the survey results, the frequency, mean value, and standard deviation of each question were analyzed, and independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance were conducted to check the significance of differences by respondents' characteristics. In addition, a data visualization technique called ‘word cloud’ was used for open-ended descriptive questions, and a keyword-centered analysis method was used to summarize the main questions and categorize and code key words for analysis. Results The main findings of the study are as follows First, According to our survey, elementary school teachers use Entry, ChatGPT, and Autodraw the most among the AI tools they use in the classroom. Second, When analyzing elementary school teachers' perceptions of using AI tools in lesson design, we found that they expect the most help from AI tools in the assessment phase (M=4.07) and the most help in automating assignment and test grading (M=4.35). Third, elementary teachers were more likely to be positive about the need to utilize AI tools, but less likely to be optimistic about their readiness. Fourth, elementary school teachers cited difficulty in preparing education for AI tools (M=4.02) as a reason for the difficulty in utilizing AI tools, and the configuration of facilities and educational environment for utilizing AI tools (M=4.25) as an enabling factor for utilizing AI tools. Fifth, according to the word cloud analysis, diverse teaching and learning was cited as an expectation for the introduction of AI tools, over-reliance was cited as a concern, and continuous and gradual teacher training was cited as a way to increase the use of AI tools. Conclusions This study has several implications for the use of AI tools in education. First, teacher education is needed to ensure that elementary school teachers have expertise in AI tools and can actively utilize them. Second, AI-based educational platforms that can be used across the board in lesson design should be developed and utilized in the classroom. Third, we need to expand the infrastructure to support the use of AI tools in schools. Fourth, administrative and technical support is needed to ensure that the use of AI tools does not lead to additional work for teachers.