A Comparative Study on Pre-service Teachers' Perceptions of ChatGPT and Research Ethics

This study examines pre-service teachers' perceptions of plagiarism and ChatGPT use among pre-service teachers from the College of Education and the College of Teacher Education. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research involved a literature review and a survey conducted with 103 participants enrolled in universities located in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and North Gyeongsang Provinces. The survey examined reasons for plagiarism, the current state and extent of plagiarism, perceptions of educational uses of ChatGPT as plagiarism, and the level of research ethics education. Statistical analyses, including paired t-tests, independent t-tests, frequency analysis, and ANOVA, were performed to explore differences based on the type of teacher training institution. The results revealed several significant findings. Firstly, students from the College of Education exhibited slightly higher awareness of plagiarism-related research ethics compared to those from the College of Teacher Education. Secondly, the proportion of students receiving training specifically on the use of software like ChatGPT was notably lower than that of other plagiarism-related education. Lastly, while students recognized unauthorized use of others' works as plagiarism, many believed permission was not needed for using software like ChatGPT. Overall, these findings suggest a pressing need for enhanced research ethics education addressing ChatGPT and similar AI tools among pre-service teachers, emphasizing the necessity of incorporating courses on proper citation practices and enhancing students' understanding of research ethics within core liberal arts curricular.