Effects of Technology Perceptions, Teacher Beliefs, and AI Literacy on AI Technology Adoption in Sustainable Mathematics Education

Artificial intelligence has significantly transformed educational practices across disciplines. This study investigated the cognitive–behavioral mechanisms underpinning mathematics teachers’ engagement with AI teaching tools through an extended technology acceptance model. Utilizing structural equation modeling with data from 500 mathematics educators, we delineated psychological pathways connecting perceptual variables to technology engagement and pedagogical outcomes. Results revealed that perceived usefulness functioned as the primary determinant of AI engagement, while perceived ease of use operated exclusively through sequential mediational pathways, challenging conventional technology acceptance paradigms. Domain-specific factors, such as teacher AI literacy and mathematics teaching beliefs, emerged as significant mediators that conditioned technology-related behavioral responses. The mediators in this study illustrated differential attitudinal mechanisms through which perceptual variables transformed into engagement behaviors. These findings extended technology acceptance theories in educational contexts by demonstrating how domain-specific cognitive structures modulated perception–behavior relationships in professional technology adoption in mathematics education.