SOCIO-PEDAGOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TEACHERS AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

Artificial intelligence is rapidly penetrating all spheres of human activity, including the education sector. Its application in lesson preparation and implementation is partly influenced by teachers’ attitudes. The authors of this paper present the results of extensive research on the possibilities of applying artificial intelligence in the educational process. The focus is on the attitudes of classroom teachers and subject teachers towards artificial intelligence, as well as their socio-pedagogical characteristics: years of work experience, the environment in which they work (rural vs. urban), and their type of employment (classroom teachers vs. subject teachers). The descriptive research method and scaling technique were applied. The research instrument developed by the authors contains 30 statements through which the respondents expressed their attitudes using a Likert scale with five response options. The study was conducted on an online platform in September 2024, with a sample of 117 respondents employed in primary schools in the Republic of Srpska. The application of the t-test did not show a statistically significant difference between the attitudes of subject teachers and classroom teachers regarding the use of artificial intelligence in teaching. However, significant differences were confirmed based on whether the teachers work in urban or rural environments. Significant correlations were also observed between years of work experience and negative attitudes towards the application of artificial intelligence. The results indicate the need for teacher education on the possibilities of applying artificial intelligence in lesson preparation and implementation.