Teacher – Artificial Intelligence (AI) interaction: The role of trust, subjective norm and innovativeness in Teachers` acceptance of educational chatbots

Despite the novel educational opportunities of chatbots, their integration into teaching and learning settings is still in the early stages. Understanding the interplay of teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions to use chatbots can provide insight into the sustainable integration of chatbots in K-12 education. However, little is known about teachers’ acceptance of chatbots in this context. This study proposes a framework to better understand teachers' acceptance of educational chatbots, based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). We extended TAM by incorporating trust, subjective norms, and perceived innovativeness. Data were collected from 482 K-12 teachers with experience using the EBA Assistant chatbot. The study used a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative structural equation modeling (SEM) with qualitative interviews from 54 participants. Results show that more innovative teachers perceive chatbots as useful educational tools. Teachers’ trust in chatbot outcomes and positive attitudes toward ease of use also increase their intent to use chatbots. Trust in the chatbot's privacy and pedagogical reliability, along with social pressure from colleagues and administrators, further influences their adoption. This study reveals that acceptance of educational chatbots depends on both individual characteristics (e.g., trust) and sociocultural factors (e.g., subjective norm). These findings provide insights that can help guide the integration of chatbots in K-12 education.