The Psychological Effects of AI-Augmented Classrooms on Teaching Identity and Professional Autonomy

The present study examined the psychological impacts of AI- augmented classrooms on the profession identity, autonomy and well-being of teachers in Pakistan. The research employed a quantitative research design and stratified random sampling where a sample of 250 in-service teachers were sampled to provide data at the primary, secondary and the tertiary levels. The paper has discussed the role of professional autonomy in association with psychological well-being, trust in AI, and affective reactions that teachers may show towards AI integration. Correlation and regression analysis results showed a positive and close correlation between autonomy and psychological well-being whereby the higher the feeling that teachers have that they are in control of their teaching choices the lower the stress and the confidence they have in using the AI tools. Based on the variance analysis, the difference between the teachers with different levels of autonomy in terms of psychological effect does differ meaningfully, implying that it would be of primary concern in positive mental health that autonomy is not lost in the AI-enhanced classrooms. It was also illustrated that AI trust influenced the manner in which the teachers embrace and accommodate such technologies and the more trust the better the emotional adjustment. The demographics showed that teachers had different backgrounds and hence they needed specialized training and help. These findings have shown the necessity to design AI in the way that it empowers them as teachers instead of controlling them to underline their professional interests and feelings.