Attitude, Anxiety, and Literacy among Teacher Aspirants’ Embrace of Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Practical and Ethical Challenges in Integrating AI in Education

Attitude, anxiety, and literacy are essential factors in determining the acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in its integration into education. Despite their relevance, few studies have explored their mutual influence and their impact on teacher aspirants’ perspectives toward AI. This study aimed to analyze these constructs and their interrelationships through a descriptive-quantitative-correlational design. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 200 respondents from the education programs of a state university. The results indicated that teacher aspirants hold a positive attitude toward AI (M=4,19), exhibit low anxiety (M=2,44), and demonstrate very high literacy (M=6,22). Significant differences were observed in levels of anxiety, literacy, and attitudes across course programs. Furthermore, a significant interrelationship among the three constructs was established. The findings highlight the pivotal role of attitudes, anxiety, and literacy in shaping teacher aspirants’ acceptance of AI and emphasize their importance in guiding future educational integration.