How have Teachers' Role Perception in the Era of Gen AI, Influence Their Use of Gen AI in the Classroom?

Teachers' role has evolved over the years in line with the timeline of industrial revolution of the modern world. The period of profound economic and technological change shaped the perception of society on the role of teachers as educators. From the first industrial revolution where we see mass production and growth in factories to the current fourth industrial revolution where we see the integration of artificial intelligence into our everyday living, the role of teachers has also evolved from one who delivers content knowledge to one who designs for learning and champions technology adoption in the classroom. The evolution of teachers' role demands that teachers be able to adapt to changes and equip themselves with relevant knowledge and skills to carry out their roles to the basic expectation of the modern society, and this includes equipping themselves with the knowledge and skills in navigating the highly pervasive educational technology used in classroom today, post pandemic, the Generative AI (Gen AI). Teachers are expected to have the digital competence to effectively create a conducive personalized learning environment for the students. This paper will explore how teachers' perception of their role in this era of Gen AI, influence their use of Gen AI in the classroom.