Perceptions of AI Collaboration in Writing among Teacher Aspirants: An Empirical Cross-Sectional Study among Teacher Aspirants

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education has generated increasing interest, particularly in its role in academic writing. While prior studies have examined students’ use of AI, limited attention has been given to teacher aspirants’ perceptions of AI collaboration with human writers across subject disciplines. Addressing this gap is crucial in preparing future educators for responsible AI integration in teaching and learning. This study aimed to determine the perceptions of English, science, and mathematics teacher aspirants toward AI collaboration with human writers in academic essay writing and to examine differences across subject disciplines. A descriptive‒quantitative design was employed, involving 90 undergraduate teacher aspirants equally distributed across the three disciplines. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure adequate representation, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of 10 items on a 5-point Likert scale with high internal reliability (α = 0,94). The data were analyzed via descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed generally positive perceptions of AI’s role in writing, particularly in generating outlines, assisting with citations, and supporting editing processes. Significant differences emerged among disciplines, with science majors expressing the most favorable perceptions (M = 4,13), followed by English (M = 3,94) and mathematics majors (M = 3,90). The study concludes that disciplinary orientation shapes openness to AI collaboration in academic writing. It is recommended that teacher education programs integrate structured training on the ethical and effective use of AI, ensuring a balance between technological assistance and the preservation of creativity and critical thinking.