AI Literacy and Integration Practices Among Digital Education Teachers: A Survey Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Professional Development Needs

This study investigates Artificial Intelligence (AI) experiences and strategies among 48 in-service teachers of the school subject “Digital Basic Education”, examining their knowledge, practices, and perceptions of AI in educational contexts. An anonymous online questionnaire, explored the teachers’ self-reported AI tool usage, current literacy levels, existing knowledge, pedagogical strategies, and professional development needs. Results indicate high adoption rates of AI chatbots for lesson preparation (>80%) and predominantly positive attitudes toward AI integration in education. Analysis revealed that 68% of spontaneously mentioned AI applications related to generative AI tools, suggesting strong influence of recent technological developments on teachers’ AI conceptualization. While 78% of participants reported teaching AI-related content, focusing primarily on fundamental concepts, risks, and ethical considerations, they also expressed substantial interest in professional development, particularly regarding practical teaching examples and AI application methods. The teachers demonstrated professional discretion by completely avoiding AI tools for student assessment.Preprint, final Version only available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-93567-1_10