Empowering Educators in the Age of AI: An Empirical Study on Creating custom GPTs in Qualitative Research Method education

As generative AI (Gen-AI) tools become more prevalent in education, there is a growing need to understand how educators, not just students, can actively shape their design and use. This study investigates how two instructors integrated four custom GPT tools into a Masters-level Qualitative Research Methods course for Urban Planning Policy students. Addressing two key gaps: the dominant framing of students as passive AI users, and the limited use of AI in qualitative methods education. The study explores how Gen-AI can support disciplinary learning when aligned with pedagogical intent. Drawing on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and action research methodology, the instructors designed GPTs to scaffold tasks such as research question formulation, interview practice, fieldnote analysis, and design thinking. Thematic analysis of student reflections, AI chat logs, and final assignments revealed that the tools enhanced student reflexivity, improved interview techniques, and supported structured analytic thinking. However, students also expressed concerns about cognitive overload, reduced immersion in data, and the formulaic nature of AI responses. The study offers three key insights: AI can be a powerful scaffold for active learning when paired with human facilitation; custom GPTs can serve as cognitive partners in iterative research practice; and educator-led design is critical to pedagogically meaningful AI integration. This research contributes to emerging scholarship on AI in higher education by demonstrating how empowering educators to design custom tools can promote more reflective, responsible, and collaborative learning with AI.