Artificial intelligence in education: Perspectives of secondary teachers

This descriptive and correlational study investigated the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) by agricultural educators in Alabama, focusing on their perceptions, attitudes, and experiences (N = 80). Grounded by Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory and Davis’s technology acceptance model, a mixed-mode survey design was used to assess educators’ awareness, perceived benefits, competencies, and barriers to AI adoption. Findings revealed a significant experiential divide across all measured themes, where early-career educators (with ≤5 years of experience) reported significantly higher awareness, perceived benefits, competence, and optimism about overcoming barriers than experienced educators (with ≥ 15 years of experience). The primary barrier to adoption was a shared and uniform high level of concern regarding the pedagogical and ethical implications of AI. This contrast suggests that the central challenge is a pedagogical adoption gap between educators’ operational skills and their deeper apprehension of reconciling AI with their professional identity. This study confirms prior research on technology adoption while identifying a novel ethical barrier associated with the use of generative AI in agricultural education. The findings support the recommendation of differentiated approaches to enhance the confidence of experienced educators and reinforce the ethical best practices for early-career educators.