Principals’ Perceptions on How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Is Used in Schools by Administrators, Teachers, and Students: A Mixed Method Research Study

Abstract In the same way electricity changed how people lived, artificial intelligence (AI) is being hailed as that next transformative technology that will change every aspect of daily living, including education. As AI is in its infancy and humans are just beginning to make sense of this new technology, educators are trying to integrate it into the educational landscape. While many technologies are often initiated at the district level, school principals are often charged with leading the adoption and implementation of new technologies within their school. Additionally, New Jersey has decided to invest $165 million dollars into being the artificial intelligence capital of the world, and a big part of their plan focuses on redesigning education to prepare students for an AI workforce. How is AI being used in schools and implemented into New Jersey schools? To understand how AI is being used in schools, this exploratory sequential mixed methods research study interviewed eleven New Jersey principals and surveyed seventy-four principals to determine how widespread the eleven principals’ perceptions are. Two themes, Collaborative Writer and Content Creator, emerged from the data about administrators. Three themes, Efficiency Tool, Writing Assistant, and Formative Assessment emerged from the data collected about teachers. Best Student AI Practices and Best Student AI Practices 2 emerged from the data about students. Five overarching themes emerged representing all three stakeholder groups. The themes are using AI as a writing tool, idea generator, creative activities, enhance student learning, and automate processes. AI technology practices and policy implications are discussed. Keywords: artificial intelligence, transformative technology, perceptions, writing tool, idea generator, creative activities, automate processes