Primary School Teachers’ Experiences with Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education: Opportunities and Limitations

Defined as a subfield of artificial intelligence systems, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly utilised across many domains, including education. The purpose of this study is to understand primary school teachers' perspectives and practical experiences regarding the use of GenAI in education. The research was conducted using the basic qualitative research design. The study group of the research consisted of 27 primary school teachers working in Istanbul. The data of the study were obtained with a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. The interviews were conducted face-to-face from December 2023 to January 2024. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis. According to the findings, primary school teachers reported that GenAI tools facilitate access to resources, provide significant ease in content creation processes, and contribute to the development of personalised instructional materials. Moreover, it was found out that GenAI tools reduce administrative workload, and therefore, allow teachers to allocate more time to teaching processes. The primary school teachers also expressed that GenAI tools support classroom management and accelerate feedback processes. These tools are considered to be effective in developing students' creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. However, it was also emphasised that it is a must to provide adequate training and technical support to teachers for the effective integration of GenAI technologies into educational systems. Based on the findings, it is recommended to be conducted applied and longitudinal qualitative studies be conducted to achieve an in-depth understanding of the impacts of GenAI in the field of education.