Artificial Intelligence Readiness among Public Elementary School Teachers in Mercedes District: A Descriptive – Comparative Study of Technology Self-Efficacy, Student Interaction, and Ethical Awareness

This study assessed the artificial intelligence readiness of public elementary school teachers in Mercedes District, addressing the limited evidence on multidimensional readiness among elementary teachers in Philippine district settings. Specifically, it determined the overall level of readiness and the levels of technology self-efficacy, student interaction, and ethical awareness. It also examined whether readiness differed according to age, sex, highest educational attainment, and years of teaching experience. A quantitative descriptive-comparative research design was employed, involving 207 public elementary school teachers who completed the 19-item Readiness for Artificial Intelligence Applications Scale, consisting of six technology self-efficacy items, seven student interaction items, and six ethical awareness items. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe readiness levels, while the Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis H test examined differences between groups. The Holm correction was applied to the p-values of the 16 omnibus tests to account for multiple testing. The findings showed that respondents had an overall Agree level of readiness (mean = 4.10, standard deviation = 0.55). Ethical awareness obtained the highest rating and was interpreted as Strongly Agree (mean = 4.38, standard deviation = 0.50), while student interaction (mean = 3.99, standard deviation = 0.64) and technology self-efficacy (mean = 3.96, standard deviation = 0.72) were interpreted as Agree. After applying the Holm correction, no statistically significant differences were found according to age, sex, highest educational attainment, or years of teaching experience. Overall, the findings indicate positive readiness, with ethical awareness as the highest-rated dimension and opportunities to strengthen teachers’ technological confidence and student interaction. These findings may guide context-specific professional development initiatives to strengthen teachers’ technological confidence, pedagogical application, and responsible use of artificial intelligence in elementary education.