Vers une école primaire augmentée : accommodation managériale et appropriation de l'IA pour le développement professionnel des enseignants au Nord-Cameroun

The overcrowding of classrooms and the lack of continuous training are major barriers to the development of ICT skills among primary school teachers in Cameroon. In public application primary schools in the Northern Region of Cameroon, school principals are increasingly expected to support the integration of digital technologies. In this context, the emergence of generative artificial intelligence offers new opportunities to personalize pedagogical support and foster teachers' self-training. This study aims to analyze how managerial accommodation integrating generative AI influences teachers' professional development and ICT competencies in primary education. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was adopted. The quantitative phase used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group involving 150 teachers from 10 schools. The qualitative phase was based on 12 semi-structured interviews conducted with principals and teachers. Managerial accommodation was operationalized through three dimensions: provision of digital resources, training on AI use, and ethical regulation of practices. ANCOVA results indicate a significant effect of managerial accommodation integrating AI on the development of ICT competencies, F(1, 147) = 34.67, p < .001, η² = .19. Thematic analysis revealed three main dynamics: the shift from a controller to a coach role, the appropriation of AI for differentiated instruction, and the emergence of professional learning communities. In conclusion, the study shows that AI produces positive effects only when mediated by proactive managerial accommodation. It recommends the institutionalization of continuous training policies and the development of an ethical charter for AI use in primary schools.