AI literacy and self-efficacy as determinants of AI usage among Nigerian Social Studies pre-service teachers

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping teaching and learning worldwide, yet evidence on what drives its use among teacher trainees in Nigerian Colleges of Education remains limited. This study examined AI literacy and self-efficacy as determinants of AI usage among social studies pre-service teachers in Ogun State Colleges of Education. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and a multistage sampling procedure was used to select 120 social studies pre-service teachers from Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Omu-Ajose, and Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta. Data were collected using a validated four-point Likert-scale instrument, the Questionnaire on AI Literacy, Self-Efficacy and AI Usage (QALSAU). Three research questions were answered using frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviations, while three null hypotheses were tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that the level of AI literacy among the respondents was high (x̄ = 3.11, SD = 0.89) and their level of AI self-efficacy was likewise high (x̄ = 2.99, SD = 0.96), although actual utilisation of AI tools occurred only to some extent (x̄ = 2.95, SD = 0.95). AI literacy had a significant relationship with AI usage (r = .777, df = 118, p < .05), as did AI self-efficacy (r = .402, df = 118, p < .05). Jointly, the two predictors accounted for 60.1% of the variance in AI usage (R² = .608, F(2, 117) = 90.713, p < .05). The study concludes that competence and confidence jointly drive AI engagement, and recommends structured AI literacy instruction, guided practice and improved digital infrastructure in teacher education programmes.