A one-day hands-on AI workshop for high school teachers successfully dispelled fears about AI replacing educators while significantly improving their understanding of AI concepts, applications, and ethical considerations, demonstrating that targeted professional development can effectively prepare teachers to integrate AI into K-12 curricula.
Objective: This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence (AI) community-building workshop designed for high school teachers, focusing on contemporary issues related to AI concepts and applications. The research sought to engage teachers in collaborative networks for designing and implementing novel AI learning modules for high school students, while measuring the impact of training on teachers' readiness for additional hands-on AI experiences and their ability to introduce AI concepts, applications, and ethics to their students.
Methods: The study employed a pre-post workshop survey design with nine high school teachers from two local education districts participating in a one-day hands-on AI workshop at Colorado State University Pueblo. The workshop included several components: AI-related topics and hands-on examples, introduction to AI concepts and tools relevant to pre-college education, and exploration of AI-based teaching tools. Data collection involved initial and post-training surveys to measure knowledge gains, attitude changes, and readiness for future AI implementation. The workshop was structured with specific learning modules covering intelligent behaviors and systems, ethics, and various AI applications including classification, recognition, memory, decision-making, optimization, and prediction tools. The research utilized both quantitative questions on Likert scales and qualitative open-ended questions to assess teacher perceptions and learning outcomes.
Key Findings: The workshop demonstrated significant positive outcomes across multiple dimensions. All participating teachers (100%) reported learning something new about AI concepts, applications, and ethics, with 75% strongly agreeing and 25% agreeing to this statement. Post-workshop surveys revealed that 62.5% strongly agreed and 37.5% agreed that they had better understanding of AI and how to integrate it into education. Teachers showed increased acceptance of AI, with 62.5% rating the workshop as excellent and 37.5% as very good. Importantly, 75% of teachers expressed willingness to participate in future AI projects, with only 12.5% declining due to administrative role changes rather than lack of interest. The workshop successfully addressed initial fears about AI replacing teachers, with participants recognizing AI as a complementary tool rather than a threat. Teachers discovered that many AI tools are freely available for educational use, contrary to their initial assumption that all AI tools would be expensive. One teacher immediately integrated AI content into their current coding course, demonstrating practical application of workshop learnings.
Implications: The findings have significant implications for AI education integration in K-12 settings and teacher professional development. The study demonstrates that brief, well-designed workshops can effectively change teacher perceptions of AI from fear-based to tool-based understanding. The research supports the development of collaborative networks between university faculty and K-12 teachers for sustainable AI curriculum integration. Based on the positive results, one author developed and implemented a three-credit graduate course "ED 537 AI in K-12 Education" at the School of Education, indicating the workshop's success in creating systemic change. The study reveals that teacher acceptance of AI can be significantly improved through hands-on experiences that demystify AI concepts and demonstrate practical applications. The workshop model provides a replicable framework for scaling AI education efforts across broader educational communities, particularly important given the rapid advancement of AI technologies and their increasing integration into daily life.
Limitations: The study acknowledges several important limitations including the small sample size of only nine teachers from two school districts, which may limit generalizability to broader populations. The research was conducted over a single day, preventing assessment of long-term retention of knowledge and sustained implementation of AI concepts in classrooms. The study lacks a control group for comparison, making it difficult to isolate the workshop's specific impact versus other factors. Geographic limitations to one university and two local districts may not represent diverse educational contexts or varying levels of technological infrastructure. The research relied primarily on self-reported data through surveys, which may be subject to social desirability bias or overestimation of learning gains. Additionally, the study did not track actual classroom implementation of AI concepts over time, focusing instead on immediate post-workshop perceptions and intentions.
Future Directions: The research identifies several critical areas for future investigation and development. Longitudinal studies are needed to track whether initial positive attitudes and knowledge gains translate into sustained classroom implementation of AI concepts and tools. Future research should scale up the workshop model to larger, more diverse teacher populations across different geographic regions and school districts with varying technological resources. Investigation of optimal workshop duration and content delivery methods could improve effectiveness and accessibility. The development of comprehensive teacher certification programs in AI education, building on the successful graduate course model, represents an important next step. Research should examine the impact of teacher AI training on student learning outcomes and engagement with AI concepts. Additionally, studies should explore the development of standardized AI literacy frameworks for K-12 education and investigate the most effective methods for creating sustainable university-school partnerships for ongoing AI education support and curriculum development.
Title and Authors: "Engaging High School Teachers with Artificial Intelligence Concepts, Applications, and Developments" by Nebojsa Jaksic, Bahaa Ansaf, and Margie Massey.
Published On: March 31, 2025
Published By: ASEE Computers in Education, Vol. 14, Issue 3, 2025