K-12 educators in the United States showed limited adoption and understanding of ChatGPT during the 2022-2023 school year, with most taking a reactive rather than proactive approach to its use in education.
Objective: The study aimed to examine K-12 teachers' reactions and responses to ChatGPT and other generative AI tools during the 2022-2023 school year, focusing on their understanding, detection methods, and responses to unethical use.
Methods:
- Qualitative, exploratory study using survey data
- 123 responses collected from K-12 educators across 14 U.S. states
- Survey conducted between August and September 2023
- Data analysis guided by interpretivist perspective
- Thematic analysis of open-ended responses
Key Findings:
- Only 20.3% of educators reported using genAI "very often" or "somewhat often"
- 53.7% never used genAI tools
- Over half (54.5%) never used AI detection tools
- Most common responses to unethical AI use were:
- Discussion with students (35.8%)
- Reassessment & revision (27.6%)
- Grade penalization (15.5%)
Implications:
- Highlights need for better teacher training on AI tools
- Suggests importance of clear communication and situation-based interventions
- Emphasizes need for consistent policies on AI use in education
- Indicates necessity for enhanced educator familiarity with AI tools
Limitations:
- Limited data collection window
- Self-reporting nature of responses
- Focus only on initial adoption period
- Geographic limitations (14 states)
- Limited sample size
Future Directions:
- Examine long-term impact of genAI in education
- Broaden scope of tool usage analysis
- Distinguish between trends at elementary, middle, and high school levels
- Investigate impact in diverse educational settings
Title and Authors: "K-12 Educators' Reactions and Responses to ChatGPT and GenAI During the 2022–2023 School Year" by Jeromie Whalen, William Grube, Chenyang Xu, and Torrey Trust
Published On: November 5, 2024 (Accepted)
Published By: TechTrends (Association for Educational Communications & Technology)