Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continue to gain traction in K-12 education, many K-12 educators feel unprepared to incorporate AI effectively due to limited training, concerns over ethical implications, and a lack of institutional support. This study conducted a needs assessment to evaluate K-12 teachers’ awareness, understanding, utilization, and apprehensions regarding AI technologies in K-12 education. A survey was completed by 311 K-12 teachers to assess their familiarity with AI, confidence in using AI tools, concerns about AI integration, barriers to adoption, and their preference of AI training formats and topics. The findings reveal that current training programs do not sufficiently meet teachers' instructional needs or no necessary AI trainings are offered to teachers. The most significant barriers to AI adoption include a lack of professional development, time constraints, and limited access to AI technology. Teachers also expressed concerns about student overreliance on AI ethical implications, and data privacy risks. Despite these challenges, teachers demonstrated strong interest in AI training, with a preference for hands-on learning, workshops, and subject-specific AI applications. Based on these findings, the study emphasizes the urgent need for structured, interactive, and ongoing AI professional development programs tailored to educators’ specific instructional contexts. Recommendations include developing subject-specific AI training, ensuring equitable access to AI resources, incorporating AI ethics education, and fostering collaborative AI learning communities.
Recommended Citation
Tsai, I-Chun
(2025)
"Promoting the Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies in K-12 Education: Needs Assessment to Address K-12 Teachers’ Urgent Needs of AI Professional Development,"
Ohio Journal of Teacher Education: Vol. 40:
No.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/ojte/vol40/iss2/2
