Attitudes of University Professors towards the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Teaching and Learning
Authors:   Coordination of the Educational Model of the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico., TOVAR Ismael Zamora , OCEGUEDA Gelacio Juan Ramón GUTIÉRREZ ,   Department of Social Law and Legal Disciplines, Division of Legal Studies, University Center for Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Published: February 2025

In a world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, higher education is at a critical point where it must demonstrate its relevance and adaptability. Universities not only they must transform ideas into actions but also reaffirm their value as public goods through community alliances that benefit everyone. In this process, understanding and addressing attitudes towards AI is crucial to integrate this technology ethically and effectively in education. To the by doing so, institutions not only prepare their students for an uncertain future, but also reinforce their role as communities of values, where technology, although powerful, continues being a tool at the service of integral human development.
Objective.-
Under this research article it is intended analyze the attitudes of teachers towards AI in general and particularly towards its use in teaching-learning processes, as well as identifying the factors associated with the teachers' attitudes toward AI. In this sense, the results of the study will help develop teacher professionalization guidelines that address concerns and encourage the adoption of AI.
Method.-
An empirical investigation of an explanatory and transversal nature was carried out. Concerning population, a through convenience sampling, a representative sample of 632 teachers was obtained with a confidence level of 0.99% of the total population of teachers at a university in the western Mexico. The dependent variables under study were the attitude of the teachers towards AI in general and teachers' attitudes to the use of AI in teaching processes learning and the independent variables were sex, age group, type of teacher, teaching experience in the institution, area of professional training knowledge, level of teacher training and AI training.
Instruments.-
To identify teachers' attitudes, the AI scale was used, on the one hand. Attitude Scale (AIAS-4) developed and validated by Grassini, F. (2023) that evaluates general attitude towards artificial intelligence, focusing on public perceptions of AI technology. The scale is composed of four items designed to assess beliefs about the influence of AI in people's lives, in their careers and in humanity in general. The scale items are they focus on the perceived usefulness and potential impact of technology on society and humanity. The AIAS-4 showed high internal consistency. It presented a Cronbach's alpha of 0.902 and an omega McDonald's score of 0.904, indicating a very high level of reliability. The AIAS-4 was correlated with the attitude factors of the Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale (MTUAS) and the correlations were moderate and statistically significant with the positive factors and negative results of the MTUAS, which supports the convergent validity of the scale. For this research a pilot test was carried out and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.71 was obtained. On the other hand, an ad hoc scale was developed to evaluate teachers' attitudes towards the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching-learning processes. This scale considered five dimensions: perception of usefulness, ease of use, risk, implication social and intention of use. The scale was made up of 25 items and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 was obtained for the entire Scale and 0.77 for the usefulness dimension, 0.73 for ease of use, 0.85 for risk, 0.79 for social implications and 0.78 for intention to use.
Conclusions.-
These are conclusions obtained: (1) Teachers have a good attitude towards AI in general, believing that it will improve life, work, that they will use it in the future and that it is positive for humanity. However, there is a great dispersion among the opinions of the teachers so there is no consensus among them. (2) Teachers have a good attitude towards the use of AI in teaching (4/5) they consider it useful, easy to use, with positive social implications and have intentions to use it. However, teachers have uncertainty and pockets of pessimism about the risk involved AI in teaching. In this regard, they are worried if it will replace them at work, yes will depersonalize learning experiences, it will amplify inequality gaps, if it is safe and reliable and can be used to manipulate and control. (3) Create spaces where teachers can discuss their experiences, concerns and expectations about AI and document success experiences. These forums should encourage exchange of ideas and resolution of common problems, promoting an environment collaborative. (4) Implement AI progressively, starting with tools that teachers considered more useful and easier to use. Provide constant and personalized technical assistance to facilitate adoption and solve problems in real time. (5) Establish periodic evaluation mechanisms to monitor the impact of AI on the teaching and learning. Collect and analyze feedback data from teachers and students to continually adjust and improve learning strategies implementation. (6) Communicate an institutional statement on the use of AI and the guidelines that guide its use. Directly address concerns about security, reliability, privacy and ethics in the use of AI. This includes ensuring that AI will not replace teachers but will serve as a complementary tool. (7) Implement pilot projects in different academic areas to evaluate the effectiveness of the AI in specific contexts. Document and share learning outcomes and lessons learned to guide future implementations. (8) Centralize governance and institutional infrastructure for AI adoption upfront to promote the coordination of efforts. Of course, with openness to serve initiatives from different areas. While the academy defines the criteria to select relevant AI tools for professional training educational programs that are offered.