EXPLORING AI IN EDUCATION: PRESERVICE TEACHER PERSPECTIVES, USAGE, AND CONSIDERATIONS

Aim/Purpose This study investigated how undergraduate and graduate students in a teacher education program perceived, used, and ethically reflected upon generative AI tools. The problem is the unclear state of preservice teachers’ understanding and use of generative AI in educational settings, which this study aimed to ex-plain.Background Given generative AI’s growing presence in education, this study addressed a gap in understanding by examining preservice teachers’ perceptions, experiences, and ethical concerns, particularly in relation to self-regulated learning.Methodology A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data from 73 students enrolled in a teacher education program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and thematic analysis were used for data analysis.Contribution This study contributes to the emerging literature by providing insights into pre-service teachers’ usage patterns of generative AI, the relationship between AI use and self-regulatory skills, and a detailed examination of ethical concerns, in-forming effective AI integration into teacher education programs.Findings Text-based generative AI was the most familiar tool among participants. The primary reasons for the use included editing papers, searching for new ideas, and understanding course material. A significant positive correlation was identi-fied between information search with the help of generative AI and resource management skill. Key themes identified by thematic analysis included per-ceived benefits for student engagement and creativity, AI’s potential as a writing assistant, and ethical concerns about plagiarism and misuse. Overall, preservice teachers demonstrated surface-level use and a general lack of in-depth knowledge about AI integration.Recommendations for PractitionersTeacher educators should provide explicit training in generative AI, including practical guidelines and clear ethical frameworks to foster effective and respon-sible integration into classroom practice.Recommendations for ResearchersFuture researchers should develop validated measurement instruments specifi-cally designed for studying generative AI perceptions and usage and explore longitudinal impacts as preservice teachers transition into professional teaching roles.Impact on Society By guiding preservice teachers toward informed and ethical use of generative AI, this study supports broader societal goals of promoting digital literacy, ethi-cal technology integration, and enhanced learning experiences for future genera-tions.Future Research Subsequent research should further explore reasons behind the limited adoption of generative AI among preservice teachers, examine the long-term impacts of AI use on pedagogical practices, and investigate structured frameworks for pro-moting deeper AI integration within the teaching and learning domain.