Ranau Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence Integration in English as a Second Language Classroom

Abstract

In ESL education, practitioners now recognizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to improve student engagement and provide personalized learning experiences while also increasing the efficiency of instruction. On the other hand, for AI to be effectively integrated into classrooms, it is essential that teachers accept the technology, particularly in lower-resourced, rural environments. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the perceptions of primary ESL school teachers in Ranau, Sabah regarding the incorporation of AI into their classrooms through an examination of attitudes surrounding perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) guided by Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The research implemented a quantitative exploratory approach that utilizes surveys with 12 ESL Teachers from 4 primary schools located within the rural areas. The results analysed teachers' responses to the survey to determine any trends based on teachers' perceptions of using AI in the classroom. The results of this study indicate that teachers perceive AI as supportive teaching and learning tool. Respondents’ confidence level of their ability to learn using AI tools was considered moderate. In addition, comments arose regarding the integration of AI in the classroom, long-term skill development, and a need for sufficient cognitive effort when utilising AI.