Abstract
This qualitative study investigates educators’ concerns about the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education by utilizing social media as a primary data source. The study adopts the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to structure its investigation, providing a comprehensive understanding of how educators perceive and react to AI integration. Through thematic analysis of discussions on platforms such as Reddit, the study identifies various degrees of concern, stages of concern, and types of risks/concerns associated with AI integration. Findings reveal that a significant majority of educators and stakeholders report high levels of concern, with over fifty percent indicating they are ‘very concerned’ on a Likert scale. The majority are in the ‘consequence’ stage of concern, where the impact on student outcomes is a significant worry. Functional risks, such as the potential decline in critical thinking and problem-solving skills due to AI reliance, emerged as the most prevalent concern. Other significant concerns include social risks related to the alteration of traditional educational roles and information risks from potential inaccuracies in AI-generated content. The study underscores the complexity of AI adoption in educational settings and highlights the need for targeted interventions to address these multifaceted concerns.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence in Education, Concerns-Based Adoption Model, Educator Concerns, Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), Social Media Data, Thematic Analysis.