Indonesia: Teachers are keen to adopt AI in the classroom, without really understanding how it works

A survey of Indonesian primary and secondary school teachers reveals a high level of acceptance of AI; whilst they are aware of the risks to learning, they harbour numerous misconceptions.

With thousands of islands and very uneven infrastructure, Indonesia has made the integration of AI into schools a national goal. But public policy does not guarantee that teachers are ready. A team of researchers, including Alham Fikri Aji and Ayu Purwarianti, interviewed teachers from kindergarten to senior level about their understanding of AI, how they and their students use AI, and what they consider acceptable in learning activities.

A gap between membership and understanding

Partly automated thematic analysis of responses reveals a paradox. Teachers find it legitimate to use AI in school, mainly to save time, and are not naive, however: they clearly identify threats to the depth of learning and academic honesty. On the other hand, this high level of acceptance goes hand in hand with a poor understanding of what these tools actually do, and many of the ideas received circulate about how they work.

For the authors, this is a case for supporting the deployment of real training in AI culture among teachers, rather than simply making the tools available.