Teachers’ Experiences with AI in K–12 Education: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

This study explores K–12 teachers’ perceptions and sense-making processes regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 teachers from public and private schools. Findings indicate that teachers associate AI with potential benefits such as instructional efficiency, personalized learning, formative assessment and professional development, while also expressing ethical and emotional concerns related to data privacy, algorithmic bias and unequal access. Teachers primarily interpret AI through its anticipated pedagogical implications rather than through sustained classroom implementation. The results emphasize the importance of teacher agency, ethical awareness and contextual factors in shaping how AI is understood and positioned within educational practice. By foregrounding teachers’ perspectives, this study addresses the gap between the predominantly higher education–focused AI literature and the underexplored K–12 context, highlighting the need for supportive policies, equitable infrastructure and professional development initiatives that promote human-centered and ethically grounded approaches to AI in education.