Special Education Teachers’ Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): An Exploratory Survey of Frequency and Factors Influencing Adoption

Abstract

This exploratory study examines how frequently special education teachers use generative AI in their professional practices and identifies factors that influence their adoption patterns. A theory-informed survey was distributed to special education teachers across Wisconsin (N = 314), and results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression to examine trends and patterns related to the frequency of generative AI use and its factors. Findings indicate that special educators are still in an exploratory phase of generative AI use, with fewer than 15% reporting weekly use and fewer than 5% reporting daily use. Special education teachers who regularly use generative AI primarily reported using these tools for content generation and instructional planning. Findings also indicate that teachers’ attitudes toward generative AI, external supports (such as prior training and administrative support), and age significantly influenced their frequency of use. Results from this study highlight the need for structured professional development and robust policy guidance to support ethical and effective AI integration in special education settings. Future research should further explore generative AI's impact on teacher practices and student outcomes, and examine educators' lived experiences to inform best practices in inclusive education.

Keywords

survey methodologies technology integration technology perspectives in-service teachers professional development

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ajzen

(1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Biden

(2023). Executive order on the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence [Executive Order No. 14110]. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence

Cameron

D. L.

Cook

B. G.

(2013). General education teachers' goals and expectations for their included students with mild and severe disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 48(1), 18–30. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23879883

Chadwick

Wesson

Fullwood

(2013). Internet access by people with intellectual disabilities: Inequalities and opportunities. Future Internet, 5(3), 376–397. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi5030376

Churchill

(2024). Leveraging AI in special education.

Confer

C. A.

(2023). The use of artificial intelligence to create inclusivity in special education classrooms. vol. 4, no. 9.

Creswell

J. W.

Creswell

J. D.

(2018). Research design (5th ed.). Sage Publications.

Davis

F. D.

(1989). A technology acceptance model for empirically testing new end-user information systems: Theory and results. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/15192

Dieker

Zaugg

(2024). Artificial intelligence and the intersectionality of disability. In Bennett

Goodall

(Eds.), The palgrave encyclopedia of disability (pp. 1–8). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40858-8_121-1

10.

Fisher

K. W.

Williamson

H. J.

Guerra

Kupferman

(2021). Digital citizenship: Technology access and use for youth with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Inclusion, 9(4), 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1352/2326-6988-9.4.263

11.

Glencross

Mason

Katsikitis

Greenwood

K. M.

(2021). Internet use by people with intellectual disability: Exploring digital inequality-a systematic review. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 24(8), 503–520. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.0499

12.

Goldman

S. R.

Taylor

Carreon

Smith

S. J.

(2024). Using AI to support special education teacher workload. Journal of Special Education Technology, 39(3), 434–447. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434241257240

13.

Holmes

(2023). The unintended consequences of artificial intelligence and education. Education International. https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/28115:the-unintended-consequences-of-artificial-intelligence-and-education

14.

Hopcan

Polat

Ozturk

M. E.

Ozturk

(2022). Artificial intelligence in special education: A systematic review. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(10), 7335–7353. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2067186

15.

Jimenez

Courtade

Fosbinder

(2024). Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance implementation of research-based practices for teaching students with moderate to severe intellectual disability. Journal of Special Education Preparation, 4(2), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.33043/z8c694yb

16.

Khazanchi

(2024). Generative AI to improve special education teacher preparation for inclusive classrooms. In Exploring new horizons: Generative artificial intelligence and teacher education (pp. 159–177). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.

17.

Kroesch

A. M.

Peeples

K. N.

(2021). High school general education teachers’ perceptions of students with significant disabilities in inclusive settings. Research, Advocacy, and Practice for Complex and Chronic Conditions, 40(1), 26–41. https://doi.org/10.14434/rapcc.v40i1.31756

18.

Marino

M. T.

Vasquez

Dieker

Basham

Blackorby

(2023). The future of artificial intelligence in special education technology. Journal of Special Education Technology, 38(3), 404–416. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434231165977

19.

McMahon

Firestone

(2024). Remixing special education practices with artificial intelligence: UDL, EBP, and HLPs. Journal of Special Education Preparation, 4(2), 66–76. https://doi.org/10.33043/3dq2d32d

20.

Mehta

Chillarge

G. R.

Sapkal

S. D.

Shinde

G. R.

Kshirsagar

P. S.

(2023). Inclusion of children with special needs in the educational system, artificial intelligence (AI). In Kumar

Nayyar

Sachan

R. K.

Jain

(Eds.), Advances in educational technologies and instructional design (pp. 156–185). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0378-8.ch007

21.

Mosher

Dieker

Hines

(2024). The past, present, and future use of artificial intelligence in teacher education. Journal of Special Education Preparation, 4(2), 6–17. https://doi.org/10.33043/8aa9855b

22.

Oh-Young

Karlin

(2024). Artificial intelligence. . . in the early childhood special education classroom!!? Teaching Exceptional Children, 57(5), 00400599241231237. https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599241231237

23.

Rakap

(2023). Chatting with GPT: Enhancing individualized education program goal development for novice special education teachers. Journal of Special Education Technology, 39(3), 01626434231211295. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434231211295

24.

Rakap

Balikci

(2024). Enhancing IEP goal development for preschoolers with autism: A preliminary study on chatGPT integration. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06343-0

25.

Reiss

M. J.

(2021). The use of AI in education: Practicalities and ethical considerations. London Review of Education, 19(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.14324/LRE.19.1.05

26.

Rice

M. F.

Dunn

(2023). The use of artificial intelligence with students with identified disabilities: A systematic review with critique. Computers in the Schools, 40(4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2023.2244935

27.

Trump

(2025). Executive order on Advancing artificial intelligence education for American youth [Executive Order No. 14277]. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/

28.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2023a). Designing for education with artificial intelligence: An essential guide for developers. Washington, DC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED661949.pdf

29.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2023b). Artificial intelligence and future of teaching and learning: Insights and recommendations. https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/documents/ai-report/ai-report.pdf

30.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2024). Empowering education leaders: A toolkit for safe, ethical, and equitable

AI integration

. Washington, DC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED661924.pdf

31.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2025). Navigating artificial intelligence in postsecondary education: Building capacity for the road ahead. Washington, DC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED670768.pdf

32.

Waterfield

D. A.

Coleman

O. F.

Welker

N. P.

Kennedy

M. J.

McDonald

S. D.

Cook

B. G.

(2025). IEPs in the age of AI: Examining IEP goals written with and without ChatGPT. Journal of Special Education Technology. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434251324592

33.

Waterfield

D. A.

Watson

Day

(2024). Applying artificial intelligence in special education: Exploring availability and functionality of AI platforms for special educators. Journal of Special Education Technology, 39(3), 448–454. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434241257237

34.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction . (2024). AI guidance for enhancing K-12 and library education. https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/imt/pdf/AI_Guidance_6-5-24.pdf

35.

Yuan

Hart Barnett

J. E.

(2024). Developing quality IEP goals in the age of artificial intelligence. In Teaching exceptional children (pp. 1–11). https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599241239311

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.22 MB