Preservice Teacher Autonomy in the Instructional Use of Artificial Intelligence

Teacher autonomy is important for teachers to practice, as it provides them with an avenue to emphasize and implement their own approaches during classroom instruction. While there are studies contextualizing its importance, fewer focus on preservice teachers’ perspectives on their autonomy, especially in the instructional use of artificial intelligence (AI). This study used an explanatory sequential mixed-method research design to assess the preservice teachers' autonomy in the instructional use of artificial intelligence. A total of 52 preservice teachers across different teacher education degree programs participated in answering the survey questions, while 17 responded to open-ended questions for the qualitative component. The findings revealed that preservice teachers displayed both high general and curriculum autonomy in the instructional use of AI. Moreover, although preservice teachers are directly exposed to AI, their responses indicate that they primarily view it as a support tool that provides ideas and content, which they integrate into their instruction with caution. This suggests that while preservice teachers value AI in their instruction, they hold the authority to determine how and when to apply it, clearly affirming that teacher autonomy remains primary and AI dependence remains secondary.