Preparedness of Teachers for AI-Mediated Classrooms: Gaps in Skills Confidence and Ethical Issues in Teaching with AI

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The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational settings has raised new questions about teachers’ readiness to adapt to AI-mediated classrooms. This study investigated teachers’ preparedness for AI-assisted teaching and the effect of AI-related skills gaps, professional confidence, and ethical concerns. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 296 secondary school teachers in Gusau metropolis Zamfara State Nigeria, from a population of 1,800 teachers. The study employed both Descriptive and multiple regression analyses. Teachers reported a high level of confidence and preparedness in teaching. Yet, the teachers faced significant gaps in AI-related skills and showed ethical concerns. Professional confidence was the strongest predictor of preparedness (β = 0.41, p < .001). On the other hand, skills gaps (β = −0.29, p < .001) and ethical concerns (β = −0.18, p < .001) were found to have constraining effects. The findings imply that the gaps in AI-mediated classrooms suggest the need for the teacher to have multidimensional attributes that include knowledge, confidence, and ethics. The research adds to the ongoing discussions of the ethical integration of AI in education and the need for professional growth and policy guidelines that combine the pedagogy and the ethics of using AI in education.