Teachers’ acceptance of artificial intelligence tools in K-12 education
Abstract
Although artificial intelligence and generative AI is becoming more available, intelligent tutoring systems, learning analytics, and adaptive learning technologies, its uptake by teachers is not even, as there are fears based on the AI literacy and usefulness, trust, ethical concerns, and institutional support. This research is based on a PRISMA framework to synthesize the existing research in the field of technology acceptance, AI adoption, teacher preparedness, digital pedagogy, and educational innovation in educational institutions. The review indicates that the majority of studies use the models, including Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), UTAUT, and Diffusion of Innovation theory to interpret the behavioral intention of teachers regarding the use of AI. The results suggest that the perception of usefulness, ease of use, social influence, facilitating conditions, and professional development have a strong impact on acceptance of AI-based educational tools. The recent research also points to some new aspects such as AI self-efficacy, data privacy issues, algorithmic trust, explainable AI, and ethical AI in education that can greatly influence the use in the classroom in the contemporary world. Also, the literature demonstrates that more AI literate teachers, who are supported by the institutional environment, are more willing to adopt AI-enabled teaching and learning systems. The review finds that there is an increasing interest in AI-assisted pedagogy, personalized learning, and intelligent learning settings across the world, but also indicates gaps in terms of K-12 teacher development, policy preparedness, and responsible use of AI.
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References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Shobhit Srivastava, Surinder Kumar, Mukesh Kumar (Author)
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