School Leadership and the Pedagogical Integration of Generative AI in Writing Instruction: A Chilean Secondary School Case
TL;DR
This study examines how leadership mediates the use of tools such as ChatGPT in secondary-level writing instruction in a public Chilean school and concludes that equitable and meaningful integration of generative AI requires leadership that supports pedagogical intentionality, infrastructure development, and sustained professional learning.
Abstract
Abstract The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in schools offers new pedagogical possibilities but also introduces significant challenges for school leadership. This study examines how leadership mediates the use of tools such as ChatGPT in secondary-level writing instruction in a public Chilean school. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, we analyzed classroom observations, text mining of field notes, and national education policy documents. Students who engaged with generative AI displayed greater emotional involvement and produced more lexically diverse written work. Policy analysis revealed tensions between equity-oriented innovation discourses and insufficient operational guidance for school implementation. Findings indicate that generative AI tends to be layered onto existing instructional practices rather than transforming them, highlighting the need for context-sensitive leadership capable of aligning innovation policies with classroom realities. The study concludes that equitable and meaningful integration of generative AI requires leadership that supports pedagogical intentionality, infrastructure development, and sustained professional learning.