Teacher Authority and AI Disruption in School: A Phenomenological Study of Subject-Matter Teachers
TL;DR
Strengthening value- and character-based approaches in teacher professional development may serve as a strategic priority to ensure the relevance of the teaching profession amid the declining traditional role of teachers as the sole source of information and knowledge.
Abstract
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has produced significant impacts on educational practices, particularly in relation to shifts in teachers’ authority in classroom instruction. This study aims to explore the transformation of teacher authority and the strategies employed by teachers to assert their authority amid the increasingly widespread use of AI. The research employed a qualitative phenomenological design, involving three subject-matter teachers representing Religious Studies, Language, and Science. The findings reveal two major themes: (1) learning disruption in the era of automation, including the end of the teacher as the primary source of knowledge, the erosion of the value of learning processes, and the widening cognitive development gap among students; and (2) pedagogical authority as a form of teacher authority in learning, including teachers as ethical and substantive verification authorities, as well as teachers as determinants of the scope of students’ thinking processes. Strengthening value- and character-based approaches in teacher professional development may serve as a strategic priority to ensure the relevance of the teaching profession amid the declining traditional role of teachers as the sole source of information and knowledge.