Navigating the promise and perils of artificial intelligence in primary education: insights from the Iranian context

Abstract

This study critically investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Iranian primary education, highlighting both its transformative potential and context-specific challenges within a centralized and resource-constrained system. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 26 stakeholders, including technology managers, school supervisors, teachers and officials from the Ministry of Education. The analysis revealed ten core themes: AI tools and platforms; educational applications; benefits; technical, pedagogical and socio-ethical challenges; characteristics of primary education settings; privacy and ethical concerns; futures of AI in education; teacher training and professional adaptation; cultural and regional considerations; and AI’s role in fostering creativity. These themes reveal three interconnected dynamics: opportunity-structure tension, contextual mediation and temporal dimension. The findings offer contextualized insights into how AI integration can be responsibly and equitably implemented within Iranian primary schools. This research contributes to the global discourse on AI-driven educational transformation by emphasizing the importance of localized strategies and inclusive policy design in non-Western, developing educational contexts.