AI in the Classroom: Student Teachers’ Experiences and Practices in a Changing Learning Landscape

Abstract

Abstract: As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in higher education, its presence in teacher education programs raises important questions about how future educators engage with and make sense of these emerging technologies. Existing literature highlights that while AI is widely promoted for enhancing personalized learning, efficiency, and instructional support in higher education, there remain concerns about how pre-service student teachers (STs) are being prepared to use AI critically, ethically, and pedagogically. However, there is a limited empirical understanding of how Malaysian STs experience and interpret the use of AI in their learning, particularly from a phenomenographic perspective. This phenomenographic study examines how undergraduate STs in a Malaysian university use AI in their learning processes and how they perceive its role in shaping their development as future teachers. Drawing on survey data and interviews, the study found that AI is primarily used for text-based academic tasks such as summarization, idea generation, language support, and self-paced revision, while more creative or multimodal applications remain relatively limited. Study participants experienced AI in five qualitatively different ways, ranging from a supportive learning aid to a source of ethical tension, reflecting both appreciation for efficiency and caution regarding accuracy, overreliance, and academic integrity. The findings extend existing literature by showing that STs’ engagement with AI is inseparable from their emerging teacher identities; while they welcome AI for routine academic tasks, they emphasize that essential human qualities such as judgment, empathy, and human interaction remain central to effective teaching. The study highlights the need for structured guidance that cultivates ethical awareness, critical AI literacy, and responsible integration, ensuring that future teachers are prepared to integrate AI meaningfully into their professional practice.