Teaching in the Age of AI: Exploring Faculty Perceptions and Practices

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into higher education, understanding how faculty perspectives change over time is essential to supporting responsible adoption. Because much existing research captures faculty views at a single point in time, this two-wave longitudinal qualitative study examined how perceptions and practices related to AI changed over approximately one year at a large public research university in the Southeastern United States. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 full-time faculty members from a college of education in Fall 2024, and 12 completed follow-up interviews in Fall 2025. These paired interviews were compared within participants to identify changes and continuities across the two time points. Findings suggested predominant shifts from conceptual exploration to practical integration, from cautious curiosity to conditional confidence, and from monitoring AI use to guiding responsible AI use, although some participants became more critical of AI. By 2025, many participants recognized AI’s permanence and articulated more concrete needs for institutional policies and professional development. Concerns about academic integrity, ethical implications, and human oversight remained consistent across both time points. These findings suggest the value of examining faculty AI adoption over time and highlight the importance of continued institutional support as faculty engagement with AI evolves.