Pre-service Teachers' Perception of AI Education and AI Teaching Efficacy in Physical Education at a Korean University
Abstract
This study investigates pre-service physical education (PE) teachers' perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) education and their self-efficacy in teaching AI at a Korean university. Although participants showed high interest levels and acknowledged the necessity of AI in education, their understanding of AI concepts and pedagogical applications was notably limited. The study revealed that prior exposure to AI-related coursework positively influenced both understanding and perceived importance of AI education. However, pre-service teachers exhibited low confidence in designing AI-integrated lessons and applying instructional strategies, highlighting a significant gap in AI teaching efficacy. While participants recognized the societal relevance of AI and felt a strong sense of responsibility for student learning, they were hesitant about emotionally intelligent AI and human-AI interactions. The study underscores the urgent need for structured AI training programs in teacher education—especially for non-STEM fields like PE—to foster theoretical understanding and practical teaching competence. The findings provide foundational insights for developing AI-integrated curricula that prepare future educators for an AI-driven educational landscape.
Keywords
References
Y.-J. Lee, R. O. Davis, and J. Ryu, "Korean in-service teachers' perceptions of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) education for teaching in schools and their AI teacher training programs," *Int. J. Inf. Educ. Technol.*, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 214–219, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2024.14.2.2042.
S.-W. Kim, "Artificial intelligence convergence teaching expertise scale for pre-service teachers in Korea: A validity and reliability study," *Int. J. Adv. Sci. Eng. Inf. Technol.*, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1–8, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.18517/ijaseit.15.1.12409.
I. Runge, F. Hebibi, and R. Lazarides, "Acceptance of pre-service teachers towards artificial intelligence (AI): The role of AI-related teacher training courses and AI-TPACK within the technology acceptance model," *Educ. Sci.*, vol. 15, no. 2, p. 167, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.3390/educsci15020167.
G.-G. Lee and X. Zhai, "Using ChatGPT for science learning: A study on pre-service teachers' lesson planning," *IEEE Trans. Learn. Technol.*, vol. 17, pp. 1683–1700, 2024, doi: 10.1109/TLT.2024.3401457.
C. Zhang et al., "Acceptance of artificial intelligence among pre-service teachers: A multigroup analysis," *Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ.*, vol. 20, no. 49, 2023, doi: 10.1186/s41239-023-00420-7.
F. Karataş and E. Yüce, "AI and the future of teaching: Pre-service teachers' reflections on the use of artificial intelligence in open and distributed learning," *Int. Rev. Res. Open Distrib. Learn.*, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 304–325, 2024, doi: 10.19173/irrodl.v25i3.7785.
I. Celik, "Towards Intelligent-TPACK: An empirical study on teachers' professional knowledge to ethically integrate artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools into education," *Comput. Hum. Behav.*, vol. 138, p. 107468, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107468.
P. Mishra, M. Warr, and R. Islam, "TPACK in the age of ChatGPT and generative AI," *J. Digit. Learn. Teach. Educ.*, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 235–251, 2023, doi: 10.1080/21532974.2023.2247480.
J. Diliberti, H. Schwartz, and A. Grant, "More districts are training teachers on artificial intelligence: Findings from the American school district panel," RAND Corporation, Research Report RRA956-31, 2024.
M. Chai, Y. Li, and H. Zhang, "Understanding K–12 teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge readiness and attitudes toward artificial intelligence education," *Educ. Inf. Technol.*, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10639-024-12621-2.
A. Galindo-Domínguez, H. Bezanilla, and A. García-Olalla, "Artificial intelligence for higher education: Benefits and challenges for pre-service teachers," *Front. Educ.*, vol. 9, p. 1501819, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1501819.
T. Southworth, K. M. Migdon, and M. Caschera, "Embracing the future of artificial intelligence in the classroom: The relevance of AI literacy, prompt engineering, and critical thinking in modern education," *Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ.*, vol. 21, no. 18, 2024, doi: 10.1186/s41239-024-00448-3.
H. Yu and Y. Guo, "Generative artificial intelligence empowers educational reform: Current status, issues, and prospects," *Front. Educ.*, vol. 8, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2023.1183162.
M. S. Reyes, R. C. Valdez, and J. P. Santos, "Pre-service teachers' readiness towards integrating AI-based tools in education: A TPACK approach," *Educ. Process Int. J.*, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 40–68, 2024.
J. A. Delello, R. R. McWhorter, and K. T. Camp, "AI in the classroom: Insights from educators on usage, challenges, and mental health," *Education*, vol. 15, no. 2, p. 113, 2025, doi: 10.3390/education15020113.
Y. Ning, C. Zhang, B. Xu, Y. Zhou, and T. T. Wijaya, "Teachers' AI-TPACK: Exploring the relationship between knowledge elements," *Sustainability*, vol. 16, no. 3, p. 978, 2024, doi: 10.3390/su16030978.
M. Chen, R. Wang, and L. Zhang, "Examining AI use in educational contexts: A scoping meta-review and bibliometric analysis," *Int. J. Artif. Intell. Educ.*, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s40593-024-00442-w.
A. Rahman, S. Ibrahim, and M. Hassan, "Education in the era of generative artificial intelligence (AI): Understanding the potential benefits of ChatGPT in promoting teaching and learning," *J. AI*, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 52–62, Dec. 2023.
H. O. Heo and S. C. Kang, "Teacher competencies for designing artificial intelligence-integrated education," *J. Korean Assoc. Comput. Educ.*, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 89–100, 2023.
G. Park, S. Hwang, and J. Lee, "Development and validation of teaching competence scale for teachers' artificial intelligence convergence education," *J. Educ. Technol.*, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 315–344, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.17232/kset.39.1.315.
D. Kim, H.-J. So, and J. Y. Lim, "Development of the measurement instrument of AI convergence education competency for pre-service teachers," *J. Educ. Stud.*, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 139–168, Sep. 2023, doi: 10.15854/jes.2023.09.54.3.139.
S.-W. Kim, "Development of a TPACK educational program to enhance pre-service teachers' teaching expertise in artificial intelligence convergence education," *Int. J. Adv. Sci. Eng. Inf. Technol.*, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1–9, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.18517/ijaseit.14.1.19552.
C. Zhang et al., "Acceptance of artificial intelligence among pre-service teachers: A multigroup analysis," *Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ.*, vol. 20, no. 49, Oct. 2023, doi: 10.1186/s41239-023-00420-7.
X. Wang and X. Wang, "Artificial intelligence in physical education: Comprehensive review and future teacher training strategies," *Front. Public Health*, vol. 12, p. 1484848, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1484848.
N. Yao et al., "Factors influencing pre-service special education teachers' intention toward AI in education: Digital literacy, teacher self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness," *Heliyon*, vol. 10, no. 14, p. e34894, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34894.
Y. Sun, X. Zhang, J. Scardamalia, L. Ahmad, and C. Chen, "Pre-service teachers' inclination to integrate AI into STEM education: Analysis of influencing factors," *Brit. J. Educ. Technol.*, 2024, doi: 10.1111/bjet.13469.
K. Schiff, S. Martínez-Monés, and D. Hernández-Leo, "Attitudes, perceptions and AI self-efficacy in K–12 education," *Comput. Educ.: Artif. Intell.*, vol. 7, p. 100274, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100274.
I. T. Sanusi, O. Oyelere, E. Omidiora, and E. Agbo, "Investigating pre-service teachers' artificial intelligence perception from the perspective of planned behavior theory," Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, vol. 6, p. 100031, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100031.
N. Yao et al., "Factors influencing pre-service special education teachers' intention toward AI in education: Digital literacy, teacher self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness," Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 14, p. e34894, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34894.
X. Wang and X. Wang, "Artificial intelligence in physical education: Comprehensive review and future teacher training strategies," Frontiers in Public Health, vol. 12, p. 1484848, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1484848.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v20i3.25169
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn)
p-ISSN: 2089-9823; e-ISSN: 2302-9277
Published by Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama (IPMU) in collaboration with the Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science (IAES).