An analysis of the use of artificial intelligence in education in Spain: The in-service teacher’s perspective

Abstract

This study surveyed 445 primary, secondary, and higher education teachers to understand their usage of AI tools in the classroom. Results revealed that while teachers generally have a positive attitude toward AI in education, only 25% of them have actually incorporated AI-based tools into their teaching. Moreover, the most common used tools were ChatGPT, Dall-E, and Midjourney. Finally, primary and secondary school teachers mainly use AI for content creation purposes such as presentations, texts, or videos, without emphasizing student engagement with AI tools. In contrast, higher education teachers utilize AI for academic-technical purposes, explaining AI functioning, obtaining information, and enabling students to experiment with AI tools, as well as research-related tasks like text translation, or data analysis. Based on these results, AI training programs for educators should be tailored to each stage, incorporating a wider variety of AI tools beyond the commonly used ones like ChatGPT.

Keywords:

• Artificial intelligence
• teaching methods
• teaching practice
• ChatGPT
• educational technology

Data availability

The database for this study is available in the following link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nZRPkx07gzD4dab1S-7rCvvl5GPjX5Mj&usp=drive_fs

Disclosure statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Héctor Galindo-Domínguez

Hector Galindo-Domínguez is Doctor Cum Laude in Education from the University of Deusto, Master’s Degree in Innovation and Research in Education from the UNED, Master’s Degree in Prevention and Treatment of School Bullying from the University of San Jorge and Graduate in Primary Education from the UPV/EHU. He has worked as an associate lecturer in several degrees and master’s degrees in different universities, although he currently works as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Didactics and School Organization at the UPV/EHU. He combines this work with the publication of research in high impact scientific journals. His main lines of research deal with the analysis of new educational methodologies and technologies, the impact of educational research on teaching practice, the influence of personal and social variables on well-being, as well as the development of critical thinking. Finally, he has worked for years as a primary school teacher.

Nahia Delgado

Nahia Delgado is Doctor Cum Laude in Education from the University of Basque Country. Graduate in Primary Education (UPV/EHU) in the English minor. Official Master Degree in Development and Management of Didactic-Methodological Innovation Projects in Educational Institutions (Universidad de Mondragón). Degree in Graphic Design (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid and INESEM). Work experience as a teacher in the Faculty of Philosophy and Anthropology (UPV/EHU). She has participated in the teaching research project “Economy and Taxes” of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa in the design of digital teaching materials. She has worked as a teacher for 5 years in several teacher training courses, within the “Prest_Gara” programme of the Basque Government. She is currently a researcher at the Institute for Democratic Governance (Globernance) and works as a researcher for the “Udal Etorkizuna Eraikiz” project of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

Daniel Losada

Daniel Losada is PhD in Psychodidactics, Degree in Psychopedagogy and Primary Education Teacher. He currently works as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Didactics and School Organization in the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). He teaches various subjects in several degrees and postgraduate courses (UPV-EHU and UEx) related to “Educational Technology” and “Teacher Training". He has published more than half a hundred scientific publications on emerging issues in Education. He is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the Latin American Journal of Educational Technology. He has been awarded 3 five-year teaching periods and 2 six-year research periods (2008–2020) evaluated by the CNEAI. He has also obtained a positive evaluation in 3 teaching periods in the DOCENTIAZ programme (2004–2020), receiving an outstanding qualification (100 points) in the last two periods. Lastly, he has been Director of the Department of Didactics and School Organization at the UPV/EHU for four years (2013–2017).

Jose-María Etxabe

Jose María Etxabe is PhD in Psychodidactics programme (UPV/EHU), Graduate in Chemistry (Macromolecules specialty). Professor of the University School in the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology of the UPV/EHU. He teaches subjects in the area of Didactics of Experimental Sciences both in the Degree in Primary Education (Natural Sciences in the Primary Education classroom II) and in the Master’s Degree in Teacher Training in Secondary Education (Learning and teaching Physics and Chemistry). He has published articles and communications in conferences on dielectric properties of polymeric materials and education, especially in aspects related to the learning process and teaching of Sciences (mental models, cognitive skills, cognitive-linguistic skills, methodological strategies, dialogical and directive learning in the initial training of teachers and teachers) He has recognized 6 five-year teaching periods and has also obtained positive evaluation in 3 teaching periods in the DOCENTIAZ program (2006–2022), receiving an excellent rating (100 points) in the three calls Finally, he has been deputy director, academic secretary and vice dean not in the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology of the UPV/EHU during the years 1996, 2002–2006, 2008–2019).