Teacher readiness in the age of AI: Exploring ChatGPT integration in language teaching

Abstract

Despite the abundant use of ChatGPT, teachers are not sure how to embed it into their practice of teaching in a meaningful way; thus, professional development is essential for teachers to develop in AI-supported language teaching. A mixed-methods design was adopted as this study was conducted in three stages. First, a closed-ended questionnaire was conducted to evaluate how teachers began to learn about AI. This was followed by a two-day workshop which explained the advantages and disadvantages of ChatGPT as well as hands-on training. Then an open-ended questionnaire was conducted three months later to understand how teachers had started to incorporate AI into their teaching. As a result, teachers were initially less prepared for AI in general and less familiar with AI tools (M=2.1) and ChatGPT for teaching (M=1.9). Qualitative results also showed that teachers became more confident in integrating ChatGPT in language teaching after the workshop. Three months later, teachers reported using AI to support lesson preparation, particularly in developing teaching materials and vocabulary activities, but still faced challenges in AI accuracy, prompt design, and adapting AI-generated content to learners’ demands. In general, the findings indicate that professional development is crucial to support teachers in going from beginner to expert in AI and to use it effectively. This study is important in the ongoing debate about AI in education and reinforces the power of teachers to oversee how AI will be used in education in the classroom.