Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is a disruptive technology that presents significant challenges for educators. Its pedagogical opportunities and risks largely depend on teachers’ beliefs and practices. While university teachers’ beliefs on GenAI have been studied to some degree, research on secondary school teachers remains limited. This study aims to replicate the research conducted by Cabellos et al. (Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1468900, 2024) on university teachers’ beliefs about GenAI for teaching and learning, applying it to secondary school educators. To this end, a survey aiming to identify whether teachers perceive GenAI as an opportunity or threat for teaching and learning was conducted with a sample of 266 secondary teachers. The findings revealed that those with constructivist beliefs perceived greater potential in GenAI compared to those with interpretative and reproductive beliefs. Likewise, teachers with previous educational use of GenAI had more positive views of their educational applications than those who used them only occasionally or not at all. However, despite recognizing the benefits of GenAI for their teaching practices, teachers also expressed concerns that its use could negatively affect students’ learning processes due to overreliance on these tools. Factors such as gender, teaching experience, and subject area did not significantly influence teachers’ beliefs. The results are generally similar to those found previously with university professors, although there are some differences in how pedagogical beliefs influence the perception of GenAI use. To enhance the educational benefits of GenAI while mitigating potential risks, it is important to provide secondary teachers with opportunities to explore and experiment with its pedagogical applications, fostering constructivist beliefs. Increasing familiarity with the technology, offering targeted training, and promoting a student-centred pedagogical approach can support the effective adoption of GenAI in secondary education.
