Opinion of Spanish Teachers About Artificial Intelligence and Its Use in Education

Although it has been with us for decades, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming essential in society. It is beginning to be used in all areas, and education is no stranger. Sound practices are already beginning to be presented and made known in which the benefits of using AI in the classroom are verified, both in students’ learning outcomes and in teachers’ professional development. However, there are also many fears and suspicions caused by the use of this technology, especially when the effects that it may present in the future are unknown. This research tries to find out the opinion of Spanish teachers about AI and its use in the classroom. To this end, a brief ad hoc questionnaire was prepared, validated and publicized through different social networks and educational channels. A total of 599 teachers from all Spanish regions and educational stages answered the questionnaire. From the results, it can be extracted that Spanish teachers need more knowledge about AI and its implementation possibilities in the classroom. They see more possibilities for improving teacher professional development than teaching-learning processes. Moreover, they recognize that they need training in its use. In conclusion, in addition to effective and efficient training, the possible implementation of AI in education also requires a critical reflection on ethics and the pedagogical functionalities of AI.