Generative AI intentions and technological pedagogical and content knowledge: teachers’ readiness to use AI for students with learning disabilities and difficulties

PURPOSE: Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a useful tool that can be used to tailor lessons to suit the uniqueness of students with learning disabilities/difficulties (LD). While discussions on ways to incorporate AI in education are ongoing, its utilization to support the teaching of students with LDs is unresearched in the United Arab Emirates. Globally, students with LDs constitute the largest minority group in classrooms in regular schools. However, research on teachers' intention and pedagogical content towards the use of AI to support students with LDs is scarce. The current study was guided by a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and technological pedagogical content knowledge to explore the relationship between teachers' intention and knowledge toward AI usage among teachers. METHODS: Two hundred forty-four general and special education teachers completed two surveys: the intention towards using AI scale and the AI-TPACK scale. The scales were validated before the research questions were answered. The data were analysed via multivariate analysis of variance, correlation and hierarchical regression. RESULTS: The instruments yielded appropriate fit indices, and a relationship was found between AI-behavioural intentions and AI-TPACK. Only one component of AI-TPACK predicted teachers' AI behavioural intentions. CONCLUSION: The study concludes with suggestions for AI policy and curriculum development. Other implications for the study are discussed in detail.