Inclusive education and digital tools: exploring the pedagogical potential of ChatGPT in teaching students with learning disabilities

Considering the sensitive nature of the material, Islamic studies education is still provided with traditional pedagogies. In the current tech-driven era, the objective of the current study was to explore mainstream teachers’ perceptions of using ChatGPT as a pedagogical support in teaching Islamic Studies to Grade 8 students with learning disabilities in Pakistan. The study was guided by a phenomenological design. The participants were 10 elementary-level teachers with experience teaching Islamic Studies in inclusive classrooms. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the thematic data analysis technique. The findings revealed that teachers believed that ChatGPT is a valuable tool for simplifying complex religious concepts, enhancing engagement, and generating relatable, real-life examples and stories that supported students with learning disabilities, contributing to the goals of inclusive education in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4. However, teachers also expressed concerns about inaccuracies, cultural mismatches, and the risk of misalignment with Islamic values. They emphasized the necessity of teacher supervision to validate and adapt ChatGPT’s outputs. The study concludes that ChatGPT has significant potential to support inclusive Islamic education but requires careful and human-supervised use. The study had significant implications for practice, policy, and research, highlighting the importance of ChatGPT-supported religious education.