Preservice Mathematics Teachers’ Reflections on AI-Enhanced Lesson Exemplars for Promoting Environmental Stewardship

Amid growing calls for sustainability education and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools, this study explores how preservice mathematics teachers reflect on the integration of AI tools in designing lesson exemplars that promote environmental stewardship. Anchored on reflective practice and contextual pedagogy, the study employed a qualitative approach through document and thematic analysis of group reflection journals written by fourth-year Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics students enrolled in an Environmental Science course. Their culminating task was to co-design AI-enhanced mathematics lesson exemplars with embedded environmental concepts such as climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and sustainable practices. The results revealed three key insights. First, preservice teachers employed diverse pedagogical strategies such as real-world contextualization, problem-based learning, and interactive tools, while aligning mathematical content (e.g., statistics, rational numbers, probability) with environmental themes. Second, reflections underscored AI’s utility in content planning, generating ideas, and enhancing lesson efficiency, while emphasizing the need for localization, simplification, and ethical judgment. Third, challenges included adapting AI-generated materials to suit learners’ contexts and ensuring the appropriateness and cultural relevance of examples. Participants demonstrated increasing awareness of ethical AI use and environmental responsibility. The study highlights the value of integrating interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused approaches in mathematics education through AI-supported lesson design. It also offers practical implications for teacher education programs to embed AI literacy, environmental education, and reflective pedagogy in preservice training. In doing so, the study contributes to the growing discourse on future-ready, ethically grounded, and socially responsive teacher preparation.