Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools in Education and Teachers’ Preparation Strategies in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State

Recently, there has been an increase in studies on the integration of artificial intelligence in educational service delivery. Many scholars believe that the role of teachers will change. They need to be prepared for AI-powered education. For this investigation, a descriptive survey research design was adopted. The principals and teachers in the 274 public senior secondary schools in Rivers State formed the population. Using the stratified random sampling technique, a sample of 407 respondents (69 principals and 338 teachers) was drawn. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Data was collected with the aid of a questionnaire tagged, “Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Education and Teachers Preparation Strategies Questionnaire”. The instrument, which has 16 items, was well validated by research experts, and using Cronbach's Alpha, the calculated reliability coefficient was 0.83, indicating that it was reliable. Mean, mean set, and standard deviation were used to analyse the research questions, while the z-test was used to test the hypotheses. Results of the study showed that AI can be used to improve learning outcomes by reducing teachers’ workload, providing personalized education to learners, and enhancing accessibility of education. On the other hand, teachers appear not to be prepared for AI-enabled classrooms. They need Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy and professional development. From the results of the study, a conclusion was drawn, and the researchers recommended, among others; that Artificial Intelligence (AI) awareness and competency should be increased among teachers through teachers' training courses and professional development programs.