Teaching in the Age of AI.

Mapping Pre-service Special Education Teachers’ Orientations Between Resistance and

Fascination

Autors

Enza Manila Raimondo; Concettina Caparello; Marinella Muscarà.

Abstract

The rapid diffusion and growing pervasiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational settings is redefining the professional landscape in which teachers construct their identities and guide their teaching practices. Against this backdrop, this study presents the results of an exploratory survey aimed at examining aspiring special education teachers’ attitudes toward AI in the teaching-learning     process.

Using an exploratory quantitative design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to a cohort of students enrolled in initial special education programs. The instrument investigated perceived usefulness and ease of use, along with attitudes, representations, and dispositions toward AI, with specific reference to its integration into teaching. The results paint a complex picture, in which participants’ positions oscillate between fear of a loss of professional centrality and recognition of the pedagogical potential of automation. The study contributes to the debate on initial teacher training, highlighting the need for programs capable of supporting a critical, informed, and situated use of AI in inclusive educational contexts.

Keywords

Teacher education; Artificial intelligence in education; Special education teachers.

Bibliografia

Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340.

Khan, M. A., & Alharbi, A. S. (2025). The impact of artificial intelligence on inclusive education: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 15(5), 539. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050539 Panciroli, C., Rivoltella, P.C. (2023). Pedagogiaalgoritmica. Per una riflessione educativa sull’intelligenza Artificiale. Brescia: Scholè.

Perla, L., Fabris, A. (2025). Insegnare con l’intelligenza artificiale. Brescia: Scholè.

Ponomarenko, E. B., Sergeeva, O. V., Zheltukhina, M. R., Baranova, K. M., Budkevich, R. L., & Melnik, M. V. (2026). Examining the use of artificial intelligence in pre-service teacher education. Contemporary              Educational     Technology,         18(2),  Article ep650. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/18458