Mapping Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Generative AI

Unlike traditional AI, which primarily analyzes or predicts, generative AI can generate original responses, simulate human-like conversations, and produce creative outputs, making it a powerful tool in education for tasks like content generation, automated tutoring, and research assistance.

However, integrating generative AI in educational settings brings challenges related to AI literacy, trust, ethics, and institutional policies. Students and educators need to understand how to use AI responsibly, as AI-generated content may sometimes include inaccuracies or biases. Additionally, concerns around plagiarism, misinformation, and academic integrity highlight the ethical implications of using AI in education. To fully harness the benefits of generative AI while maintaining education standards, institutions need to establish clear policies and guidelines to regulate its use educational settings.

To explore students’ and teachers’ perceptions of Generative AI, a research team from Education and Learning Sciences (ELS) consisting of Omid Noroozi, Nafiseh Taghizadeh Kerman, Harm Biemans, Perry den Brok, and Kazem Banihashem conducted an online survey study, funded by the 4TU Centre for Engineering Education (4TU.CEE) at Wageningen University & Research. A total of 942 students and 390 teachers participated in the survey; however, for the final analysis, only complete responses were considered, resulting in a dataset of 764 students and 302 teachers. The study revealed some interesting findings and highlights.

Students’ AI Engagement and Literacy

• While many students said they were eager to use AI, their knowledge and application of AI tools varied significantly
• Students generally perceived themselves as ethically aware but often indicated to lack of technical understanding of AI?
• Some students reported actively using AI tools like ChatGPT for education purposes, while others remained cautious due to concerns about misinformation and trust
• The findings highlighted a strong need for AI literacy programs, institutional support, and clear guidelines to promote responsible AI use

Teachers’ AI Awareness and Challenges

• Educators were strongly aware of AI ethics, yet they indicated that their usage of AI in teaching was limited
• Some teachers indicated to integrate AI into their course materials, but many struggled with how to use AI effectively for student-centered learning
• A major challenge reported by teachers was the lack of clear institutional policies and structured AI training programs for educators
• Teachers emphasized the need for discipline-specific AI support and collaborative initiatives to develop effective AI-driven teaching strategies

Next Steps for AI Integration in Education

• Developing AI Literacy Programs → Developing structured training for both students and educators to improve AI understanding and application in education
• Establishing Clear Institutional Policies → Providing well-defined guidelines and ethical frameworks for AI adoption in educational settings
• Encouraging Interdisciplinary Collaboration → Creating opportunities for educators to co-develop AI-driven learning strategies

More information about the project and detailed results are available in the PPT slides.

WUR at the Age of GenAI - Student Results Survey PPT
WUR at the Age of GenAI - Teachers Results Survey PPT

For more details or to share your insights, don't hesitate to get in touch with omid.noroozi@wur.nl.

Project team:
Omid Noroozi, Nafiseh Taghizadeh Kerman, Harm Biemans, Perry den Brok, Kazem Banihashem