Investigation of Artificial Intelligence Awareness Levels of Special Education Teachers

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 1, 1 - 16, 28.06.2025

Ahmet Yalçın Hocaoğlu

https://doi.org/10.47156/jide.1638417

Öz

This study aims to examine the knowledge and awareness levels of special education teachers about artificial intelligence (AI). The increasing use of AI in the field of education has made it important to understand teachers' attitudes towards this technology and their skills in using it. In the study, teachers' AI awareness was evaluated within the framework of factors such as gender, age and professional experience. The study was conducted using the relational survey method and was conducted with 153 special education teachers. In the data collection process, tools such as “Artificial Intelligence Awareness Level Scale for Teachers” and “Personal Information Form” were utilized. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 software. The findings show that the awareness levels of special education teachers about AI are generally at the middle-high level. Although the teachers' theoretical and practical knowledge levels are high, they have a more limited knowledge about how to integrate AI into educational processes. The comparison by gender revealed that male teachers had higher AI awareness than female teachers. Analysis of the age factor determined that teachers aged 50 and over had higher theoretical knowledge levels. However, no significant difference was found according to the duration of professional experience. The study draws attention to the necessity of professional development programs to increase teachers' knowledge and awareness of AI. In particular, it is emphasized that applied trainings on how AI can be used effectively in education are important. Such trainings can contribute to teachers' better understanding of AI and more effective use of it in classroom processes.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Artificial Intelligence , Artificial Intelligence Awareness , Special Education , Special Education Teaching

Özel Eğitim Öğretmenlerinin Yapay Zeka Farkındalık Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi

Öz

Bu çalışma, özel eğitim öğretmenlerinin yapay zeka (YZ) konusundaki bilgi ve farkındalık düzeylerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. YZ’nin eğitim alanında giderek daha fazla yer alması, öğretmenlerin bu teknolojiye yönelik tutumlarını ve kullanım becerilerini anlamayı önemli hale getirmiştir. Araştırmada, öğretmenlerin YZ farkındalıkları; cinsiyet, yaş ve mesleki deneyim gibi faktörler çerçevesinde değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma, ilişkisel tarama yöntemi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiş ve 153 özel eğitim öğretmeni ile yürütülmüştür. Veri toplama sürecinde “Öğretmenler İçin Yapay Zeka Farkındalık Düzeyi Ölçeği” ve “Kişisel Bilgi Formu” kullanılmıştır. Toplanan veriler, SPSS 27.0 programı aracılığıyla analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, özel eğitim öğretmenlerinin YZ konusundaki farkındalık düzeylerinin genel olarak orta-üst seviyede olduğunu göstermektedir. Öğretmenlerin teorik ve pratik bilgi düzeyleri yüksek olmakla birlikte, YZ’nin eğitim süreçlerine nasıl entegre edileceği konusunda daha sınırlı bir bilgiye sahip oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Cinsiyet açısından yapılan karşılaştırmada, erkek öğretmenlerin YZ farkındalıklarının kadın öğretmenlere kıyasla daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Yaş faktörü incelendiğinde, 50 yaş ve üzerindeki öğretmenlerin teorik bilgi düzeylerinin daha fazla olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bununla birlikte, mesleki deneyim süresine göre anlamlı bir farklılık tespit edilmemiştir. Çalışma, öğretmenlerin YZ konusundaki bilgi ve farkındalıklarını artırmaya yönelik mesleki gelişim programlarının gerekliliğine dikkat çekmektedir. Özellikle YZ’nin eğitimde etkili bir şekilde nasıl kullanılabileceğine dair uygulamalı eğitimlerin önemli olduğu vurgulanmaktadır. Bu tür eğitimler, öğretmenlerin YZ’yi daha iyi anlamalarına ve sınıf içi süreçlerde daha etkin bir şekilde kullanmalarına katkı sağlayabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Yapay Zeka , Yapay Zeka Farkındalığı , Özel Eğitim , Özel Eğitim Öğretmenliği

Kaynakça

• Akkol, S., & Balkan, Z. E. (2024). Yapay zekânın ilkokul öğretmenleri tarafından kullanımı: 50 öğretmen üzerinde uygulama. Social Sciences Studies Journal (SSSJournal), 10(10), 1754–1770.
• Alsudairy, N. A., & Eltantawy, M. M. (2024). Special education teachers' perceptions of using artificial intelligence in educating students with disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment, 12, 92–102.
• Armutat, S., Wattenberg, M., & Mauritz, N. (2024). Artificial intelligence–gender-specific differences in perception, understanding, and training interest. In International Conference on Gender Research (Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 36–43).
• Ayanwale, M. A., Sanusi, I. T., Adelana, O. P., Aruleba, K. D., & Oyelere, S. S. (2022). Teachers’ readiness and intention to teach artificial intelligence in schools. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100099
• Chang, C. Y., & Hwang, G. J. (2018). Trends of mobile technology-enhanced medical education: A review of journal publications from 1998 to 2016. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 12(4), 373. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMLO.2018.095153
• Drigas, A., & Rodi, E. I. (2013). Special education and ICTs. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 8(2), 41–47.
• Erkuş, A. (2017). Davranış bilimleri için bilimsel araştırma süreci. Seçkin.
• Ferikoğlu, D., & Akgün, E. (2022). An ınvestigation of teachers’ artificial intelligence awareness: A scale development study. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(3), 215–231. https://doi.org/10.52380/mojet.2022.10.3.407
• Güneyli, A., Burgul, N. S., Dericioğlu, S., Cenkova, N., Becan, S., Şimşek, Ş. E., & Güneralp, H. (2024). Exploring teacher awareness of artificial intelligence in education: A case study from Northern Cyprus. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 14(8), 2358–2373.
• Han, X., Hu, L., Han, D., Peng, Y., Wang, Y., Yan, C., & Wang, Z. (2022). Research on the application of artificial intelligence in special education. In International Conference on Social Science, Education and Management.
• Herman, D. (2024). The end of high-school English. The Atlantic, 9. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/openai-chatgpt-writing-high-school-english-essay/672412/
• Hopcan, S., Polat, E., Ozturk, M. E., & Ozturk, L. (2023). Artificial intelligence in special education: A systematic review. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(10), 7335–7353.
• Iriti, J., Bickel, W., Schunn, C., & Stein, M. K. (2016). Maximizing research and development resources: Identifying and testing “load-bearing conditions” for educational technology innovations. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(2), 245–262.
• Karasar, N. (2012). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi. Ankara: Nobel Yayın Dağıtım.
• Kim, D. K., & Woo, J. H. (2024). Analysis of special education teachers’ interest in artificial intelligence education. Learner-Centered Curriculum Education Research, 24(17), 833–852.
• Koka, N., Khan, M., Ahmad, J., Aftab, S., & Wahab, M. (2024). Gender dynamics in digital classroom; measuring artificial intelligence (AI) acceptance and integration by senior lecturers in foreign language instruction. Archives des Sciences, 74(5). https://doi.org/10.62227/as/74506
• Kovačević, A., & Demic, E. (2024). The impact of gender, seniority, knowledge, and interest on attitudes to artificial intelligence. IEEE Access, 12, 129765–129775. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3454801
• Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M., & Forcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence unleashed: An argument for AI in education. Pearson.
• Marino, M. T., Vasquez, E., Dieker, L., Basham, J., & Blackorby, J. (2023). The future of artificial intelligence in special education technology. Journal of Special Education Technology, 38(3), 404–416.
• Mercer, N., Hennessy, S., & Warwick, P. (2019). Dialogue, thinking together and digital technology in the classroom: Some educational implications of a continuing line of inquiry. International Journal of Educational Research, 97, 187–199.
• Moravec, V., Hynek, N., Gavurova, B., & Kubak, M. (2024). Everyday artificial intelligence unveiled: Societal awareness of technological transformation. Oeconomia Copernicana, 15(2), 367–406.
• Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Su, M. J., Yim, I. H. Y., Qiao, M. S., & Chu, S. K. W. (2023). AI literacy in K-16 classrooms. Springer International Publishing.
• Nyaaba, M., Kyeremeh, P., Majialuwe, E. K., Owusu-Fordjour, C., Asebiga, E., & Barnabas, A. (2024). Generative AI in academic research: A descriptive study on awareness, gender usage, and views among pre-service teachers. Journal of AI, 8(1), 45–60.
• Pedro, F., Subosa, M., Rivas, A., & Valverde, P. (2019). Artificial intelligence in education: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000366994
• Raja, R., & Nagasubramani, P. C. (2018). Impact of modern technology in education. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(1), 33–35.
• Russell, S. J., & Norvig, P. (2016). Artificial intelligence: A modern approach. Pearson.
• Sajjad, N., Batool, S., & Amjad, F. (2025). Utilizing artificial intelligence to improve teachers’ knowledge and instructional strategies in special education setting. Journal of Social Sciences Research & Policy (JSSRP), 3(1), 153–164.
• Smith, B., & Shum, H. (2018). The future computed: Artificial intelligence and its role in society. Microsoft Corporation.
• Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2021). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.
• Uygun, D., Aktaş, I., Duygulu, İ., & Köseer, N. (2024). Exploring teachers' artificial intelligence awareness. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 4(2), 1093–1104.
• Vartiainen, H., Tedre, M., & Valtonen, T. (2020). Learning machine learning with very young children: Who is teaching whom? International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 25, 100182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2020.100182