Pedagogy professors’ perspectives on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Academic work

Abstract

The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the educational context has generated debates about its impact on academic work. This study addresses the research question: how do pedagogy professors guide their students on the use of AI in academic work, and what challenges and strategies emerge from this process? The objective of this study is to understand the perceptions of education professors regarding the use of AI in academic work, considering the possible benefits and concerns. This qualitative case study used an online questionnaire administered to 22 professors from a public university in Ceará, exploring their views on AI and their use of the technology. The data were analyzed using Bardin’s (1997) content analysis technique. The results indicate that, even though many professors recognize the potential of AI to optimize academic processes, there are significant concerns regarding originality, ethics, and the impact on students’ critical thinking. The lack of specific training and the absence of clear institutional guidelines emerge as the main obstacles to the effective adoption of AI in higher education. It can facilitate the personalization of teaching and the automation of tasks, but ethical and pedagogical challenges stand out, requiring greater faculty preparation. There is a need for institutional policies aimed at training professors to promote the critical and responsible implementation of AI in teaching. Finally, it is also recommended to study AI tools and adopt active methods and debates on ethics and authorship, promoting the conscious use of this technology.