Personalized learning material development and generative AI in primary teacher education: Practices and perspectives of teacher educators

Abstract

While GenAI holds significant potential to support personalized learning, its use also entails certain risks. However, studies investigating the practices and perspectives of teacher educators regarding the use of GenAI in developing learning materials remain limited. This study aims to explore teacher educators' practices in developing personalized learning materials, including their use of GenAI in the process. Additionally, it seeks to uncover their perspectives on using GenAI to support the development of learning materials. Employing a convergent mixed-methods design, the study involved 23 educators from four Indonesian universities. Quantitative and qualitative data collected via an online questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis, respectively. The study found that the teacher educators demonstrated a high level of personalization in their learning materials, although they tended to favor static materials. Furthermore, most participants held positive views regarding the use of GenAI for developing learning materials, even though their actual usage remained at a moderate level. The teacher educators also recognized GenAI’s potential to improve development efficiency and the importance of using it responsibly and critically. Future research should focus on developing practical guidelines and enhancing teacher educators’ competencies in using GenAI to support personalized learning material development.