Factors Affecting Faculty Members’ Readiness to Integrate Artificial Intelligence into Their Teaching Practices: A Study from the Saudi Higher Education Context

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for about three decades. However, use of AI in pedagogy on a large scale and examination of its impact on teaching practices in higher education are under-researched topics. This study examined the readiness of 465 faculty members at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia to integrate AI into their teaching practices as well as the factors influencing that readiness. A 46-item online survey was used to collect data. The results show that the respondents demonstrated an average readiness to integrate AI into their teaching (M = 3.40, SD = 0.841). Statistically significant correlations were found at the 0.01 significance level between faculty members’ readiness to incorporate AI into teaching and the perceived benefit of AI in higher education and teaching; attitudes towards AI; behavioral intentions to use AI; and facilitative conditions for AI use. Significant differences were found at the 0.05 significance level regarding faculty members’ readiness to integrate AI into their teaching according to gender, age, and teaching experience. However, no statistically significant differences were found at the 0.05 significance level in terms of faculty members’ readiness to integrate AI into their teaching according to college type or academic rank. Thus, it is recommended that faculty members’ readiness to integrate AI and their knowledge of and skills concerning AI and how to use it to improve educational institution outcomes be enhanced.