Abstract:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most important topics in our times (Tegmark, 2017). Nearly every part of post-industrial societies is affected by its transforming character, so it is with universities and schools. On the upper level two main dimensions can be identified for the educational system: (A) application of AI and (B) critical reflections on AI. On the one hand teachers can use AI within applications for their classes as a tool (Zawacki-Richter et. al., 2019; Holmes, 2019) or they can discuss AI as a topic for critical and productive reflections (Zuboff, 2019). Currently both is facultative in the German school system and AI is still not implemented as a mandatory issue. AI-Use and AI-Presentation in classes still depend on teachers’ personalities and special interest in technology and digitalization. The aspect of digitalization is additionally special in times of the SARS-COV-II pandemic (Tobinski & Cyra, 2021). An explorative study (N =72) has been conducted to analyze this important aspect under the assumption of a five-factor model (FFM) of personality. Therefor two simple AI-rating-items and eight Digitalization-rating-items have been combined with the two ultra short scales Big Five Inventory (BFI-10) and Affinity for Technology Interaction (ATI-S). Teachers interest in digitalization has been significantly increased, t(72) = -9.1, p < .001 , today (M = 3.45 , SD = .71 ) compared to former days (M = 2.82 , SD = .77 ). While the ATI-S is predicting AI as a topic to reflect on(F(1,71) = 4.335, p < .05),with an R2 of .06 , the BFI-10 predicts AI as a topic to reflect on (F(5,67) = 3.232, p < .01), with an R2 of .19. The dimension AI as a tool is predicted by the ATI-S (F(1,71) = 6.411, p < .01) with an R2 of .08 and by the BFI-10 (F(5,67) = 2.503, p < .05) with an R2 of .16. These results of the Big Five Inventory are promising candidates for further latent profile analysis around teachers relation to artificial intelligence.

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence, Interest, Personality, School Teachers.