Abstract:

Introduction:
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is advancing rapidly and influencing a variety of fields globally. Tools like ChatGPT have made GenAI accessible and easy to use. The advent of ChatGPT has transformed education. Universities, being pivotal in innovation and research, are significantly impacted by the development of GenAI, affecting both students and teachers. However, it is not clear whether this impact is predominantly positive, negative, or a mix of both. This study aimed to explore university teachers' perceptions of GenAI and its application in education. 

Methodology:
We conducted a cross-sectional survey among educators at a public research university in the Netherlands. Data was collected from 123 teachers between April and May 2024. The survey included questions about teachers' knowledge of ChatGPT, their expertise with the tool, and how they incorporate it into their courses. We used a 5-point Likert scale to measure the level of agreement with the statements, ranging from “strongly disagree” (1) to “strongly agree” (5). Additionally, we collected demographic information such as gender, faculty affiliation, and tenure to determine if these factors influenced their perception of the tool. We categorized the years of experience into three categories (1: less than 5 years, 2: 5 to 10 years, and 3: more than 10 years). We analyzed whether there was a difference in teacher’s attitudes towards AI according to years of experience using one-way ANOVA.

Results:
The participants came from eleven different faculties, 51% were male, 44% female and 5% non-binary or other gender. Around 78% of them concentrated around 26 and 50 years old. Most respondents had a positive attitude towards the use of ChatGPT in the educational context (3.7 ± 0.9 points) We observed that teachers with less years of experience had a trend to have more knowledge about how to use ChatGPT (p=0.062), easier learning process about ChatGPT (p = 0.005), and found ChatGPT easy to use (p=0.023) compared to teachers with more years of experience.

Conclusion:
The findings indicate a positive teacher’s attitude towards the use of tools like ChatGPT in educational institutions, and slightly less barriers for teachers with less years of experience compared to teachers with more years of experience. This study provides evidence that teachers are open and willing to adopt GenAI in their work.

Keywords:

Generative AI, ChatGPT, Higher education, University Teachers .