TY - JOUR

T1 - School leaders’ expectations of AI’s impact on students and teachers

T2 - Insights from ICILS 2023

AU - Eryilmaz, Nurullah

AU - Mah, Dana-Kristin

AU - Bellibaş, Mehmet Şükrü

AU - Pietsch, Marcus

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

PY - 2025/12/8

Y1 - 2025/12/8

N2 - This study examines how principals perceive the potential benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) for students’ learning and teachers’ work across 12 countries, utilizing data from the 2023 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS 2023). We utilized latent network models, which allow for a flexible, network-based understanding of latent constructs, to examine the structural relationships between variables related to principals’ perceptions of AI. The findings revealed that while many school leaders recognize AI's potential to enhance student engagement and support teaching, they also express worries about its impact on academic integrity, teacher workload, and instructional practices. Those who view AI as beneficial for students tend to see similar advantages for teachers, whereas concerns about increased workload often accompany negative perceptions of AI's role in education. These insights emphasize the importance of developing balanced AI integration strategies that optimize benefits while mitigating potential challenges for educators. We suggest that policymakers design professional learning opportunities for school leaders that address both the benefits and effective integration of AI in teaching and learning, as well as strategies to mitigate potential negative consequences, such as increased workload or unethical use (e.g. cheating).

AB - This study examines how principals perceive the potential benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) for students’ learning and teachers’ work across 12 countries, utilizing data from the 2023 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS 2023). We utilized latent network models, which allow for a flexible, network-based understanding of latent constructs, to examine the structural relationships between variables related to principals’ perceptions of AI. The findings revealed that while many school leaders recognize AI's potential to enhance student engagement and support teaching, they also express worries about its impact on academic integrity, teacher workload, and instructional practices. Those who view AI as beneficial for students tend to see similar advantages for teachers, whereas concerns about increased workload often accompany negative perceptions of AI's role in education. These insights emphasize the importance of developing balanced AI integration strategies that optimize benefits while mitigating potential challenges for educators. We suggest that policymakers design professional learning opportunities for school leaders that address both the benefits and effective integration of AI in teaching and learning, as well as strategies to mitigate potential negative consequences, such as increased workload or unethical use (e.g. cheating).

KW - AIintegration

KW - ChatGPT

KW - ICILS 2023

KW - artificial intelligence in education

KW - digital literacy

KW - latent network models (LNMs)

KW - school leadership

KW - teacher workload

KW - Educational science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105024209837&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/17411432251401487

DO - 10.1177/17411432251401487

M3 - Journal articles

JO - Educational Management Administration and Leadership

JF - Educational Management Administration and Leadership

SN - 1741-1432

ER -