TEACHERS 50+ AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – NOTES FROM PILOT STUDIES

Abstract

Background: This article presents the empirical findings of an exploratory pilot study investigating the attitudes of senior pedagogical staff (aged 50 and above, conceptualized as the "digital immigrant" cohort) toward the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in educational environments. Contextualized within the demographic shift of an aging teaching workforce and the concurrent challenges of hyper-digitization.  Methods: The study assessed the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of these attitudes utilizing the Attitudes Towards AI in Education Scale (SPAI-E) on a sample of 88 practitioners. Results: The data reveal a predominantly neutral attitudinal stance, marginally skewed toward skepticism, accompanied by significant intragenerational variance; notably, educators over the age of 60 exhibit a more pronounced conservative disposition compared to the 50–59 demographic. Notwithstanding the presence of cognitive and affective barriers, such as technostress, the subjects demonstrate an elevated behavioral readiness to engage in practical applications and professional development. Conclusion: The findings underscore the pragmatic orientation of senior educators, concluding that the optimal integration of AI necessitates targeted institutional scaffolding aimed at cultivating digital resilience.