Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education
Technologies based on artificial intelligence are transforming teaching practices in higher education. However, many university faculty members still face difficulties in incorporating these tools in a critical, ethical, and pedagogically meaningful way. This review addresses the issue of limited ar...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1603763/full |
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| author | Jorge Buele Leonel Llerena-Aguirre |
| author_facet | Jorge Buele Leonel Llerena-Aguirre |
| author_sort | Jorge Buele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Technologies based on artificial intelligence are transforming teaching practices in higher education. However, many university faculty members still face difficulties in incorporating these tools in a critical, ethical, and pedagogically meaningful way. This review addresses the issue of limited artificial intelligence literacy among educators and the main obstacles to its adoption. The objective was to analyze the perceptions, resistance, and training needs of faculty members in the face of the growing presence of artificial intelligence in educational contexts. To this end, a narrative review was conducted, drawing on recent articles from Scopus and other academic sources, prioritizing empirical studies and reviews that explore the relationship between intelligent systems, university teaching, and the transformation of academic work. Out of 757 records initially retrieved, nine empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently examined tools were generative artificial intelligence systems (e.g., ChatGPT), chatbots, and recommendation algorithms. Methodologically, most studies employed survey-based designs and thematic qualitative analysis. The main findings reveal a persistent ambivalence: faculty members acknowledge the usefulness of such technologies, but also express ethical concerns, technical insecurity, and fear of professional displacement. The most common barriers include lack of training, limited institutional support, and the absence of clear policies. A shift in the teaching role is observed, with greater emphasis on mediation, supervision, and critical analysis of output generated by artificial intelligence applications. Additionally, ethical debates are emerging around algorithmic transparency, data privacy, and institutional responsibility. Effective integration in higher education demands not only technical proficiency but also ethical grounding, regulatory support, and critical pedagogical development. This review was registered in Open Science Framework (OSF): 10.17605/OSF.IO/H53TC. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7ec872981533422fa4cd9fbfb0557f95 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-7ec872981533422fa4cd9fbfb0557f952025-08-20T03:29:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-07-011010.3389/feduc.2025.16037631603763Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher educationJorge Buele0Leonel Llerena-Aguirre1Centro de Investigación en Mecatrónica y Sistemas Interactivos (MIST), Facultad de Ingenierías, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato, EcuadorFacultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato, EcuadorTechnologies based on artificial intelligence are transforming teaching practices in higher education. However, many university faculty members still face difficulties in incorporating these tools in a critical, ethical, and pedagogically meaningful way. This review addresses the issue of limited artificial intelligence literacy among educators and the main obstacles to its adoption. The objective was to analyze the perceptions, resistance, and training needs of faculty members in the face of the growing presence of artificial intelligence in educational contexts. To this end, a narrative review was conducted, drawing on recent articles from Scopus and other academic sources, prioritizing empirical studies and reviews that explore the relationship between intelligent systems, university teaching, and the transformation of academic work. Out of 757 records initially retrieved, nine empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently examined tools were generative artificial intelligence systems (e.g., ChatGPT), chatbots, and recommendation algorithms. Methodologically, most studies employed survey-based designs and thematic qualitative analysis. The main findings reveal a persistent ambivalence: faculty members acknowledge the usefulness of such technologies, but also express ethical concerns, technical insecurity, and fear of professional displacement. The most common barriers include lack of training, limited institutional support, and the absence of clear policies. A shift in the teaching role is observed, with greater emphasis on mediation, supervision, and critical analysis of output generated by artificial intelligence applications. Additionally, ethical debates are emerging around algorithmic transparency, data privacy, and institutional responsibility. Effective integration in higher education demands not only technical proficiency but also ethical grounding, regulatory support, and critical pedagogical development. This review was registered in Open Science Framework (OSF): 10.17605/OSF.IO/H53TC.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1603763/fullartificial intelligencehigher educationuniversity teachingfaculty perceptionsdigital literacy |
| spellingShingle | Jorge Buele Leonel Llerena-Aguirre Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education Frontiers in Education artificial intelligence higher education university teaching faculty perceptions digital literacy |
| title | Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education |
| title_full | Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education |
| title_fullStr | Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education |
| title_short | Transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education |
| title_sort | transformations in academic work and faculty perceptions of artificial intelligence in higher education |
| topic | artificial intelligence higher education university teaching faculty perceptions digital literacy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1603763/full |
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