Do Innovative Teachers use AI-powered Tools More Interactively? A Study in the Context of Diffusion of Innovation Theory.

The aim of this study is to examine the integration of AI-powered tools into the lessons in the context of the diffusion of innovation theory. One of the main features of AI-powered tools is that they provide personalized results or feedback. For this reason, it is important for students to experience these tools in person, that is, to interact with them, for their appropriate/accurate use in lessons. According to the diffusion of innovation theory, individuals with high levels of individual innovativeness are more likely to adapt to and use new applications or technologies than other individuals. In this context, we conducted a case study of pre-service teachers who have not received artificial intelligence education before, in order to investigate the purpose of using AI-powered tools while integrating them into their lessons, their status of providing interaction, and the change in their views on artificial intelligence according to the diffusion of innovation theory. We conducted/implemented the research with 3 AI-powered music applications developed by Google arts and Culture with the participation of 32 pre-service teachers. After explaining the features of the related applications to the pre-service teachers, we asked them to prepare lesson plans for each application. According to the results obtained, it was seen that the individual innovativeness scores of pre-service teachers differed significantly according to the level of providing interaction of ai supported tools with students in their lesson plans (X2(df = 3, n = 32) = 7,98; p <.05) and the effect size (.60) was also high. In other words, as the innovativeness levels of pre-service teachers increase, they use aipowered tools interactively with students in their lessons. According to the other results obtained in the study, there was a change in the pre-service teachers' views on artificial intelligence before and after the implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]