Generative AI as a Learning Buddy and Teaching Assistant: Pre-service Teachers' Uses and Attitudes

GenAI adoption increases significantly with academic progression: Pre-service teachers in their third and fourth years used GenAI substantially more frequently than those in earlier years, suggesting that experience and confidence with the tool grows as students advance in their programs.

GenAI serves dual roles in teacher education: The study found that pre-service teachers use GenAI both as a personal learning tool (finding reading materials and explanations) and as a professional tool for teaching tasks (lesson planning, creating assessments, and developing learning objectives), indicating its potential to support both student and future teacher development.

Gender does not determine GenAI adoption, but context matters: While gender was not a significant factor in whether pre-service teachers used GenAI, the study was conducted in Ghana where infrastructural barriers like limited internet access and high data costs create real obstacles—highlighting that responsible AI implementation must account for global inequalities in technology access.

Pre-service teachers value GenAI's support for independence: Participants reported positive attitudes toward GenAI because it enabled autonomous learning and reduced their dependence on peers and instructors for routine tasks, suggesting the tool could help address resource constraints in under-resourced educational settings.

Accuracy and academic integrity concerns require attention: Despite positive attitudes, participants identified concerns about occasional inaccuracies in GenAI outputs and worries about academic dishonesty, indicating that responsible deployment requires clear guidelines and institutional policies around appropriate use.