The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Teacher Professional Development through Professional Learning Communities: Opportunities, Challenges, and Implications for School Performance

Abstract

This study explored the opportunities, challenges and implications of implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Teacher Professional Development (TPD) with the support of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on school performance in selected public universities of Pakistan. The quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was used and the study approach was cross sectional survey. The study was conducted with the faculty members and educational leaders of Air University Islamabad, National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University (PMAS-AAUR). Information was gathered through a structured questionnaire that assessed the use of AI in PLCs, teacher professional learning and school performance. IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29 was used to analyze data through descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, simple linear regression, multiple regression and one-way ANOVA. The results demonstrated that teachers’ use of AI is high in three areas: Professional Learning Communities (M = 4.20, SD = 0.61), teacher professional development (M = 4.23, SD = 0.61), and school performance (M = 4.25, SD = 0.58). The correlation between the use of AI and teacher professional development was strong (r = .812, p < .001), as was the correlation between the use of AI and school performance (r = .774, p < .001), and between teacher professional development and school performance (r = .835, p < .001). Regression analyses showed that the use of AI significantly predicted teacher professional development, and that along with professional development accounted for a significant amount of variation in school performance. The study finds that using AI in PLCs has a positive impact on teachers' professional development, and ultimately on the performance of the institution. The results offer important implications for those in education leadership and policymaking roles who are looking to enhance the integration of AI in higher education.