Comparing the critical thinking skills and perceptions and awareness of artificial intelligence usage in English lessons of pre-service and in-service English teachers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) started to gain attention in many areas of life including education, and this study investigates the perceptions of pre-service and in-service English Language teachers about the usage of AI tools in their lessons along with their awareness levels regarding AI usage and their Critical Thinking (CT) skills. A mixed-method approach was used by combining quantitative surveys and qualitative open-ended questions, and data was collected from 211 participants. The results revealed that in-service teachers displayed higher consistency between their awareness levels and perceptions of AI than the pre-service teachers whose opinions were rather contradictory. Moreover, a statistically significant but weak correlation was found between the CT skills and awareness of AI tools of teachers. Teachers with higher CT skills were more cautious regarding the use of AI in their lessons. The findings also revealed that AI tools were considered beneficial for lesson planning and active participation of the students, but concerns regarding the ethical use and over-reliance risks were not forgotten by the participants. The study highlights the necessity of teacher training to improve CT skills and AI literacy regardless of the teaching status of the teachers so that AI tools can be used effectively and ethically in the field of ELT.