Determination of preschool teacher candidates views on artificial intelligence applications

The aim of this study is to determine pre-service preschool teachers' attitudes towards artificial intelligence applications and their views on these technologies. The study was conducted using a mixed design including quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Quantitative data were collected with the "Artificial Intelligence Applications Attitude Scale" developed by the researcher and consisting of 20 items, while qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interview questions. In the quantitative part of the study, 725 pre-service preschool teachers studying at state universities in different regions of Turkey were sampled. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA test were used to analyze the data. Quantitative findings showed that female pre-service teachers had more positive attitudes towards AI practices than male pre-service teachers and there was no significant difference between grade levels. However, significant differences were found between the regions and it was determined that the attitudes of the pre-service teachers in Eastern Anatolia and Black Sea regions were more positive than the other regions. In the qualitative part, the data obtained from interviews with 120 pre-service teachers were analyzed by thematic analysis method. The findings revealed pre-service teachers' positive and negative attitudes towards AI technologies, their level of competence and their concerns about the use of these technologies in education. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that comprehensive training programs should be organized for pre-service teachers, technological infrastructure should be improved and teachers' awareness of AI technologies should be increased for the effective use of AI technologies in education. In addition, providing guidance on ethical and security issues and providing educational materials and support resources will enable these technologies to be used more widely and effectively in education.