Perceptions and Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence in Science Education Programmes: Voices of Pre-Service Science Teachers

Synthesis: Amponsah et al. (2026) examine pre-service science teachers' perceptions, acceptance, and use of artificial intelligence in science education programmes in Ghana, guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Drawing on questionnaire data from 380 pre-service science teachers, they find generally positive perceptions of AI — with participants recognizing its potential to improve teaching — favorable effort expectancy, and strong behavioural intentions to use AI in future lessons, yet only moderate actual classroom use. ChatGPT emerged as the most widely used tool (69% reported frequent use). The authors conclude that effective AI integration depends on closing the gap between favourable attitudes and actual practice, and on addressing teacher preparation.

Key Findings

1. Pre-service science teachers demonstrated positive attitudes, favourable effort expectancy, and strong behavioural intentions toward AI adoption, but actual classroom use remained moderate — an intention–use gap.
2. Performance expectancy (M = 3.80), attitude, and effort expectancy all scored significantly above the neutral midpoint on one-sample t-tests, indicating a meaningful positive trend.
3. ChatGPT was the most widely used AI tool, with 69% of respondents reporting frequent use; a small share reported never having used AI.
4. Social influence was comparatively weaker (M = 3.66), suggesting some hesitation in fully advocating AI use among peers.
5. The study used UTAUT and Theory of Planned Behaviour as a combined lens, and reports reliability/validity metrics (Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability above 0.70).

Discussion

The study extends the technology adoption literature to the Ghanaian science-education context, where teacher readiness and perceptions are decisive for successful educational-technology implementation. Its contribution is to foreground the gap between favourable attitudes and moderate actual use — a finding that complicates simple "acceptance" narratives and points to teacher competency and institutional support as the real levers for AI integration. For the knowledge base, it connects teacher education, AI literacy, and technology-adoption theory, and reinforces the recurring theme that initial teacher enthusiasm must be matched by sustained professional development and facilitating conditions to translate into classroom practice.

Connected Concepts

• science education
• Teacher Education
• Technology Acceptance Model
• AI Literacy
• Higher Ed
• Global South
• Teacher AI Competency
• Teacher Role
• Generative AI

Connected Articles

• Technology Acceptance Model — Technology Adoption Models
• Crompton Faculty Technology Integration Standards 2026 — Faculty Technology Integration Standards
• Espino AI Business Education Review 2026 — AI in Business Education Review
• GenAI Pd AI Pck Learning Gain 2026 — GenAI Professional Development and AI-PCK

Citation

Amponsah, K. D., Adu-Boahen, J., Commey-Mintah, P., Kumassah, E. K., Ayittey, R. F., & Nketsiah, J. (2026). Perceptions and Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence in Science Education Programmes: Voices of Pre-Service Science Teachers. Education Quarterly Reviews, 9(3), 51–65. DOI: 10.31014/aior.1993.09.03.724.