Artificial Intelligence in Education: A New Reality
Artificial intelligence has rapidly gained a foothold in classrooms, where new tools like ChatGPT fascinate and frustrate. While students enthusiastically embrace the technology, many educators feel their professional expertise is under pressure. I refer to this experience of loss and upheaval as professional grief. This concept involves a sense of loss, uncertainty, and perhaps even existential crisis when one's familiar teaching practice is suddenly challenged or even rendered obsolete by technology. What does it mean for the educator's professional identity and pride when ChatGPT can generate assignments, provide feedback, and tailor instruction at least as well as a human? What does it mean for the relationship between teacher and student when AI systems become an invisible but ever-present third party in the classroom? These questions naturally raise concerns and uncertainty for many educators. But they also represent an invitation to rethink and reinvent what it means to be an educator in an age of artificial intelligence. Such an invitation is about navigating professional grief and not fighting against the changes. As an educator, one needs to take a stance on technology and shape it according to our human values and visions for good learning.
I am very aware that the concept of professional grief can be perceived negatively, and I acknowledge that some will resist technological changes and might approve of this negative focus. However, I hope that by exploring the concept through this article series, I can contribute to a deeper understanding of the changes happening throughout our education system. Furthermore, I hope educators, leaders, and education policymakers use this text as a resource to navigate these changes. I encourage them to implement new technologies that respect and support educators' roles and expertise.
Professional Expertise and Identity in Transition
Many fear artificial intelligence will replace educators (Williamson, 2023). Although AI may not likely replace teachers directly, there is a real risk that technology could mechanize many of the tasks currently performed in high school education. Such tasks include everything from the didacticization of teaching and preparation of materials to giving feedback and grades. We are still in the early stages of exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence and have initiated a comprehensive experiment whose outcome we do not yet know. The integration of AI in education represents new territory for all of us, and we are only now building our experience and understanding of how AI can affect and shape the field of education. What does it mean for the educator's professional identity and pride when ChatGPT can generate assignments, provide feedback, and tailor instruction at least as well as a human? What does it mean for the relationship between teacher and student when AI systems become an invisible but ever-present third party in the classroom?
Rapid technological changes have put educators under significant pressure, and the past year and a half has been very different for the entire education sector. There has been a marked increase in IT programs that teachers and students use daily, integrating some form of generative artificial intelligence. In my subject, 'Communication and IT', we are particularly affected by the new technological reality. Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant future scenario but an integrated part of all the programs and tools we use in teaching. However, a significant challenge is that it is not always visible when a program contains artificial intelligence, and it can be difficult for teachers and students to know when it's allowed to use the technology and when it's not.
Currently, I see a lot of experiments going on around high schools, and some are at the forefront of integrating technology into teaching. In contrast, others have closed off to it - it's not because of technology that they became teachers. When we give presentations at high schools around the country, we talk a lot with the teachers and hear about their views on artificial intelligence in teaching, and here, there are many different positions. Both for and against, but there is also an underlying feeling among some that it's as if they have lost something in their professionalism. Soon, the first students and employees in the education system will access Microsoft's Copilot, which integrates artificial intelligence into everyday office programs like Word, Outlook, and Excel. Therefore, we will find it very difficult to avoid using technology in our daily lives, and at some point, it will not be a choice we have to make but rather the way everyone teaches.
I experienced a concrete example of this a little over a year ago. After one of our presentations, the teachers went out into subject groups to try out the technology, and here I experienced an English teacher with tears in her eyes. She had just asked ChatGPT to solve one of her assignments. It succeeded so well that it would have received a 12+ (Note: In the Danish grading system, 12 is the highest grade, equivalent to an A+. A '12+' implies performance beyond even this top grade, emphasizing the exceptional quality of the AI's output). She suddenly felt superfluous and uncertain about her professional value, but she also saw how technology was in the process of diluting her subject. This experience is probably not unique, and many teachers will likely experience similar feelings of loss and uncertainty when AI challenges their competencies and experiences. At the same time, my experience from presentations at high schools is that the humanities subjects, particularly, have difficulty knowing how to organize teaching where artificial intelligence can largely short-circuit learning. As a teacher, I also feel these questions and concerns daily, which I think is something that schools should be aware of and support teachers in their new everyday life. The responsibility for handling artificial intelligence's impact lies with the individual teacher and requires institutional effort and support.
In addition to personal crises, the new technology also creates tensions among teachers. On a recent pedagogical day, I experienced an intense debate about students' use of AI tools for homework. Some suggested a total ban, arguing that the technology does not contribute to students' learning. Accusations from educators were made, such as: "Students are not learning what they should" and "We are giving in to tech giants." The discussion quickly became personal with accusations of "taking the easy way out," "lacking professional pride," and "neglecting our responsibility as educators." Others believed that students should learn to use the technology responsibly and that a ban would be a short-sighted solution. Here, it became clear that artificial intelligence challenges the individual teacher and can create division and fragmentation in the teaching staff.
At the same time, we face a dilemma because the Danish Ministry of Education has not yet permitted the inclusion of artificial intelligence as an examination subject, despite the Expert Group's recommendation (Ekspertgruppen for brug af ChatGPT ved prøver, 2024). The gap between classroom innovation and examination policies divides the reality we teach from the reality in which students take tests. As a teacher, if I incorporate new technologies into my lessons, do I risk disadvantaging my students in their exams?" Or if I stick to a more traditional form of teaching without artificial intelligence to match the exam requirements, am I missing the opportunity to prepare students for the world they will enter? What is my job as a teacher? Is it to ensure students pass their exams or give them the skills and knowledge they need in an increasingly digitalized society? One feels torn between these two considerations as a teacher, and the solution probably lies somewhere in between.
Professional Grief Confronts Educators
In the literature on professional helpers, there are many concepts related to what I call here professional grief. Terms such as compassion fatigue, empathy fatigue, and secondary traumatization all describe the psychological impacts that people in helping professions can experience in their work (Beermann, 2023). When intelligent systems gradually take over parts of teaching and pedagogical work, they can evoke feelings of loss and existential considerations about one's professional identity and value. Just as compassion fatigue and empathy fatigue describe the psychological consequences of relational work, we can also talk about a form of technology fatigue - a fatigue triggered by constantly having to relate to and incorporate new technology.
The Norwegian psychologist Per Isdal compares helping professionals to people walking through water. Just as you can't avoid getting wet when walking through water, Isdal argues that helpers can't avoid the impact of their work. The experiences and emotions they encounter professionally inevitably influence them (Beermann, 2023). We can apply this insight to educators' encounters with new technology: Technological development affects us, whether we embrace it or not. Artificial intelligence may challenge our perception of being skilled educators when algorithms can suddenly provide feedback and tailor instruction. It can raise questions such as: What is my role now? What is the unique contribution I make as a human?
Whether we call it professional grief, compassion fatigue, or technology fatigue, the core is the same: As an educator, you invest much of yourself in your work, professionally and emotionally. Therefore, as Isdal emphasizes, awareness of one's boundaries and needs is crucial. Part of the solution can be to create space to share difficult experiences and feelings with colleagues in the same situation - what Isdal calls "campfires." Sharing experiences with colleagues can give educators a sense of solidarity when facing challenges and may open new perspectives and strategies. At the same time, educators might need to prioritize activities outside of work that provide energy and balance. Hobbies, exercise, time with friends and family, or any activities that allow individuals to disconnect and recharge can serve this purpose.
Beyond these professional considerations, it's crucial to recognize that educators deeply engage with students' well-being and learning. Teaching requires a deep emotional connection to students' growth, unlike many other jobs where you can keep your feelings separate. However, teaching does not include the same degree of deep crisis management as, for example, therapeutic work; it still requires a tremendous mental and emotional presence to support students' development. And as Isdal points out, this constant care and engagement can come at a price. For me, as a teacher, this price sometimes manifests as fatigue, feelings of inadequacy, or a shorter fuse after a long day of engaged teaching and student counseling. It's a constant balancing act between being fully there for my students and caring for myself.
As Isdal encourages, we may become better equipped to navigate the changes and challenges technology brings to the classroom by acknowledging our vulnerability and taking care of our well-being.
From Identity Crisis to Existential Doubt: Five Dimensions of Professional Grief in an AI Era
The new technological possibilities, especially within artificial intelligence, have a comprehensive influence on educators' professional self-understanding and can evoke an experience of loss and grief. To better understand the different aspects of this impact, I have developed a schema, strongly inspired by Jussupow & Heinzl (2018), with five central categories, each illuminating an area where educators may experience challenges or changes in their work life and self-understanding.
Based on the schema, we will have a more significant opportunity to support educators in handling the challenges that come with the advent of technology in teaching. It is crucial to keep an eye on the many aspects of technology's impact and support educators with the necessary tools and skills to find their footing in this new reality without compromising their professional integrity. I will examine how these categories reflect educators' challenges and changes in their work lives.
The model with the five dimensions maps out some of the many facets of the educator's professional identity that can change due to technological development. Each category aims to illuminate specific areas where educators may experience challenges or changes in their work life and self-understanding.
Conclusion
In this first article, I have briefly examined how artificial intelligence has changed educators' reality in record time and created new challenges for our professional identity and role. At the same time, I have briefly introduced the concept of professional grief as a reaction to these changes and highlighted some of the central dilemmas we as educators face when new technology moves into the classroom. But what are the concrete dimensions of this professional grief? In the upcoming articles, I will delve into each of the five central areas where educators can experience challenges and changes due to new technology. The following article discusses how artificial intelligence affects the educator's professional identity.
Sources
Beermann, Jacob. 2023. “#62 Empatitræthed: Om medfølelsens pris, når hjælpere smittes af deres patienter og lejrbål”. maxer.dk. 3. juli 2023. https://maxer.dk/staerk-smertefri/empati-compassion.
Ekspertgruppen for brug af ChatGPT ved prøver. 2024. “Ekspertgruppe klar med anbefalinger for brug af ChatGPT ved prøver”. Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet. 2024. https://www.uvm.dk/aktuelt/nyheder/uvm/2024/april/240424-ekspertgruppe-klar-med-anbefalinger-for-brug-af-chatgpt-ved-proever.
Jussupow, Ekaterina, Kai Spohrer, Armin Heinzl, og Carolin Link. 2018. “I am; We are - Conceptualizing Professional Identity Threats from Information Technology”. I International Conference on Information Systems. http://dx.doi.org/.
Williamson, Ben. 2023. “AI Must Be Kept in Check at School”. The Unesco Courier 2023 (4): 6–8. https://doi.org/10.18356/22202293-2023-4-2.