Abstract

The increasing research on ChatGPT in education shows the need for more studies to fully understand its potential. This mixed-method study collected data using surveys and open-ended questions to examine the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of 214 Bhutanese in-service teachers regarding the use of ChatGPT in education. The descriptive analysis of the quantitative data showed that teachers were highly knowledgeable, held positive perceptions, and actively used ChatGPT for various educational purposes, while the thematic analysis of the qualitative data explained why participants felt informed, viewed ChatGPT positively, and engaged with it. Teacher participants demonstrated knowledge about ChatGPT, reporting awareness of its potential benefits and drawbacks in education. Their positive perceptions stemmed from the belief that its benefits outweigh its drawbacks in the educational context. Reported benefits of ChatGPT included reducing teachers’ workloads, enhancing teaching effectiveness, supporting personalized learning experience, increasing students’ motivation and engagement, and contributing to their professional development, among other benefits, while drawbacks included risks of over-dependence, risk of inaccurate information, lack of emotional intelligence, and potential negative impacts on the creativity and critical thinking skills of teachers and students. Finally, participants stated that they used ChatGPT for lesson planning, content creation, understanding complex concepts, developing educational materials, generating assessment questions, and providing student feedback. The study concludes that teacher participants held positive views toward the use of ChatGPT for educational purposes. They specifically mentioned that ChatGPT is easily accessible and user-friendly. Based on the current findings, practical implications and recommendations for future research are provided.