Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Teaching Practices in Higher Education: Evidence from Faculty Members at Kohat University of Science and Technology, Pakistan

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly revolutionizing higher education, impacting the way people learn and teach, how students are assessed, and how education is managed. Higher education is undergoing transformation in several respects due to Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as how teaching and learning are facilitated, how students are evaluated, and how education is managed. This study aims to investigate the impact of the utilization of AI on teaching practices of the teachers of Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat, Pakistan. The research design used for the study was quantitative, cross sectional research design and structured questionnaire was used to select 152 faculty members. Chi-square and Kendall's Tau-c tests were used to analyse the collected data and investigate the relationship between the use of AI and different teaching practices. The results showed that there were strong positive correlations between the use of AI and the improvements in teaching methods (χ²=14.32, p=0.001), efficiency of classroom activities (χ²=16.85, p<0.001), lesson planning and management (χ²=15.76, p<0.001), and assessment practices (χ²=15.41, p=0.001). The faculty staff also recognized the opportunities that could arise from AI to reduce their workload, offer personalized learning experiences, and enhance the overall academic activities. Finally, the study indicates that AI has the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of teaching and contribute to the transformation of higher education. However, for the application of AI technologies in academic settings to be successful and responsible, there must be a broad training of faculty, an enhancement of the awareness of the use of AI, ethical guidelines, and support from the institution.