INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AS PERCEIVED BY SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS

Abstract

The study investigated the perception of secondary school principals regarding opportunities, challenges, and ethical considerations associated with integrating artificial intelligence in instructional delivery in Port-Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State. The study was guided by three specific objectives focusing on identifying perceived opportunities, challenges, and ethical issues related to AI integration in instruction. A descriptive survey research design was adopted with a population comprising 62 principals from 31 public secondary schools in Port-Harcourt Metropolis. Census sampling was employed due to the manageable population size. Data was collected using a validated questionnaire titled "Principals Perception of AI in Instruction Questionnaire (PPAIIQ)" with reliability coefficients ranging from 0.71 to 0.84 for different sections and an overall reliability of 0.85. All 62 questionnaires administered were retrieved and analyzed using frequency count and criterion mean of 2.50. Results revealed that principals perceive significant opportunities in AI integration (grand mean 2.79), particularly in providing personalized learning experiences, reducing administrative workload, offering immediate feedback, and creating engaging content. Major challenges identified (grand mean 2.83) included inadequate training, prohibitive costs, insufficient technical support, and curriculum integration difficulties. Principals expressed substantial concerns about ethical issues (grand mean 3.18), including student data privacy, algorithmic bias, critical thinking diminishment, equity concerns, reduced human interaction, and intellectual property questions. Based on these findings, the study recommends developing structured AI in mechanisms and works that prioritize high-benefit applications, establishing comprehensive professional development programs with sustainable funding mechanisms, and creating robust ethical guidelines to govern AI implementation in educational contexts. These measures would help maximize opportunities while addressing challenges and ethical considerations in AI integration for instructional delivery.