Teachers and Teacher Educators' Readiness for Integrating AI in the Teaching of Climate Change Education

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping teaching and learning across education systems worldwide. This study examined teachers, teacher educators, and student teachers readiness to integrate AI into climate change and sustainability education in Zambia. Drawing on a descriptive survey of 2,634 participants across ten provinces, the research reveals that while awareness and positive attitudes toward AI are widespread, pedagogical integration remains limited. AI use is largely exploratory and concentrated on tasks such as lesson preparation rather than transformative teaching practices. A significant gap exists in climate change training, with the majority of educators lacking recent professional development. The findings highlight that educator readiness is shaped by knowledge, pedagogical competence, ethical awareness, and institutional support. Structural challenges, including uneven infrastructure and limited policy guidance, further constrain progress.