Peer-reviewed article
Generative AI in Chinese Early Childhood Education
Mengze Sun, Rong Yan, Run Wen ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines how preschool teachers in China are adopting generative AI tools in early childhood education. Researchers surveyed and interviewed 10 teachers, finding that most saw value in using AI despite varying technical skills. Institutional support, teamwork among teachers, and alignment with curriculum were key factors that helped adoption. Teachers stressed the importance of tools that are culturally appropriate and suited to how young children develop.
Key points
- Preschool teachers showed moderate to high adoption rates of generative AI despite differences in AI literacy
- Strong perceived utility and intrinsic motivation were the main drivers of adoption, with minimal implementation barriers
- Institutional supports, particularly organizational culture and peer collaboration, were pivotal for adoption
- Teachers emphasized the need for culturally and developmentally appropriate GenAI tools
- Teacher training and ethical guidelines were identified as necessary for responsible implementation
Limitations
This is a small qualitative study with only 10 participants from China, so findings may not represent all preschool settings or generalize to other countries. The study describes teachers' perceptions and adoption patterns but does not evaluate the actual effects of GenAI use on children's learning or development outcomes.
Abstract
While generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications in secondary and higher education have been widely studied, their adoption in early childhood education remains underexplored. This study investigates Chinese preschool teachers' (N = 10) GenAI adoption patterns, perceptions, and determinants through surveys and semi-structured interviews, framed by expectancy-value theory and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge model. Key findings reveal: moderate to high adoption rates despite varying artificial intelligence literacy, with strong perceived utility, achievement value, and intrinsic motivation outweighing minimal implementation barriers; institutional supports, especially organizational culture, peer collaboration, and curriculum-aligned customization were pivotal adoption drivers; and teachers emphasized the need for culturally and developmentally appropriate GenAI tools, stressing contextual relevance for effective integration. The results highlight the necessity for teacher training and ethical guidelines to facilitate responsible GenAI implementation in early childhood education settings.