AI and Special Education: a qualitative situated analysis of professional perceptions

Abstract

The rapid development and widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) raise increasingly relevant questions within the field of Special Pedagogy.  Although AI offers opportunities for personalized learning (Zohuri & Mossavar-Rahman, 2024) and the implementation of inclusive practices (Saborío-Taylor & Rojas-Ramírez, 2024), its application raises concerns about its effectiveness, the ethics of its use, and the preparation of education professionals (Batchelor & Petersen, 2019; Galindo-Domínguez et al., 2024). This study presents a qualitative investigation into the perceptions of Learning Technicians and teachers regarding the use of AI in school and extracurricular settings. Through a pre-post survey of the TDA labs: Laboratory on Artificial Intelligence in Education, we explore the impact that direct interaction with AI tools has had on participants' professional perspectives regarding the integration of these technologies into teaching strategies, as well as their potential use as learning support tools for students with disabilities, learning disabilities, and other special educational needs.