Abstract
This study examined the global trends, challenges and future prospects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on its adoption and impact in public secondary schools in Delta State, Nigeria. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted. The population comprised teachers and principals in 497 public secondary schools. Using stratified random sampling, 50 schools were selected, involving 500 respondents (450 teachers and 50 administrators), of which 482 valid responses were analyzed. An additional 20 participants (15 teachers and 5 principals) were purposively selected for interviews. Data were collected with the Artificial Intelligence in Education Adoption Scale (AIEAS) and a semi-structured interview guide. The AIEAS demonstrated strong reliability (α = 0.85). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, multiple regression and Pearson correlation, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that teachers exhibited high awareness of AI but low practical integration due to infrastructural and policy limitations. A significant difference existed between global and Delta State AI integration levels. Teacher readiness and infrastructure jointly predicted AI adoption. Moreover, AI utilization strongly correlated with student learning outcomes. The study concludes that AI can transform teaching and learning if adequately supported. It recommends investment in digital infrastructure, teacher capacity building in AI literacy and alignment of educational policies with UNESCO’s global AI-in-education framework to promote equity and sustainable innovation.
Keywords: AI in Education, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Learning, Infrastructure in Schools, Teacher Competence.