Primary School English Teachers’ Perspectives and Attitudes on AI in English Education in Less- developed Areas of China

Since the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2019, it has been increasingly utilized across various industries. In the field of education, AI has gained significant attention as a promising tool to support both teachers and students, while also helping to reduce disparities between urban and rural areas. This study focuses on AI in the field of English language education, investigating the perspectives of primary school English teachers in less-developed regions of China. Semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis were conducted to explore teachers' perceptions, objectives, attitudes, experiences, and concerns. The findings showed that teachers from rural areas generally hold a positive attitude toward integrating AI into their teaching practice. They view AI as a helpful tool, particularly in creating engaging lesson plans, providing additional teaching materials, and achieving new curriculum goals. Meanwhile, teachers feel stressed by the dominance of exam-oriented education, which results in a lesser application of new methods and technology, but a greater focus on students' scores. Furthermore, teachers expressed a less supportive attitude and specific concerns about students as direct users of AI. While students are enthusiastic about using AI tools, teachers are concerned that students tend to rely on AI to complete assignments without engaging in deep thinking, leading to cognitive laziness. The responses generated by AI are often general and unrestricted, without regard to students' age, which may result in inappropriate responses and answers for students. Finally, factors such as limited infrastructure, insufficient training, ethical considerations, and a lack of education-specific AI tools affect how teachers perceive and apply AI. Teachers must be equipped not only with tools but also with the time, guidance, and autonomy to use AI meaningfully in the classroom.