Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly being integrated into educational practices to support lesson preparation, instructional delivery and student engagement. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding secondary school teachers’ engagement with AI tools and their perceived contributions to teaching practices, particularly in Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. This study investigated teachers’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and how their engagement with these tools contributes to improving teaching practices in secondary schools in Ngorongoro District, Tanzania. The Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM 2) was used as the conceptual framework, as it explains technology engagement in terms of perceived usefulness and ease of use. A convergent mixed-methods research design was adopted. Structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 156 teachers, while interviews were conducted with heads of schools and the District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO) to obtain qualitative data. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to analyse the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. The findings showed that ChatGPT was the most commonly used AI tool (91.0% of teachers), followed by AI Grammar Checker (64.7%). Teachers reported positive engagement with AI in lesson preparation (Mean = 4.10), clarification of difficult concepts (Mean = 4.22), enhancement of instructional strategies (Mean = 4.15), support for students’ understanding (Mean = 4.13), diversification of teaching methods (Mean = 4.00), provision of immediate feedback (Mean = 4.06), and regular integration into teaching practices (Mean = 3.96). Qualitative findings indicated that AI assisted with lesson preparation, the development of instructional materials, quizzes and assignments, and the simplification of difficult concepts. However, inadequate ICT infrastructure, unstable internet connectivity, insufficient AI training, limited knowledge and unreliable electricity supply hindered effective engagement. The study concludes that teachers’ engagement with AI could improve teaching practices when AI is perceived as useful and manageable and appropriate infrastructure and training are available. The study recommends strengthening teachers’ AI competencies, ICT infrastructure and internet connectivity, developing institutional guidelines for AI use, and integrating AI into secondary school teaching practices.