JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping teaching and learning practices in higher education, creating opportunities for pedagogical innovation while raising new questions about educator roles, agency, and professional judgment. Despite growing interest in AI integration, limited research has explored how educators experience and interpret these pedagogical transformations.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of higher education educators as they navigate emerging pedagogical practices in AI-mediated teaching environments and to understand how they make sense of changes in their roles, agency, and instructional decision-makin

Methods:

A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed to examine educators’ experiences with AI-enhanced teaching. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with higher education educators from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Data were analyzed using phenomenological thematic analysis to identify shared meanings and patterns across participants’ experiences.

Results:

The findings revealed that AI is not merely being adopted as a technological tool but is contributing to a broader pedagogical transformation. Educators described shifts from knowledge transmission to learning mediation, from fixed authority to negotiated expertise, and from routine instructional practices to more reflective, creative, and relational forms of teaching. Participants also highlighted persistent tensions related to academic integrity, ethical AI use, overreliance on automated systems, and the preservation of meaningful human connections in educational settings. These experiences reflected ongoing efforts to balance technological innovation with pedagogical and ethical responsibilities.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that emerging pedagogy in the AI era is a negotiated, relational, and ethically mediated process rather than a purely technological transformation. This study contributes a human-centered conceptualization of AI-enhanced pedagogy that emphasizes educator agency, critical judgment, and the continued importance of human relationships in higher education. The results offer insights for institutions, policymakers, and educators seeking to support responsible and pedagogically meaningful AI integration.