Traditionalist, Progressive and Ambivalent: Educators’ Attitudes Towards the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Enabling Education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53761/40w8jg17

Keywords:

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI), Enabling Education, higher education, equity, inclusion, ChatGPT, Educator perspectives

Abstract

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into higher education has recently become a significant topic of discussion, especially in Enabling Education. Enabling Education programs are designed to prepare students for undergraduate studies by developing foundational literacy skills. However, many educators grapple with whether GenAI is an appropriate tool for supporting students' learning needs or whether it undermines the development of core academic literacies. This study comprises a survey with academics from Enabling programs at 14 universities across Australia. The survey explores educators’ perspectives toward GenAI tools, including their own use of AI-generated content in teaching and their views on students utilising these tools. Our findings show that educators’ perspectives can be categorised as Traditionalist (GenAI’s disruption viewed as a threat to learning), Progressive (GenAI’s opportunities viewed as beneficial to learning), and Ambivalent (GenAI viewed with uncertainty or a mixture of Progressive and Traditionalist ideas). However, these perspectives are expressed in complex and nuanced ways, with educators often holding a range of views that reveal the complicated impact of GenAI. Understanding these perspectives is crucial for addressing potential barriers and facilitating the effective implementation of GenAI in Enabling education.

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Author Biographies

  • Trixie James, Central Queensland University, Australia

    Dr Trixie James is a lecturer within the STEPS enabling program at CQUniversity and completed her PhD through the University of Tasmania. She is also accredited with a Masters of Learning Management (Executive Leadership), Graduate Diploma of Learning Management and a Bachelor of Learning Management as well as certification on Positive Psychology.  Trixie’s research interests centre on the support and engagement of under-represented and disadvantaged adults in the tertiary sector through sharing advancements in quality teaching practices and ways to further engage students within the enabling arena and how positive psychology can improve students’ wellbeing. Trixie is highly active in research and is a member of the Centre for Research in Equity and Advancement of Teaching and Education (CREATE), is an executive member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia (NAEEA) and leads the Social Innovation working party within the School of Access Education, and co-leads the NAEEA Special Interest Group into Generative Artificial Intelligence.

  • John Pike, University of South Australia, Australia

    Dr John Pike is a lecturer at the University of South Australia where he teaches courses on digital and information literacy. His research interests include the use of digital technology in teaching, learning, and assessment. With a background in sociology, he is particularly interested in how we can foster a critical approach to artificial intelligence in education, as well as the wider social implications of algorithmic systems. He is a co-facilitator of the Generative AI special interest group in the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia.

  • Grant Andrews, LaTrobe University, Australia

    Dr Grant Andrews is a Lecturer at the La Trobe Educational Leadership Academy in Melbourne, Australia. He previously worked in enabling education as a Lecturer at SCU College, Southern Cross University, and at the Wits School of Education in Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interests include gender and sexuality in education, enabling education, online learning, critical literacy and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in education. He teaches in higher education pedagogy and curriculum, including design and delivery of online learning environments.

  • James Valentine, Charles Darwin University, Australia

    Dr James Valentine is a lecturer in the Tertiary Enabling Program at Charles Darwin University where he has been preparing students to study science at university since 2013. Before this, James spent six years teaching undergraduate science units, including palaeontology, biology and geology, at Macquarie University in Sydney. James is also one of the facilitators of the NAEEA Enabling Assessment Special Interest Group, which aims to establish a discourse on enabling assessment practice.

  • Michael Brickhill, Southern Cross University, Australia

    Dr Michael Brickhill is a Lecturer at Southern Cross University, teaching into diploma programs with a focus on mathematics and science.  Originally from north-west Tasmania, Michael trained as a marine biologist in Hobart before completing his PhD investigating the impact of artificial reefs on fish communities within Gold Coast canals.  Michael has more than 15 years’ experience teaching at secondary and undergraduate tertiary level.  Current research interests include: (i) supporting first-year students at university; (ii) academic integrity and generative artificial intelligence; and (iii) hybrid teaching strategies.

  • Julie Sharp, Federation University, Australia

    Julie is an early career researcher with a wide range of experience relating to various aspects of the English language. Her areas of expertise include English language teaching to both native and non-native speakers, as well as teaching and writing in professional, academic and creative contexts. In her teaching, Julie is particularly interested empowering students by helping them to develop their language and literacy skills so that they can achieve their academic and career goals. Julie completed her Masters in Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing in 2018. Julie commenced PhD studies with Federation University in 2020. Her project is titled “‘Breathed through silver’: A creative and stylistic exploration of the language of secondary world fantasy” and will use an interdisciplinary approach to practice-led research, combining the fields of linguistics, literature and creative writing.

  • Tamra Ulpen, University of South Australia, Australia

    Tamra Ulpen is a Senior Lecturer teaching in the Enabling programs at UniSA College. As a national award-winning educator, Tamra has over 20 years’ experience in the field of TESOL, teaching internationally and in Australia. With a keen interest in the study of languages, she has majored in Japanese and has a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics. Tamra works closely with CALD students and is committed to supporting their language and academic literacy development while fostering learner agency through critical enabling pedagogies. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD exploring the challenges and opportunities equity group students experience when using Generative AI for academic writing.

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Published

2025-11-18

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available once all publications have been finalised.  Data can be shared by emailing the corresponding author.

Issue

Online First

Section

Special Issue: Enabling Education

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Trixie James, John Pike, Grant Andrews, James Valentine, Michael Brickhill, Julie Sharp, Tamra Ulpen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Traditionalist, Progressive and Ambivalent: Educators’ Attitudes Towards the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Enabling Education. (2025). Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. https://doi.org/10.53761/40w8jg17