Abstract
This study investigates how generative AI technologies influence pre-service
teachers’ pedagogical thinking and instructional design practices within a
vocational education context. Drawing on a qualitative framework, the research
engaged students in a task-based learning environment that integrated tools such
as ChatGPT and image generators into authentic teaching design tasks. Data were
collected through reflective journals, interviews, and teaching artifacts.
Thematic analysis revealed three core trajectories of professional growth: (1) a shift from uncertainty to confidence in using AI tools; (2) the situated development of TPACK through iterative design and reflection; and (3) the emergence of critical awareness regarding AI ethics, accuracy, and bias. Students not only explored how AI could support their instructional creativity, but also expressed concerns about content reliability and the limitations of automated outputs. Their reflections illustrated an evolving understanding of AI not just as a tool, but as a co-participant in instructional reasoning.
The findings suggest that meaningful integration of generative AI requires more than technical training; it calls for pedagogical framing, ethical discourse, and reflective space. Teacher education programs must therefore cultivate not only AI fluency, but also critical and adaptive instructional mindsets capable of navigating the complexities of AI-supported teaching.