Researcher Xabier Iturralde's doctoral thesis on generative AI in Basque Country education has gathered responses from 350 teachers across Araba, Bizkaia, and Gipuzkoa. The initial findings show educators recognize real potential in tools like ChatGPT but are held back by fear - and a lack of understanding about how the technology actually works is the main thing driving that fear.
What teachers are saying
Iturralde, who teaches in addition to conducting research, said the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 grabbed public attention, but generative AI has existed far longer. "What has truly caused a new revolution in education and society in general is its creative capability," he said. He added that widespread confusion about basic concepts points to a serious knowledge gap that shapes how schools respond.
Teachers who responded to the survey described a mix of optimism and deep unease. Ignorance, not the technology itself, emerged as the root of most fears. Educators worried about academic integrity, privacy, and ethical risks, even as they acknowledged that AI could lighten workloads and help tailor instruction to individual students.
The limits of prohibition
Iturralde argued against banning generative AI in schools. Prohibition, he said, would likely widen inequalities rather than contain them, since students and teachers are already using these tools outside formal oversight. Parents, meanwhile, often find themselves uncertain how to manage AI use at home.
"The question is no longer whether to use generative artificial intelligence, because it's already here. Now the question is 'how?'" Iturralde said. He called schools the most powerful spaces for building genuine understanding, pushing for training and critical engagement over restriction.
His research points to a growing need for structured professional development in AI for teachers. Without it, he said, educators remain caught between pressure to adopt new tools and a lack of confidence in using them responsibly.
What the classroom needs now
The thesis argues that generative AI has exposed structural weaknesses in how students are evaluated. "If a machine can perform the tasks required of students, then we are doing something wrong," Iturralde said. He pressed for changes to assessment methods and teaching approaches rather than superficial adjustments.
Iturralde also stressed that AI tools are not neutral. They reflect the societies that produce them, which makes critical thinking and literacy essential. His work calls for a coordinated approach: legislation to set rules, institutional decision-making backed by clear guidance, and consistent teacher training. A planned academic stay at the Slate research center in Norway will bring an international dimension to the study.
"Many people feel we are facing a monster," Iturralde said. "But if we truly understand generative AI, perhaps we will see that it is not an evil monster, but something we can use to our advantage."
Why this matters for educators
Iturralde's findings confirm that fear and unfamiliarity, not hostility, are what keep many teachers from using generative AI effectively. The 350 survey responses from Basque Country schools show that when teachers understand how these tools work, they shift from seeing a threat to seeing a practical asset. For educators, the clearest takeaway is that training and institutional support are the difference between passive anxiety and active, informed use in the classroom.
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