Exploring the Lived Experiences of Smart School Principals Regarding Ethical Challenges in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Keywords:
Lived experience, smart school principals, ethical challenges, artificial intelligence in education, phenomenologyAbstract
This study aims to explore and interpret the ethical challenges arising from the use of artificial intelligence in smart schools based on the lived experiences of school principals in Tehran. A qualitative research design with an interpretive phenomenological approach was employed. Participants consisted of 18 smart school principals in Tehran, selected through purposive and theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected exclusively through in-depth semi-structured interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. NVivo software was utilized to facilitate data management and systematic coding. The analysis yielded four main themes: ethical challenges related to data privacy and governance, ethical tensions in AI-supported managerial decision-making, ethical challenges concerning human roles and relationships in smart schools, and macro-level ethical challenges in educational AI governance. The findings indicate that principals experience uncertainty regarding ethical accountability, concerns about algorithmic bias, weakened human relationships, and a lack of clear ethical and policy frameworks. The findings suggest that ethical challenges of artificial intelligence in smart schools are complex, context-dependent, and require integrated ethical, managerial, and policy-oriented responses.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Maghsoud Esmaeilpour (Author); Haideh Ashuri (Corresponding author)
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