What are teachers’ perspectives and practices regarding the integration of GenAI tools in pedagogical design and classroom instruction?

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies can promote significant changes in formal education. This study examines the perspectives and practices of secondary-school teachers who naturally and independently initiated the integration of GenAI into their teaching, focusing on changes in pedagogical design and teaching–learning processes. Teachers’ perspectives were explored through 17 semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. In addition, 91 GenAI-enhanced teaching–learning activities designed and implemented by these teachers were analyzed using the SAMR framework (Puentedura, 2012), enabling the classification of pedagogical practices across four levels: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. Two central themes emerged from teachers’ perspectives: adaptation to new technology and significant pedagogical change. The findings indicate that GenAI is perceived as transforming learning processes and pedagogical practices, potentially reshaping the teacher’s role toward guidance and facilitation. Despite current uncertainties, teachers view these tools as essential for preparing students for the future and emphasize the need for mediation. This pioneer study examines how GenAI tools can enable changes in pedagogical design and in teaching-learning processes according to the SAMR framework and introduces an integrative model that links SAMR with GenAI affordances for pedagogical analysis. Regardless of educators’ GenAI adoption stage, instructional uses primarily reflected augmentation of teachers’ capabilities, whereas student learning activities spanned all levels of the SAMR framework, including its higher levels, an uncommon pattern in early technology adoption. Overall, the findings suggest that GenAI has potential to enhance teaching–learning processes when integrated and accompanied by attention to ethical use.