Exploring Generative AI Use in Teacher Education and Instructional Design

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) offers opportunities for instructional design but requires teachers to develop critical, ethical, and pedagogically grounded AI literacy. This exploratory mixed-methods study examined a professional development experience involving 599 in-service and pre-service teachers enrolled in the Qualifying Pathways at eCampus University (Italy) in a.y. 2025/26. Two questionnaires that investigated participants’ knowledge, prior use, attitudes and AI literacy, a reflective diary and a workshop activity on AI-supported instructional design were used to collect data. Main results showed that most participants viewed AI favourably and considered it potentially useful for professional practices. However, promoting its effective integration into instructional design requires greater awareness of pedagogical frameworks and the development of the ability to construct effective prompts. The study highlights several key points that should be considered when designing teacher education pathways.