Biography
Dr. Cynthia Adaeze Onuegwunwoke is a Senior Lecturer in English Language and Literature at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education in Owerri, Nigeria. She holds a PhD in English Language and has more than 26 years of teaching experience across primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Her research examines syntax, stylistics, applied linguistics, Nigerian English, intercultural language education, and digital pedagogy. She is particularly interested in the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to support English language teaching and learning. Her academic contributions include journal articles, textbooks, and mentoring activities.
Conference contributions 2
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION:
Perspectives from Nigeria and Tanzania
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping teacher education, yet the perspectives of English language teacher educators in Sub-Saharan Africa had remained underexamined. This study investigated how teacher educators in Nigeria and Tanzania perceived, accepted, and integrated AI tools into their pedagogical practice. This was anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). A comparative descriptive survey was conducted with 120 educators (60 from Nigeria, 60 from Tanzania) using a six-subscale questionnaire (alpha = .76-.89) analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Teacher educators in both countries reported moderate to high perceived usefulness (Nigeria M = 3.73; Tanzania M = 3.60) and moderate perceived ease of use (Nigeria M = 3.05; Tanzania M = 3.22), with no significant cross-national difference. Both samples displayed a consistent TPACK gradient, with strong Content and Pedagogical Knowledge but weaker Technological Knowledge and integrated TPACK for AI. Tanzanian educators reported higher institutional support than their Nigerian counterparts (t(118) = -2.29, p = .024, d = -0.42), while ethical concerns around academic integrity and algorithmic bias against local languages were uniformly high in both countries. Lack of training was the most frequently cited barrier to adoption in Nigeria (73.3%) and Tanzania (68.3%). Regression analysis showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, TPACK, and institutional support each predicted intention to use AI (R2 = .48), and institutional support moderated the relationship between perceived usefulness and intention. These findings inform teacher education policy, curriculum reform, and professional development across Nigeria, Tanzania, and African contexts.
REIMAGINING AFRICAN TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE AI ERA
This study examined the transformation of teacher education in Africa within the context of the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into teaching and learning processes. Focusing on Nigeria and Tanzania as comparative case studies, the paper explored how AI-driven tools reshaped pedagogical practices, teacher preparation, professional identity, and ethical responsibility in higher education. The study was anchored on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Sociocultural Theory, which provided theoretical explanations for technology integration, collaborative learning, and culturally responsive pedagogy in contemporary educational environments. The population of the study comprised student teachers and teacher educators from selected teacher education institutions in Nigeria and Tanzania, including Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The paper adopted a qualitative-comparative approach to investigate the opportunities and challenges associated with AI integration in teacher education. The findings highlighted the pedagogical benefits of AI like personalized learning, instructional support, digital literacy development, and enhanced access to educational resources. Simultaneously, the study interrogated critical concerns relating to ethical literacy, technological inequality, overdependence on automated systems, and the preservation of human-centered teaching values within African educational contexts. The paper argued that effective teacher education in the AI era required a balanced framework that combined technological competence with ethical consciousness, intercultural awareness, and contextual responsiveness. The study concluded that African universities needed to strategically redesign teacher education curricula to prepare educators who could responsibly and critically engage with AI-driven educational transformation.