The example

AI in Training In-Service Elementary School Teachers for Building Inclusive

Learning Environment in Ukrainе

Sergiy Sydoriv

Ivano-Frankivsk college

Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University

Ukraine

Introduction

Creating inclusive learning environments is essential for ensuring that all students have access to quality education regardless of their (dis)abilities. A key aspect of fostering inclusion and equity in schools is in-service training of elementary school teachers. With the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, teacher training universities and colleges should use the opportunity to leverage AI tools and techniques to enhance the training of teachers and support them in building inclusive learning environments. This paper explores the role of AI in training in-service elementary school teachers in Ukraine and its potential to promote inclusivity in classrooms.

AI in inclusion: a tool and a goal

Can Ukrainian teachers benefit from applying AI in teaching students with special educational needs? What are the challenges in using a tool that itself is developing with exponential rate of speed? Which approaches should we, university teachers, take to equip pre-service educators with the tools and resources in order to be effective in their profession? Asking these questions, we are on par with teachers around the world.

Toyokawa et al. (2023, p. 7) anticipate the creation of “an AI-driven inclusive learning environment that can provide individually optimal learning support to each learner in cooperation with stakeholders”. It is important to consider all factors and players in a meaningful, yet complex interaction. However, the application of AI tools have universal advantages, with potential to remove local and national barriers. As Ukraine strives to improve (or rather sustain) its education system and promote social inclusion, there is a growing recognition of the importance of creating inclusive learningenvironments in schools. Understanding the need to address the challenges that many Ukrainian teachers face in effectively implementing inclusive practices due to factors such as limited resources, lack of training, and force majeure drivers let us state several benefits of using AI in pre-service training of teachers:

1. Safety, availability and cost-effectiveness. AI technologies offer inexpensive solutions for teacher training and professional development (remote or machine learning), reducing the need for traditional in-person workshops or seminars, which can be expensive, logistically challenging or even impossible to organize in a country bombarded by COVID-19 pandemic (Boichenko & Boichenko, 2020), disastrous explosions, air-raid sirens and hoax school bomb alerts. It can be speculated that mastering AI by educators and students can also subsequently add to national security (Konaev, 2024).

2. Personalized learning. Though AI-based education remain largely unexplored, and more research is needed to analyze and compensate for the adverse effects of the absence of peers and teachers in an actual classroom, as well as developing and sustaining students’ motivation, increasing the diversity, and removing the biases induced by data and algorithms (Maghsudi et al., 2021), still, AI can adapt training materials to match the knowledge level and learning pace of individual teachers, ensuring that they receive relevant and effective instruction. In turn, the teachers can apply their experience to create an inclusive learning environment in their prospective pedagogical activities.

3. Real-time feedback. AI-powered systems can provide continuous feedback to teachers as they engage with training modules, helping them identify areas for improvement and refine their teaching practices (Bhimdiwala et al., 2022).

4. Motivation. The recent research shows that a tailored focus on educational needs and interests can engage high and low achievers in learning and maintaining emotional stability. As the students with diverse abilities become more engaged, they are likely to gain more empowerment, feel that the content is more relevant, and become intrinsically motivated to make progress and pursue further learning (Xia et al., 2020).

5. Scalability. AI-powered training platforms can be scaled up to reach a large number of teachers across Ukraine, including those in remote or underserved areas, thereby maximizing the impact of inclusive education initiatives.

The unique factor for Ukraine is the ongoing military conflict and reckless political leadership, which causes a humanitarian crisis to have lasting effects on future Ukrainian generations. We cannot but agree with Hubeladze et al. (2021) that using digital technologies forms a sense of ownership and wellbeing in students and young professionals. Therefore, the creation of a system of socio-psychological support will have a positive impact on the level of psychological stability of educational professionals and provide opportunities for them to build successful careers and increase success.

While training in-service elementary school educators in Ivano-Frankivsk professional college, we use a specially developed inclusive education teachers training curriculum that contains references to various online resources and tools. It proved invaluable during pandemic times for distance learning and remote teaching, therefore we feel it is necessary to include AI-induced tools and teaching approaches to adapt it to war realities in Ukraine. The results of the preliminary studies showed that in-service teachers have very limited skills and knowledge in applying inclusive practices to hybrid or distance teaching of students with special educational needs.

Another challenge was the need to raise fact-checking awareness and application of evidence based practices while interacting with AI. Teachers as well as the broad public need skills to practice AI tools safely.

While emerging methods hold great potential for transforming teacher training and promoting inclusive education, there are also challenges and considerations that need to be addressed. These include issues related to data privacy and security, algorithmic bias, digital literacy among teachers, and the need for ongoing technical support and professional development. Therefore, further research is required.

Conclusions

AI technologies have the potential to play a significant role in training in-service elementary school teachers in Ukraine for building inclusive learning environments. The development of AI is crucial to many spheres, especially teaching and socializing persons with special educational needs and disabilities. It is worth mentioning that humanity has entered an uncharted territory in this delicate matter. Here as we navigate the intersection of technology and education, it is essential to consider not only the technical aspects but also the cultural and contextual relevance of these solutions.

Our research contributes to the ongoing dialogue on leveraging technology for inclusive education in challenging environments, offering recommendations for educators, digital developers and businesses committed to building a more inclusive and resilient future (Sydoriv, 2023). By providing personalized, interactive, and scalable training solutions, AI can empower teachers with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to create classrooms where every student feels valued and supported in their learning journey. As Ukraine continues efforts to improve its education system and promote social inclusion, leveraging AI in teacher training can be a key strategy for driving positive change in schools across the country.

The future research should focus on the strategic role of educators, researchers, policy makers, law-enforcement bodies, parents and communities in sustaining inclusion through the application of AI. By actively supporting the development of AI educational tools, investing in teacher training, and promoting workforce development, Ukraine can contribute to building a more inclusive educational landscape.

References

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Boichenko, A., & Boichenko, O. (2020). Empowerment of online education with Artificial Intelligence tools. Artificial intelligence, 2, 22-29. http://jnas.nbuv.gov.ua/article/UJRN-0001186950

Hubeladze, I., Іatsyshyn A., & Sukhikh, A.. (2021). The role of digital technologies in formation of a young scientist’s sense of ownership. Information Technologies and Learning Tools, 85(5), 304- 322. https://doi.org/10.33407/itlt.v85i5.4533

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