Regie Boniol*
Journal of Interdisciplinary Education
Date of Publication: 21 May 2026
August 2025. This qualitative study explores the experiences, readiness, institutional support, and policy needs of junior high school teachers in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools into classroom instruction. Using semi-structured interviews with 20 participants, the study captures the diverse and grounded perspectives of educators navigating the emerging landscape of AI-enhanced teaching. Findings reveal that while many teachers are eager to utilize AI, they face challenges such as lack of structured training, tool complexity, ethical uncertainties, and limited administrative guidance. Teachers' readiness is often self-developed, shaped by peer collaboration and informal learning, rather than systematic capacity-building. Institutional support varies significantly across schools, with most teachers expressing the need for clear leadership, technical assistance, and dedicated focal persons to help resolve integration issues. Based on participants' insights, the study identifies key components for a sustainable professional development program, including hands-on workshops, mentorship, ethical and legal literacy, and learner-centered approaches. The results underscore the urgent need for policy frameworks that align AI integration with national educational goals, address equity of access, and reinforce ethical and pedagogical coherence. Teachers called for DepEd-issued guidelines, inclusion of AI practices in performance metrics, and budget allocation for tools and training. The study concludes by proposing targeted recommendations to support long-term, inclusive, and effective adoption of AI in junior high school education, emphasizing the importance of leadership-driven, context-sensitive, and collaborative strategies in achieving transformative outcomes.
Artificial Intelligence in Education, Teacher Readiness, Institutional Support, Professional Development, Policy Integration
Regie Boniol, Independent Researcher, Tuba City High School, United States
Boniol, R. (2026). Empowering educators: Exploring teachers' experiences in integrating artificial intelligence tools in junior high school classrooms. J. Interdiscip. Educ., 1(1), 01–24.