Faculty and Students’ Perceptions of AI Use in Higher Education in Azerbaijan

Across the globe, many AI- supported educational tools are being used in teaching and learning, including assessment in higher education that create both opportunities for learning and raising concerns regarding academic integrity, governance, and equitable access. Therefore, institutions of higher education need to be aware of both the potential benefits and challenges related to the ethical issues concerning academic integrity, policy creation and implementation of AI in an institution. The qualitative single-case study employs Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) TAM to investigate how faculty and students view the advantages and disadvantages, and what institutional conditions exist which can facilitate or hinder the integration of AI into a public university in Baku, Azerbaijan. The interviews were conducted with eight students and eight faculty members selected via purposive sampling, and data were analyzed using qualitative single case study, which revealed that students generally view AI positively as a tool that enhances productivity, comprehension, and learning efficiency. Faculty viewed AI as beneficial for personalized learning and instructional efficiency. However, they raised concerns about academic integrity, student dependency, diminished critical thinking, and inequitable access to technology. The study also identified that there was no formal institutional AI policy at the time of data collection which led to informal regulation among students and ad-hoc assessments developed by faculty. The lack of formal institutional guidelines resulted in four themes being identified as key drivers of the perceptions of AI adoption in an institution.

These included the theme of academic integrity, responsible AI use, institutional guidance, and equitable access to digital technologies. Results from this study contribute to the emerging body of literature related to the use of AI in higher education specifically within post-Soviet countries and developing countries; namely Azerbaijan. Furthermore, this study provides recommendations for educators and administrators who seek to develop responsible, transparent and context-specific AI strategies for education.