Artificial Intelligence as the Call of the Times: Attitudes of Higher Education Teachers across Gender, Generational Cohorts, and Length of Service in the Context of Education 5,0

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence had reshaped education worldwide and redefined how teachers taught and how students learned. Yet in the Philippine higher education sector, particularly in Southwestern Mindanao, progress remained uneven because of gaps in infrastructure and training. The study aimed to determine the attitudes of 648 in-service educators from state universities and colleges toward AI in education, with attention to gender, generational cohort, and length of service as influencing factors. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional design and analyzed the data through descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. Results showed that teachers held generally positive attitudes toward AI (mean = 4,19, SD = 0,94), while negative attitudes were relatively low (mean = 2,27, SD = 0,82). Significant differences appeared across gender (t (646) = 7,03, p < 0,001), generation (F (3,644) = 2391,43, p < 0,001), and length of service (F = 8,45, p < 0,001). Female and younger educators, particularly those from Generation Z and Millennials, showed stronger positive attitudes, whereas teachers with longer service were more cautious. The findings revealed that openness to AI was shaped by demographic and professional factors. These findings suggest that AI adoption in higher education is shaped not only by technology itself but also by teachers’ demographic backgrounds and professional contexts. The study recommends targeted professional development and inclusive policies to strengthen AI literacy, address concerns, and align AI integration with the human-centered vision of Education 5,0.