In this section, we discuss the main findings that emerged from the analysis of results regarding the central question of this research, which focused on how pedagogy students in a fourth-year evaluation course related to practicum perceive the integration of ChatGPT as an assistant in a learning experience and their perceptions of the implications of this tool in their future professional teaching performance. Based on the main findings and the coding process carried out, we highlight the following dimensions: students' perceptions of the integration of AI as an assistant during their training and students' perceptions of the implications of AI in their future professional teaching role in the educational context. Within each of these, emerging themes from the central categories will be discussed in contrast with findings from other research presented in the literature.
5.1 Students' perception of the use of ChatGPT as an assistant during a learning experience in assessment assignments
Students perceived positive aspects of interacting with ChatGPT as an assistant during the workshop they conducted, specifically valuing its contribution as a co-designer of evaluation criteria, providing theoretical or conceptual support, defining the quality or standard of criteria, or giving feedback on criteria they had preliminarily outlined or proposed as ideas. They also mentioned the usefulness of the chatbot in providing ideas or proposals for evaluations based on objectives and criteria, specifying the context of application and the characteristics of the students. For the students, having an assistant that could offer quick assistance, answer their questions, and provide feedback at any moment or phase of their work development was considered valuable. This positive point of using this tool converges with the findings of other research on university teaching applications where students value having constant and personalized support [30, 33, 34].
Furthermore, students mentioned the chatbot's usefulness in providing ideas or proposals for evaluations based on objectives and criteria, specifying the application context and student characteristics, sometimes seeking ideas for diversifying evaluations for neurodivergent students. At this point, students highlighted the importance of developing strategies for writing prompts in a personalized way, with clear requirements and contextual information. Other studies have also suggested that when appropriate inputs are given to the chatbot, it can contribute structures for evaluations, question ideas, and feedback [24]. It's worth noting that in the first phase of implementing this experience with students, guidelines and examples were provided on how to interact with ChatGPT. As [5] points out, it is very relevant for teachers to guide students on techniques for giving instructions and moderating dialogues established with the chatbot.
This prior preparation of students on the use, writing of prompts, and form of interaction with ChatGPT was based on preliminary findings about students' prior knowledge and experiences. Like in other studies, although most students scored high on knowledge of AI tools, they had low scores regarding practical handling or mastery of its operation and forms of interaction, with only a limited number of students informed about the importance of managing interactions to use AI tools effectively [3, 5]. A notable gap was observed between theoretical knowledge and practical application, emphasizing the need for more practical experiences to improve students' confidence in the effective use of AI tools.
Regarding the risks or challenges presented by the use of this AI technology in the higher education context, students recognized the limitations of the information provided by ChatGPT, in terms of its validity, trustworthiness, and specificity to respond to a particular context. Information credibility issues have been reported by other research; in a study conducted by [5] with engineering students, while students valued the benefits of ChatGPT, they were cautious about the possibility of inaccuracies in its results. To minimize these risks, it's important for students to have knowledge about the topics or procedures they are working with the AI assistant, as this will allow them to discriminate and analyse the quality of information or responses arising from the interaction, contrasting the information provided [5,35].
However, they also recognized that the tool could not replace the guidance and feedback of a teacher, especially in providing focused comments on specific aspects of their work [36]. Additionally, the analysis made evident that while students valued the support and feedback provided by ChatGPT in improving their work, they also recognized the limitations of AI tools in providing more generic feedback with quality levels different from those requested in the course or in their practicum processes; therefore, feedback based on the teacher's expert knowledge could not be replaced, especially when providing comments focused on specific aspects of their work [36].
Lastly, students expressed that it was important, especially for the new generations of university students who are entering with the use of AI, to keep in mind academic integrity and the existing regulations at the university about plagiarism and responsible use of these tools. In the
context of this research, the university had been working since the time of the pandemic and through various strategies on plagiarism prevention. In this line, it is recommended to address this issue in an institutional and cross-cutting manner across different areas of the university. Suggestions from other studies, such as those by [22], also emphasize the importance of educating students about the implications of plagiarism, working with formative assessments that detect it in time, and suggesting changes or improvements to students.
5.2 Students' perceptions of the implications of ChatGPT in their future role as teachers
Focus Group discussions highlighted the essential role of teachers as trainers and mediators in the use of AI technologies with adolescents or young people who are in a developmental process and therefore more exposed to indiscriminate use of technology. In this case, future teachers raised as risks to consider the possibility that the critical thinking skills of young students could be affected by the use or dependence on AI technologies. Against this, the importance as teachers of using teaching and learning strategies that contribute to the development of critical thinking while progressively integrating artificial intelligence tools.
Critical thinking refers to the thought process that involves various skills such as interpretation, analysis, inference, self-regulation, and evaluation for the formulation of judgments that will affect viewpoints, beliefs, and decision-making on different relevant social issues [37]. This skill is central to 21st-century education and can be progressively developed throughout the entire educational trajectory from secondary education and throughout life, allowing people to participate critically in a democratic society [29]. At this point, students suggested that teachers could contribute to the training of young people in the analysis and critical evaluation of information disseminated through social networks and that in some cases may be created by AI tools, for example, they could use examples of how to unveil fake news, and discuss with students how through these communication strategies public opinion can be generated and influence the political debate of a democratic society. In this line, there are research studies that show experiences where AI and information technology are used to promote critical thinking, but they are not conclusive as to the direct contribution to its development, rather the evidence could suggest that the implementation of innovative technologies, like chatbot systems, could motivate students to reflect and analyse the information they receive, thus facilitating skills linked to the development of critical thinking [29, 38].
Regarding the risk factors associated with the use of these tools in secondary education, such as the possible lack of reliability in the information provided, the need for its analysis and corroboration, along with the analysis skills that young people must develop to interact responsibly with AI, the findings revealed that one of the strategies to mitigate these risks is the training of students and how the teacher guides students to develop these skills while integrating or working with AI. Other studies have also coincided in the importance of having a tutor or with the mediation of the teacher so that students can use AI ethically, responsibly, and carrying out the processes of review and analysis of their answers or information [10, 30, 39].
They also analysed the impact of AI in education, underlining the importance of teacher training in leveraging these tools for educational purposes and establishing ethical guidelines for their responsible use within educational institutions, beyond merely prohibiting their use. Future teachers expressed the need to adjust teaching and assessment strategies to effectively use AI tools [36]. The need to transform or change assessment methods was one of the most relevant and important points, since the reflection and analysis of pedagogical practices in assessment in this subject is one of the learning outcomes expected to be achieved, and through this implementation, students were able to question more traditional practices and become aware of creating assessment instances that promote problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, among others. The challenge presented by new AI technologies to assessment methods is also convergent with the findings of other research, in which methods associated with authentic assessment are proposed through solving relevant social issues, working with simulations and/or working on projects in subjects or interdisciplinary [3, 22, 39]. Regarding the assessments of the disciplinary areas of the participating students, future mathematics teachers expressed the importance of reviewing mathematics assessments that are based solely on operations and calculations of problems or tasks that refer to skills, such as calculating, since tasks are solved through the direct and immediate application of some algorithm or technique. The proposal is to move towards assessments in which mathematical thinking skills associated with the national curriculum are worked on, such as: solving problems, modeling and representing, arguing and communicating solutions based on procedures and mathematical reasoning, integrating, when relevant to the objectives, digital applications or tools that support or assist in problem-solving. In different national and international research studies, assessment in mathematics has been discussed as an instance that is part of learning,
with tasks or activities that demand higher reflection, dealing with every day, but complex topics that integrate various skills and present relevant problems to solve [40, 41].
In summary, the study emphasizes the need to integrate more practical experiences into educational strategies to better prepare pedagogy students for their future professional performance in the face of new challenges presented by AI technologies in the educational context, considering that the development of their digital skills is enhanced in applied experiences with the use of technology in environments where they have the guidance and orientation of teachers. These experiences will undoubtedly impact their future teaching role, since, as [18] suggest, they play a dual role, on one hand, teachers in training are also in a process of formation, and on the other hand, they are multipliers as teachers in schools by deploying their competencies for the training of future generations.