Amplifying Rural Educators' Perspectives: A Qualitative Study of Generative AI's Impact in Rural U.S. High Schools

2026-04-03

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenges of implementing generative artificial intelligence in under-resourced rural U.S. high schools, where limited technological infrastructure, insufficient teacher AI literacy, and resistance to adoption hinder effective integration. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 31 rural educators across three states and analyzed through theoretical lenses from educational technology and human-computer interaction, this work offers the first educator-centered account of how generative AI may exacerbate existing digital divides. Findings reveal that while teachers actively explore AI tools to streamline instructional tasks, persistent constraints—including inadequate internet connectivity, device shortages, and lack of professional development—prevent deeper pedagogical incorporation. The paper calls for the design of inclusive AI tools and support systems tailored to rural contexts, advocating a new paradigm in AI development that centers the needs of marginalized educational environments.

Abstract

Recent breakthroughs in Generative AI (GenAI) are reshaping educational landscapes, presenting challenges and opportunities. While all contexts present unique challenges, rural schools are historically under-resourced, facing persistent technology-related barriers. To understand and reduce these barriers, we studied 31 rural high school educators across three U.S. states to examine their use of GenAI and understand how GenAI introduces new challenges, opportunities, and may exacerbate existing educational barriers. Results show while rural educators use GenAI to streamline teaching tasks, existing resource disparities restrict meaningful integration. Through rural educators' voices, we reveal issues like infrastructure barriers, resistance to adoption, and lack of AI literacy training create significant obstacles. Nonetheless, educators envision GenAI can support themselves and their students, but findings emphasize the need for rural-specific design approaches. As a community, embracing inclusive GenAI design and re-examining assumptions about technology adoption in under-served educational contexts is essential to reducing barriers rather than widening them.

Problem

• Generative AI
• rural education
• educational equity
• technology barriers
• AI literacy

Innovation

• Generative AI
• rural education
• AI literacy
• inclusive design
• educational equity