Generative AI and education: Exploring the interplay between teachers' epistemic beliefs and self-regulated learning

The rapid advancement of generative AI (GenAI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, has significantly transformed the educational landscape. Previous research highlights the impact of teachers' beliefs on their professional development and instructional methods. There is a growing need to align teachers' beliefs with the latest technological advancements. This study investigates the relationships between teachers' epistemic beliefs and their self-regulated learning under GenAI contexts. With a sample of 687 educators, this research employs exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to validate the GenAI Epistemic Beliefs Questionnaire and the GenAI Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling reveals that specific dimensions of GenAI epistemic beliefs, particularly the justification for GenAI-generated content and the structure of GenAI-generated content, significantly influence the planning phase of self-regulated learning. Teachers with sophisticated beliefs in justifying GenAI-generated content demonstrate more effective planning strategies. In contrast, those with structured beliefs in GenAI-generated content exhibit a more rigid approach to planning. However, these epistemic beliefs do not directly impact the adaptation phase of self-regulated learning; instead, planning serves as a full mediator, emphasizing the critical role of initial self-regulated learning planning in fostering adaptability. This study underscores the importance of understanding how educators' beliefs about GenAI influence their self-regulated learning.