Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences RETPS 2023

Volume 22 (2023)

Advantages and Challenges of Using Artificial Intelligence in

Primary and Secondary School Education
Heyuan Guan *
The School of English Studies, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing, 400031,
China
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract. The application of artificial intelligence in education is one of the focal research today.
Researchers have discovered that with the continuous development of artificial intelligence, various
artificial intelligence are being utilized in primary and secondary education. However, many issues
in this field still lack a unified explanation and understanding. Therefore, the research theme of this
paper focuses on the advantages and challenges of using artificial intelligence in education. Based
on an analysis of relevant literature and survey data, this study explores the advantages and
challenges of artificial intelligence in education. The research findings indicate that artificial
intelligence can provide personalized education, offer abundant educational resources for teachers
and students, and provide timely feedback on student progress. Thus, enhancing learning outcomes.
However, the application of artificial intelligence in education still faces challenges such as funding
limitations, inadequate policy support, privacy concerns, varying levels of teacher acceptance, and
a lack of standardized curriculum. Nevertheless, the use of artificial intelligence in education holds
tremendous potential. In the future, it is necessary to formulate policy and standardization at the
national level and address issues such as information security and privacy protection to promote the
comprehensive application and development of artificial intelligence in education.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence education, challenge, advantage, primary and secondary education.

1. Introduction
The integration of artificial intelligence into education is concerned for students, teachers and
nations around the world. Various artificial intelligence educational apps have emerged one after
another in recent years [1]. The integration of artificial intelligence into teaching is an important way
for modern educational advancement. It offers numerous benefits, such as enriching the presentation
of instructional content and enhancing interaction and communication between teachers and students
[2]. Artificial intelligence technology introduces innovative ways to enhance teaching and learning
experiences, bringing better educational outcomes. This fosters a more inclusive learning
environment. However, the application of artificial intelligence in education often brings various
challenges. The development process of education is filled with uncertainty due to the integration of
artificial intelligence [3]. There is currently a lack of standardization, uniformity, and completeness
in the stage of artificial intelligence education development, which requires a rational understanding
of the challenges it faces [4]. Exploring the benefits and challenges brought by the integration of
artificial intelligence in education is meaningful for targeted solutions to its drawbacks. This study,
based on relevant literature reviews and survey data, investigates the advantages and challenges of
integrating artificial intelligence into education and attempts to analyze the current status of artificial
intelligence integration in primary and secondary education. Various benefits and challenges are
examined and analyzed. Firstly, the application of artificial intelligence in personalized learning and
related educational tools is analyzed. These advantages include enabling teachers to tailor instruction
to individual student needs, provide timely feedback, and optimize educational resources. Then,
challenges in the external environment and teaching practices are discussed, including constraints in
financial resources, absence of clear policies, privacy concerns, vague course design, varied levels of
teacher acceptance and technical limitations.

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2. Advantages of Artificial Intelligence in Assisting Teaching

2.1. Promoting Personalized Education
Flexible teaching models play a significant role in enhancing personalized education. Artificial
intelligence uploads the characteristics of each student to the intelligent platform through big data
analysis and intelligent assistance, providing personalized learning services for students [5]. Based
on the characteristics of each student, it can offer customized learning content, methods, and modes,
greatly stimulating students' inner desire to learn. With the help of intelligent platforms, teachers can
analyze and summarize personal learning information. By using artificial intelligence, they can also
gain insights into students' mastery levels and learning effectiveness in different subjects and
knowledge areas through big data analysis of their learning behaviors [5]. Based on these findings,
teachers can provide each student with a learning way that best suits them. This flexible teaching
model helps to stimulate students' interest and motivation, bringing more learning outcomes and
grades.
Artificial intelligence can create personalized learning experiences by analyzing student profiles,
identifying their strengths and weaknesses, understanding their preferred subjects and learning
activities and designing tailored learning plans for each student [6]. When artificial intelligence is
integrated into education, it offers extra support and resources to students. Intelligent tutoring systems
provide interactive and customized learning materials, offering explanations, examples, and practice
exercises tailored to individual learning styles [6]. As students use these resources, the algorithms
analyze their responses and adapt the learning content to ensure maximum comprehension.
2.2. Providing Enriched Educational Resources
By introducing a wider range of educational resources, teachers can better meet students' learning
needs and provide diverse teaching methods.
With the support of artificial intelligence, regions worldwide can use networks to share data,
enable interaction regardless of time or space and facilitate course sharing [7]. By using networks,
educational institutions can exchange information and learning materials, enabling a broader range
of resources for students and teachers. Students can engage with teachers and peers anywhere around
the world. It breaks down geographical barriers. The faster and more reliable connectivity provided
by the increasingly stable network enhances the quality of live streaming. It reduces buffering and
ensures smooth communication between teachers and students. This improvement can lead to a more
immersive and engaging online learning environment. For teachers, these resources can be stored and
disseminated through online platforms and the internet, enabling them to easily access and utilize
them.
During the process of lesson preparation, many intelligent teaching tools provide teachers with
abundant educational resources, such as Beike Net and 101 Education PPT. Among them, 101
Education PPT is an intelligent teaching tool that also offers a large number of 3D and VR teaching
resources for teachers [2]. These resources help teachers transform abstract concepts into vivid
content and stimulate students' interest and engagement in learning. By utilizing 3D and VR, teachers
can create immersive virtual scenarios. It allows students to feel like they are truly experiencing the
content of the subject and enhancing their understanding of knowledge. With 101 Education PPT,
teachers can easily create creative and interactive presentations, immersing students in the learning
process and deepening their understanding and memory of the subject matter. On Beike Net, teachers
can find various teaching materials, including presentations, quizzes and lesson plans. These
resources are carefully organized and can keep pace with the curriculum. They assist teachers in better
preparing for their lessons. Additionally, Beike Net provides online communication and sharing
features. It enables teachers to learn from each other.

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2.3. Accurate and Timely Learning Data in Providing Teaching Feedback

The application of artificial intelligence can provide accurate and timely learning data. It offers
effective teaching feedback to teachers. By analyzing big data on student learning behavior worked
by artificial intelligence, teachers can understand students' performance and identify their learning
difficulties and deficiencies on time. Teachers can then provide targeted guidance and support based
on this data [5].
In practical online teaching, teachers can use techniques, such as big data analysis, to collect
behavioral data from both teachers and students. By analyzing big data, teacher-student profiles can
be built [7]. This enables intelligent evaluation of students' learning progress. By continuously
analyzing behavioral data and monitoring students' performance, the system can identify areas where
students may weaken at. It can also identify effective teaching strategies, highlight areas that require
improvement. Based on these insights, teachers can optimize their teaching approaches. They can
provide support and interventions to help students overcome challenges and further enhance their
learning outcomes.
Intelligent teaching tools can help teachers evaluate student assignments and exam performance,
providing corresponding analysis reports to enhance the efficiency of assessment and feedback. For
example, Xiaohe is an intelligent teaching tool for K-12 education, equipped with a massive question
bank, intelligent statistics, and learning analytics functions. Through the intelligent statistical feature,
teachers can directly obtain evaluation results, saving assessment time [2].
However, it is important to note that system assessment results should serve as reference data, and
actual teaching assessments still require teachers to provide comprehensive feedback based on
students' real classroom learning situations [8]. Relying solely on system assessments as the sole
evaluation criterion should be avoided to ensure the authenticity and diversity of assessments.

3. Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Primary and Secondary School

Education from the Perspective of the External Environment
3.1. Impact of Funding Limitations
One of the major challenges of funding limitations is cost. Artificial intelligence, as a new product
in modern society, requires continuous support from advanced discoveries and knowledge for
exploration and development [9]. The development and maintenance of artificial intelligence require
substantial investment. Building and maintaining an intelligent educational tool requires a specialized
technical team and high research and development costs. Furthermore, with advancing, artificial
intelligence systems need to be constantly upgraded and updated to adapt to rapidly changing
educational needs.
Also, the ongoing training costs for staff and the continuous training required for artificial
intelligence systems during organizational process changes can be substantial [9]. Introducing
intelligent educational tools implies that teachers and other relevant personnel need to undergo
training to understand and effectively utilize these tools. This involves investing time, resources, and
training expenses. Moreover, due to the ever-changing educational environment and demands,
teachers and other personnel also need ongoing updates and training for professional knowledge and
skills.
As the scale expands and usage increases, these costs may further.
Moreover, according to surveys, 72.06% of teachers hope that schools can provide support in
purchasing AI-related products and equipment [10]. However, due to financial constraints, they are
subsequently unable to meet teachers' needs for artificial intelligence teaching tools. Particularly
economically underdeveloped regions with relatively backward educational facilities, lack sufficient
funds to purchase and maintain advanced artificial intelligence educational equipment [2].
Overall, although intelligent educational tools offer immense educational potential and
convenience for teachers, cost remains a challenge. Only when costs are decreased can the widespread

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adoption and maximum benefits of intelligent educational tools be ensured to drive the sustainable
development of intelligent educational tools. On the other hand, AI-assisted teaching programs or
platforms rely on data support. It requires strong economic resources to support. Thus, economic
costs pose a challenging factor in driving artificial intelligence development.
3.2. Degree of Policy Support and Implementation
In the process of artificial intelligence development in education, the deployment of intelligent
decision-making struggles to adapt to the complexity and variability of educational scenarios, as it
requires decision-makers to consider the collaborative interaction between artificial intelligence and
human teachers when designing educational processes [5].
The Internet education industry lacks specific legal provisions and regulations, resulting in vague
and general evaluation criteria for teachers' digital literacy and a lack of practical implementation [7].
The vague legal framework and specific legislation hinder the development of the Internet education
industry. Educational policies fail to provide concrete guidance as there is no explicit legal basis to
support and promote teachers' teaching practices, leading to a low emphasis on digital literacy among
teachers.
For comprehensive advancement of the integration of artificial intelligence with education, it is
necessary to establish visionary and regulatory policies at the national level. At the macro level,
artificial intelligence education has not yet been integrated into the five-level educational
development plans at the national, provincial, municipal, county, and school levels in China [4].
Therefore, there are policy limitations that hinder the promotion of artificial intelligence education.
Furthermore, 68.66% of teachers believe that the government should increase investment in school
informatization construction and issue relevant policy documents for guidance [10]. Such policy
frameworks can provide more specific guidance, ensuring consistent standards and directions for the
implementation of artificial intelligence education in different regions and schools.
3.3. Existence of Information Leakage Risk
With the integration of artificial intelligence in education, there may be a risk of information
leakage. Artificial intelligence collects and analyzes various types of student data to improve learning
services. However, improper use of data can lead to security issues. Survey results indicate that many
teachers and students are concerned about the personal information leakage and security risks
associated with the application of artificial intelligence in education. Only one-fifth of teachers
consider artificial intelligence trustworthy in terms of privacy information storage [10]. Therefore,
when promoting the adoption of artificial intelligence in schools, technical staff need to pay attention
to the risks and challenges of information leakage and take appropriate measures to protect personal
privacy and data security.
The concerns of teachers and students regarding the risk of information leakage are reasonable.
The risk of information leakage becomes particularly crucial in the context of applying artificial
intelligence in education. The student data collected by learning systems includes sensitive
information such as personal identities, learning behaviors, and interests. Without proper protection,
unauthorized individuals may gain access to this data. It leads to the explosion of personal privacy.
Additionally, hacker attacks and data breaches can cause threats to schools.
To address the risk of information leakage, technical staff need to implement a series of measures
to protect personal privacy, such as enhancing system security defenses and fostering awareness of
personal information protection. Only then can artificial intelligence bring greater benefits to
education and gain the trust and support from teachers and students.

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4. Challenges of the Insufficient Ability in Teaching Practice

4.1. Lack of Standardization and Completeness in Course Design
Currently, the instructional design of integrating artificial intelligence into education tends to be
casual, which has led it to be seen as an option rather than a necessity [7].
Lack of standardization and completeness in course design is a major issue that needs to be
addressed in the integration of artificial intelligence into education. Although some regions have
promoted artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools, such as Weifang and
Qingdao in Shandong province [4], it is still necessary to establish unified requirements at the national
or provincial level regarding grade levels, hours of instruction and course content. If there is a lack
of standardization and completeness in course design, it can lead to a series of issues, such as the
proliferation of textbook versions, varying quality of textbooks, inconsistency in the expertise of
textbook authors and so on [4].
When course design lacks standardization and completeness, it results in a wide range of textbook
versions available around the nation. Also, textbooks cover content with different depth and accuracy
of content. Some authors may have strong subject knowledge and pedagogical skills while others may
lack the necessary qualifications. This leads to disparities in the quality and usefulness of the
textbooks. This creates confusion for teachers and students as they struggle to select the most suitable
textbook, and it may lead to inconsistencies in the curriculum across different schools or regions.
Without standardized course design, the effectiveness of teaching and learning is hard to promise,
as students may receive inadequate or misleading course content.
Therefore, a lack of standardization and completeness in course design can damage the
effectiveness of education and create challenges for both teachers and students. Therefore, it is crucial
to ensure the consistency of educational resources in course design.
4.2. Differences in Teachers' Acceptance
Teachers' acceptance of artificial intelligence in education varies based on several factors. Some
teachers struggle to effectively integrate artificial intelligence into their teaching due to a lack of
understanding of education and teaching issues among artificial intelligence researchers. Additionally,
older teachers who haven't adapted to the "Internet+" era may not fully utilize the benefits of artificial
intelligence tools in their instruction, as many teachers lack proficiency in artificial intelligence
literacy and struggle with using intelligent teaching tools effectively, which hinders widespread
adoption [2].
Factors influencing acceptance include perception, understanding, and perceived value of artificial
intelligence in education. Higher-educated teachers and those with more teaching experience are more
likely to accept artificial intelligence education while some teachers worry about artificial intelligence
replacing human teachers and believe that artificial intelligence is imperfect and can make mistakes
[11].
From the survey results, it can be seen that some teachers have concerns and doubts about artificial
intelligence. Among them, 54.95% of teachers think that artificial intelligence cannot accomplish
what teachers do and teacher involvement is necessary; 47.74% of teachers believe that artificial
intelligence is not perfect and may make mistakes in executing tasks; and 18.44% of teachers worry
that artificial intelligence will take away job opportunities for teachers [10]. These data indicate that
some teachers show concern regarding the impact of artificial intelligence in the field of education.
Thus, it is necessary to address and resolve their concerns and doubts and to cultivate a professional
literacy framework for primary and secondary school artificial intelligence teachers to shape artificial
intelligence education awareness, artificial intelligence subject knowledge, and artificial intelligence
practical skills [12]. Furthermore, strengthening teachers' acceptance of artificial intelligence and
utilizing artificial intelligence as a teaching aid can enhance teaching effectiveness and improve
students' learning experiences.

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4.3. Technological Constraints in the Development and Application

The development and application of artificial intelligence in education are subject to technological
constraints. One limitation lies in the current artificial intelligence teaching tools. They lack a specific
software program and fail to fully meet teachers' needs. Although artificial intelligence enhances
education by providing instructional content and abundant resources, it overlooks emotional
communication with students [13]. It limits students' comprehensive development.
Also, areas like image and speech recognition are not accurate enough, which need constant
improvement [13]. The need for constant improvement is essential as it ensures that artificial
intelligence can accurately interpret and understand visual and auditory inputs, providing more
effective assistance in education.

5. Conclusion
This study evaluates the current status of integrating artificial intelligence into education. It aims
to clarify the advantages and challenges of incorporating artificial intelligence into primary and
secondary school education.
The integration of artificial intelligence in education holds great potential for transforming the
learning experience and improving educational outcomes. Flexible teaching models powered by
artificial intelligence and big data analysis enable personalized learning experiences for students. The
use of intelligent teaching tools and platforms facilitates access to diverse resources and promotes
collaboration among teachers. By analyzing learning data, artificial intelligence can provide accurate
feedback and targeted guidance for students' individual needs as well as send related information to
the teachers on time.
However, several challenges need to be addressed for the widespread adoption and maximum
benefits of artificial intelligence in education. Funding limitations hinder the development and
maintenance of artificial intelligence systems, limiting their accessibility, especially in economically
underdeveloped regions. The lack of specific policies and regulations contributes to vague evaluation
criteria for teachers' digital literacy and a lack of practical implementation.
Moreover, the concerns about information leakage and security risks must be addressed to build
trust among teachers and students. Standardization in course design is crucial to ensure consistency
and quality in educational resources. Due to teachers' concerns, their acceptance of artificial
intelligence varies, making it challenging for artificial intelligence to be integrated into education
constantly.
Finally, despite the numerous benefits of artificial intelligence, its integration into education faces
various challenges and limitations. However, its potential is vast. As mentioned in this research
literature, it is important to analyze issues such as funding constraints, lack of policies and regulations,
privacy leaks, vague course design, different teacher acceptance, and technological limitations. In the
future, solutions to these problems can facilitate further research on this topic.

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