Artificial Intelligence and the Flipped Classroom: Lecturer Perceptions in a South African Private Higher Education Institution
Keywords:
Artificial intelligence; flipped classroom; lecturer adoption; private higher education (South Africa); UTAUT frameworkAbstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping higher education by creating new opportunities for content development, student engagement and instructional practice. In South African private?higher education, however, AI integration is shaped by concerns related to lecturer readiness, ethical use and institutional support. This qualitative case study explores how lecturers perceive the use of AI within the flipped classroom, a model that emphasises active, student?centred learning. Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study draws on semi?structured interviews with 11 lecturers, analysed using thematic analysis informed by Braun and Clarke (2019) and Saldaña (2013). The study contributes to understanding how lecturers interpret and navigate the pedagogical use of AI within flipped?classroom practices in a South African private?higher?education context. The findings indicate cautious optimism. AI is valued primarily for supporting pre?class preparation through lesson planning, resource development and content generation, rather than facilitating in?class active learning. Concerns were raised about student over?reliance, superficial learning and the need for pedagogical support. Effort expectancy was shaped by time pressures and tool overload rather than technical difficulty, while peer support and institutional conditions strongly influence adoption.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.5.46
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