Exploring Culturally Responsive Teaching Awareness in the Age of GenAI: Voices from Indonesian EFL Pre-Service Teachers

Eni Rosnija (Department of English Language Education, Universitas Tanjungpura)
Eka Fajar Rahmani (Department of Mandarin Language Education, Universitas Tanjungpura)
Dewi Novita (Department of Indonesian Language Education, Universitas Tanjungpura)
Nindya Juwita Utimadini (Surrey Institute of Education, University of Surrey)

Jurnal Pendidikan Progresif
Vol 16, No 4 (2026): Jurnal Pendidikan Progresif

This study explores pre-service EFL teachers’ awareness of integrating GenAI into CRT in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 35 final-semester pre-service EFL teachers and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Interview analysis reveals four interconnected dimensions of awareness: cognitive, pedagogical, critical/evaluative, and developmental. Participants recognized GenAI's limitations in representing local cultural knowledge, struggled to design culturally responsive prompts, and demonstrated the ability to identify cultural biases and inaccuracies in AI outputs. They also emphasized the need for practical training and institutional support to effectively integrate GenAI into culturally responsive learning. Based on these findings, this study proposes Culturally Responsive AI Literacy as a conceptual extension of AI literacy, positioning technical competence, critical evaluation, cultural knowledge, and pedagogical decision-making as integrated competencies. Keywords: culturally responsive teaching, generative AI, AI literacy, pre-service EFL teachers, teacher education.