Bridging the trust gap: A mixed-methods study of United Kingdom educators' perceptions of generative artificial intelligence in higher education assessment
Campbell-Karn, Kevin (2026) Bridging the trust gap: A mixed-methods study of United Kingdom educators' perceptions of generative artificial intelligence in higher education assessment. Research in Learning Technology journal. ISSN 2156-7077 (In Press)
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Abstract
Situated against the backdrop of an evolving regulatory landscape, this study investigates the perceptions of United Kingdom university educators regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence in summative assessment. Through a mixed-methods survey of 330 academic staff, the research identifies a significant gap between high levels of digital literacy and low evaluative trust. While respondents report high familiarity with AI tools, confidence in the ability of artificial intelligence to provide fair or nuanced marks remains low. Qualitative analysis of open text questions reveals a nuance crisis where educators perceive these systems as incapable of comprehending complex student submissions. The findings reveal significant gender disparities in technical proficiency; however, a universal trust gap regarding evaluative fairness persists across all teaching experience levels, regardless of seniority and argue for a shift toward performative and synchronous assessments to safeguard academic integrity.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Keywords: | Artificial intelligence, Generative AI, Academic assessment, Higher education, Teacher perceptions, UK universities, Technology acceptance. |
| Divisions: | Directorates > Student Success |
| Depositing User: | Jessie McLean |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Oct 2026 10:49 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Oct 2026 11:03 |
| URI: | https://bnu.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/21582 |
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