Friend, tool, or threat? High school students’ and teachers’ perspectives on AI in learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in secondary education, yet itsimpact on high school students and teachers remains underexplored. This studyemployed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to investigate AI adoption,attitudes, and concerns among 545 students and 24 teachers in Kashmir, India.Quantitative results, grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model and SocioculturalLearning Theory, showed that sociocultural and self-perceived learning emerged asthe strongest predictors of positive attitudes, followed by ease of use and usefulness,while ethical concerns had a minor negative influence. Qualitative interviews revealedoptimism about AI’s potential but highlighted risks related to plagiarism, over-reliance, and assessment authenticity. Findings point to the need for AI literacy,ethical training, and clear institutional policies to guide responsible integration. Thisstudy contributes one of the first comprehensive accounts of adolescent and teacherperspectives on AI in high school learning, offering evidence-based recommendationsfor pedagogy and policy.