Dr. Areej ElSayary

Societal Question 3: How Should Humans Adapt to Artificial Intelligence?

This body of work captures a critical juncture in human history, the first years of widespread AI integration in educational settings. The research moves from early, exploratory investigations of how teachers and students perceive and respond to generative AI tools toward the development of validated instruments, AI literacy frameworks, and evidence-based pedagogies for intentional human-AI collaboration. Across both milestones, a consistent argument emerges: productive adaptation to AI is not passive or automatic; it requires cultivated competencies, ethical awareness, and deliberate institutional design. The publications collectively chart what that purposeful adaptation looks like in practice.

Research Areas: Human-AI Adaptive Agency | AI Literacy | Human-AI Collaboration | Prompt Engineering | AI Ethics | AI Adoption | Responsible AI

Milestone 1 (2023–2024)
Milestone 2 (2025–2026)

Milestone 1 (2023–2024): First Contact: Understanding AI Adoption, ChatGPT, and GenAI in Educational Contexts

At the moment generative AI first entered classrooms, this phase captured how teachers and students perceived and responded to ChatGPT and GenAI tools. Studies explored how socio-cultural and demographic factors shaped AI accessibility in the UAE and documented initial concerns about academic integrity, establishing the baseline evidence needed for subsequent AI literacy and responsible-use research.

Journal Articles

  • ElSayary, A. (2023). An Investigation of Teachers’ Perceptions of Using ChatGPT as a Supporting Tool for Teaching and Learning in the Digital Era. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12926
  • Hojeij, Z., Kuhail., M. & ElSayary, A. (2024). Investigating In-Service Teachers’ Views on ChatGPT Integration. Interactive Technology and Smart Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-04-2024-0094
  • Shomotova A., Husain S., Elsayary A., Das A., Muschert G. (2024). Impact of Socio-Cultural and Demographic Factors on Gen AI Accessibility, Usability, and Applicability in the UAE. The Russian Sociological Review, 23(4), 140-172.

Milestone 2 (2025–2026): Deepening Human-AI Adaptation: AI Literacy, Prompt Engineering, and Responsible Use

This phase moved from perception to practice, producing validated instruments for measuring GenAI use behaviors, frameworks for developing AI literacy, and evidence-based pedagogies for prompt engineering. Research also examined AI’s implications for curriculum adaptation, research integrity in higher education, and self-regulated learning, building a comprehensive argument for deliberate, ethics-centered human-AI adaptation.

Journal Articles

  • Shomotova, A., ElSayary, A., & Husain, S. (2025). What shapes students’ AI literacy? Investigating digital competence, student background, and GenAI use in higher education. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13832-x
  • Shomotova, A., Husain, S., & Elsayary, A. (2025). Validation of the GenAI Usage Scale (GAIUS) and the role of demographics in academic dishonesty in higher education. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2025.2603622
  • ElSayary, A., Kuhail, M. A., & Hojeij, Z. (2025). Examining the role of prompt engineering in utilizing generative AI tools for lesson planning: insights from teachers’ experiences and perceptions. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/hbe2/9986139
  • ElSayary, A. (2026). The impact of generative AI training on teachers’ curriculum adaptation using reflective practices. Discover Artificial Intelligence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-026-01456-0
  • Saleh, D., & ElSayary, A. (2026). Generative AI use and self-learning in higher education: the role of learning difficulties. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1737928
  • Shomotova, A., ElSayary, A. (2026). AI Use and Research Integrity in Higher Education: Faculty Perspectives on Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, and Misconduct. Higher Education Quarterly, 80(3), art. no. e70136. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70136

Conference Papers

  • Shamsi, S. A., Hamami, R. A., Ali, S., & ElSayary, A. (2025). Impacts of AI usage ethically on students. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Society and Information Technologies (ICSIT 2025), 55-62. https://doi.org/10.54808/icsit2025.01.55

Book Chapters

  • ElSayary, A. & Kuhail, M. (2025). Employing Generative AI in Education: A Prompt Engineering Approach to Develop AI Literacy for Educators and Students. In Kuhail, M., Mohamad, M., Hamad, R. & Bahja, M. (Eds.), Unleashing User Innovation: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on End-User Development and Generative AI. Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003485698-5
  • Shomotova, A., ElSayary, A. & Husain, S. (2025). From Theory to Practice: Enhancing GenAI Fluency with Insights from Instructors’ Reflections. In Kuhail, M., Mohamad, M., Hamad, R. & Bahja, M. (Eds.), Unleashing User Innovation: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on End-User Development and Generative AI. Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003485698-7
  • ElSayary, A. & Ragab, K. (2026). Human Collaboration in the Age of AI: Building Responsible Digital Competencies in Education. In Integrity, Assessment, and Collaboration in the AI Classroom (pp. 31-70). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-2600-0328-2.ch002
  • Hojeij, Z. & ElSayary, A. (2026). Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Applications, Ethical Challenges, and Strategic Pathways for Institutional Transformation. In Integrity, Assessment, and Collaboration in the AI Classroom (pp.157-190). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-2600-0328-2.ch006

Books (Edited Volumes)