| dc.description.abstract | In Bangladesh, learning a second language has always been a struggle for students,
particularly those with special needs. However, the amalgamation of AI tools in teaching
practices has made education accessible and an inclusive learning experience. The AI-driven
platforms identify the needs of learners and personalize the learning materials based on them.
Despite these advancements in AI technologies, there is limited research on the extent to
which teachers working in special needs schools are aware of the usage of AI tools in English
language teaching. Moreover, previous studies have shown that teachers are increasingly
employing AI tools for teaching typical students, but not the students with special needs in
Bangladesh. This research study explores teachers’ perceptions and willingness to
incorporate AI tools for teaching English to speakers of other languages who are visually
impaired, hearing impaired, and on the autism spectrum. This research study has used both
online surveys and interviews to collect information regarding the perception and viewpoints
of integrating AI tools to teach students with disabilities. The data is gathered from English
language teachers residing in Chittagong and Dhaka. The findings indicate that although
many teachers are aware of AI tools, they do not have enough knowledge to use them for
teaching special needs students. Teachers have mixed responses regarding the usage of AI
tools. Some were overjoyed and curious about their potential benefits, while some were
hesitant to use them in a real-life classroom. The latter group was worried that if teachers
became more reliant on AI, this could weaken the traditional teaching pedagogies. | en_US |
