ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH: METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS

Abstract

This article analyzes the methodological changes emerging in the organization of prospective teachers’ research activities as a result of the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into the pedagogical research process. The primary focus of the study is not on describing the technical capabilities of artificial intelligence, but rather on identifying the impact of these tools on prospective teachers’ abilities to identify research problems, formulate research questions, search for and evaluate scholarly information, analyze evidence, draw independent conclusions, and reflectively evaluate their own research activities. The study integrates systemic, activity-based, competency-based, learner-centered, and reflective approaches as its methodological foundations. The perspectives of Uzbek researchers on artificial intelligence and pedagogical education were comparatively analyzed alongside international scholarly approaches. The findings substantiate the view that artificial intelligence should not be regarded as a distracting agent in prospective teachers’ research activities, but rather as an intellectual tool that supports certain stages of scientific inquiry. The study proposes the sequence of “technological assistance – critical verification – independent scholarly conclusion” as an important methodological condition for developing prospective teachers’ research skills.

Keywords

artificial intelligence, pedagogical research, prospective teacher, research activities, research skills, methodological approach, critical thinking, reflection, academic integrity, digital competence.