CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES ON AI IN EDUCATION

Abstract

The chapter begins by establishing a theoretical framework for analyzing cultural influences on educational technology adoption, drawing from Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, educational anthropology, and technology acceptance models. It explores how fundamental cultural values—including power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, and long-term orientation—directly impact how different societies approach AI in educational contexts. Regional case studies illuminate distinct patterns of AI adoption across cultural zones. The analysis reveals how East Asian educational systems, characterized by high-stakes testing cultures and teacher-centred pedagogies, have rapidly embraced AI for administrative efficiency and standardized assessment, while simultaneously expressing concerns about its impact on traditional values of discipline and respect for authority. The chapter investigates how indigenous knowledge systems and postcolonial educational contexts present unique challenges and opportunities for AI integration. It examines resistance to AI technologies that may threaten oral traditions, place-based learning, and community-centred educational practices, while also exploring how AI might be adapted to preserve and transmit cultural knowledge.