Conversing with Non-Human: A Narrative Inquiry on the Use of Meta AI and Canva among Public School Teachers

Abstract

Anchored in narrative inquiry as a meaning-making process, this study restoryed and examined the narratives of 10 elementary school teachers in Laguna, exploring how they communicate with digital tools like Meta AI and Canva and how these tools shape their instructional practices. Although AI's role in the education landscape is increasing, only a few studies have explored teachers’ engagement with these applications and the motivation behind it. The effects that take place after interacting with these applications contribute to the personal changes in the teachers’ new reality, prompting the need for this study. Teachers’ utilization of the application was based on the perceived role and identity AI has in their lives, from being a mentor, doctor, personal assistant, etc., executing human-capable roles; nevertheless, using the information generated by AI is at the teachers’ discretion and trust of AI's capability, understanding AI has its limitations. Findings revealed that teachers primarily use AI for lesson planning, generating visual aids, and simplifying content preparation. They described prompting AI as an interactive, trial-and-error communication process that requires critical judgment. Teachers noted that AI helped them shift from traditional to digital methods, but also expressed skepticism about the accuracy and appropriateness of AI-generated outputs. The study also showed that AI reshapes teachers’ professional identity by expanding their role as content curators and decision-makers, rather than solely as authors. Human autonomy strengthens the regulation of AI application usage. These experiences shape the design of teaching materials and teachers’ openness to integrating emerging technologies into instruction.