Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology
Embracing the unknown and the novel: Can personality traits shape a teacher's approach to ChatGPT?
Deniz Kılavuz 1 2 * , Enisa Mede 2 3
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1 Özyeğin University, Çekmeköy Campus Nişantepe District, Orman Street, 34794 Çekmeköy, İstanbul, Türkiye
2 Özyeğin University
3 Bahçeşehir University, Çırağan Street Osmanpaşa Mektebi Street No: 4 - 6 34353 Beşiktaş, İstanbul, Türkiye
* Corresponding Author
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Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2025 - Volume 7 Issue 3, pp. 91-107
https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202535337

Article Type: Research Article

Published Online: 13 Sep 2025

Views: 7 | Downloads: 2

ABSTRACT
This study, conducted in 2024 at a foundation university in Istanbul, Türkiye, examined the relationship between English for Academic Purposes instructors’ personality traits and their integration of ChatGPT into teaching practices. A convergent concurrent mixed-methods design was employed, allowing for the simultaneous collection and separate analysis of quantitative and qualitative data before merging the results for interpretation. In the quantitative phase, 111 English for Academic Purposes instructors were recruited through convenience sampling to complete an online survey measuring their attitudes toward ChatGPT use and personality traits such as Openness to Experience and Ambiguity Tolerance. In the qualitative phase, 8 instructors were selected via purposeful sampling for semi-structured interviews, ensuring variation in personality profiles relevant to the study focus. Quantitative findings indicated that openness, conscientiousness, and ambiguity tolerance significantly influenced instructors’ willingness to integrate ChatGPT into their teaching. Qualitative insights further revealed that while instructors appreciated ChatGPT's support in lesson planning and language instruction, many expressed ethical and pedagogical concerns. These included fears of diminishing student creativity, the risk of overreliance, and the challenge of aligning Artificial Intelligence tools with learning outcomes. The integration of both data sets enabled a richer understanding of how individual personality traits shape educators’ perceptions and use of Artificial Intelligence technologies. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on digital pedagogy by offering practical insights for all stakeholders of education, suggesting that personality-aware strategies may support more thoughtful and effective adoption of Artificial Intelligence in academic contexts.       
KEYWORDS
In-text citation: (Kılavuz & Mede, 2025)
Reference: Kılavuz, D., & Mede, E. (2025). Embracing the unknown and the novel: Can personality traits shape a teacher's approach to ChatGPT?. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 7(3), 91-107. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202535337
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Kılavuz D, Mede E. Embracing the unknown and the novel: Can personality traits shape a teacher's approach to ChatGPT?. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology. 2025;7(3), 91-107. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202535337
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Kılavuz D, Mede E. Embracing the unknown and the novel: Can personality traits shape a teacher's approach to ChatGPT?. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology. 2025;7(3):91-107. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202535337
In-text citation: (Kılavuz and Mede, 2025)
Reference: Kılavuz, Deniz, and Enisa Mede. "Embracing the unknown and the novel: Can personality traits shape a teacher's approach to ChatGPT?". Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology 2025 7 no. 3 (2025): 91-107. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202535337
In-text citation: (Kılavuz and Mede, 2025)
Reference: Kılavuz, D., and Mede, E. (2025). Embracing the unknown and the novel: Can personality traits shape a teacher's approach to ChatGPT?. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 7(3), pp. 91-107. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202535337
In-text citation: (Kılavuz and Mede, 2025)
Reference: Kılavuz, Deniz et al. "Embracing the unknown and the novel: Can personality traits shape a teacher's approach to ChatGPT?". Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, vol. 7, no. 3, 2025, pp. 91-107. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202535337
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