The Hypotheses

H1: Higher levels of AI integration in lesson planning and automated grading are associated with increased feelings of alienation from the products of their labour among teachers, resulting in a diminished sense of ownership over educational outcomes.

H1a: The relationship between AI integration in educational tasks and alienation from the products of labour is stronger among high school teachers compared to university teachers.

Rationale: AI-driven lesson planning and grading systems reduce teachers' control and involvement in students' learning outcomes (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019; Selwyn, 2019), potentially leading to feelings of disconnection from the products of their labour. High school teachers may experience this more acutely due to more standardised curricula and assessments (Holmes et al., 2019).

H2: Increased reliance on AI for instructional delivery and classroom management is associated with higher levels of perceived alienation from the labour process among teachers, due to reduced autonomy and professional judgement.

H2a: The negative impact of AI reliance on alienation from the labour process is more pronounced among high school teachers than university teachers.

Rationale: AI technologies that standardise teaching methods limit teachers' autonomy (Knox, 2020; Williamson & Eynon, 2020). High school teachers may be more affected due to tighter curricular controls compared to university educators, who often have greater instructional freedom (Smith & Anderson, 2020).

H3: Higher levels of AI involvement in personalising student feedback and providing emotional support are associated with greater feelings of self-estrangement among teachers, diminishing their sense of professional fulfilment and alienating them from their species-being.

H3a: University teachers will experience less alienation from species-being due to AI integration compared to high school teachers.

Rationale: When AI systems assume roles involving creative and relational tasks, teachers may experience self-estrangement (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019; Williamson & Eynon, 2020). University educators often engage in research and advanced knowledge creation, providing alternative avenues for professional fulfilment less impacted by AI (Perrotta & Selwyn, 2020).

H4: Increased use of AI-mediated communication tools in education is positively associated with teachers' feelings of social isolation, leading to heightened alienation from students and colleagues.

H4a: High school teachers will report higher levels of alienation from others due to AI-mediated communication than university teachers.

Rationale: AI-mediated communication may reduce face-to-face interactions, weakening relational bonds essential for effective teaching (Selwyn, 2019; Lynch, 2020). High school teachers, who typically have more direct interaction with students and pastoral responsibilities, may be more affected by this isolation (Vangrieken et al., 2015).