ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON THE REPLACEMENT OF UNIVERSITY LECTURERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

This study assessed the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the replacement of university lecturers in the 21st century. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was conducted in Cross River State, Nigeria, involving all 47 lecturers from the University of Calabar (32) and the University of Cross River State (15). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Potential Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Replacement of University Lecturers Questionnaire (PIAIRULQ), comprising 16 items across two key variables: AI’s impact on teaching tasks and AI-driven assessment redesign. Responses were measured on a four-point Likert scale and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent t-tests at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that AI moderately substitutes routine teaching tasks—such as content preparation, grading, and feedback—enhancing lecturers’ time management and instructional quality without replacing their uniquely human roles. Assessment redesign using AI supports lecturers’ mentorship, ethical guidance, and higher-order instructional functions. Gender was found to influence perceptions of task-level substitution, whereas institutional type did not significantly affect views on human instructional indispensability. The study concludes that AI functions as an augmentative tool in university teaching. It is recommended that universities adopt AI to streamline routine tasks, provide training for lecturers, establish clear AI policies, and monitor its impact on teaching and learning to ensure effective human-centered integration.