Educare all’Intelligenza Artificiale nei contesti 0-6: esperienze immersive e riflessività sinestetica nella formazione dei docenti di sostegno

This study examines how experiential, synesthetic, and pedagogically grounded engagement with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools influences acceptance, attitudes, and usage intentions among pre-service teachers in early childhood education. Grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study implemented a structured training intervention involving 35 postgraduate students enrolled in the Special Education Teacher Training Program (TFA) at the University of Foggia during the 2023–2024 academic year. The program integrated reflective activities, collaborative work, and inclusive instructional design mediated by AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity), fostering embodied, dialogic, and multisensory forms of learning. Participants completed UTAUT-based questionnaires before and after the intervention and developed instructional units oriented toward differentiation and the sensory ecology of learning. Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements across all UTAUT dimensions, with particularly strong gains in performance expectancy (t(34) = 4.53, p <.001) and effort expectancy (t(34) = 3.91, p < .001), indicating increased confidence and perceived usability of AI tools. The collaborative learning experience also strengthened social influence and contributed to a reconceptualization of AI from an abstract, algorithmic technology to a generative pedagogical resource capable of activating cognitive, emotional, and creative processes. Nevertheless, persistent challenges related to institutional and infrastructural support highlight the need for a systemic approach to educational innovation.