AI-Driven Curriculum Transformation in Education: A Comparative Study of Teacher Readiness in Indonesia and Malaysia

Abstract

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education requires teachers to develop competencies that extend beyond technological familiarity toward meaningful pedagogical integration. This study aims to compare teachers’ AI readiness in Indonesia and Malaysia by examining AI Literacy and AI-TPACK and identifying whether technological understanding and pedagogical integration develop in the same direction. A quantitative comparative design was employed involving 600 teachers, consisting of 300 respondents from Indonesia and 300 from Malaysia. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire measuring AI Literacy, AI-TPACK, Ethical AI Awareness, Institutional Support, Teacher Readiness, and AI-Driven Curriculum Transformation. Descriptive analysis and Welch’s independent-samples t-test were used to examine differences between the two countries. The findings reveal a contrasting pattern of AI readiness. Malaysian teachers demonstrated higher AI Literacy, whereas Indonesian teachers demonstrated higher AI-TPACK, with both differences being statistically significant. This finding indicates that stronger AI knowledge and technological familiarity do not necessarily correspond to stronger pedagogical integration. The study contributes to the extension of TPACK theory into the AI context by proposing a dual-dimensional perspective of teacher AI readiness, in which AI Literacy provides the technological foundation while AI-TPACK represents the capacity to translate AI knowledge into meaningful pedagogical and curricular practice. The findings highlight the importance of context-sensitive teacher development rather than a technology-first approach.