Abstract
The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is gathering increasing interest in teacher education; however, there is a lack of research examining how preservice teachers (PSTs) comprehend and engage with GenAI as both learners and prospective educators. Leveraging a technoskeptical perspective, this descriptive case study examines PSTs' perceptions of and experiences with GenAI. Relying on qualitative methods and inspired by recent speculative Ed-Tech research, we conducted semi-structured interviews with twenty-three PSTs to explore: (1) How do PSTs perceive the utility and challenges of GenAI? and (2) How do PSTs anticipate GenAI shaping their future classrooms and careers? We use thematic analysis to identify three themes, including PSTs' perceptions of (1) GenAI utility, (2) GenAI challenges, and (3) GenAI's impact on future classrooms. The first theme explores PSTs' pragmatic uses of GenAI, including their use to support brainstorming, feedback, and the organization of ideas. The second theme identifies the challenges that GenAI has posed to the PSTs' learning, including risks of overreliance and cognitive offloading, as well as impacts on the relational nature of their learning. The final theme explores the evolution of PSTs' perception as they consider GenAI's impact on the field of education and their future classroom. The findings indicate how PSTs' views are complicated and nuanced and have implications for policy, the design of PST training, and demand foresight into how teaching is envisioned in the near future.