Generative AI · Education leadership

Actionable companion · Assessment and evidence of learning

From evidence to district action: Using Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer for teaching and learning: A survey among health professions educators

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. The district actions are proposed applications, not findings or recommendations attributed to the original authors. No additional peer review is asserted.

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Evidence and context

Health-professions education context: test transfer to K–12 rather than assuming it.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the linked source license:

Background Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) has the potential to transform Health Professions Education (HPE), but its integration into educational practice is likely to be influenced by the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health professions educators. The aim was to assess these educators’ knowledge and awareness, attitudes and practices regarding ChatGPT. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a large teaching hospital using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected and analysed quantitatively to compare responses across professional groups. Results A convenience sample of 360 healthcare professionals was recruited, comprising medical practitioners (MPs) (46.4%), health and rehabilitation sciences practitioners (HRSP) (13.3%) and nursing practitioners (NP) (40.3%). Most participants (n = 233; 64.9%) were aged 31–50 years and self-identified as female (n = 242; 67.4%). Awareness of ChatGPT was higher among MPs (98.8%) and HRSPs (95.8%), compared with NPs (65.5%). More than half of the respondents (55.3%) agreed that ChatGPT improves teaching and learning and that students should use it (54.9%), while 81.9% supported its further development. Concerns included incorrect information (63.2%), plagiarism (78.0%) and reduced independent thinking (64.5%). The current use was low (34.9%) and only 20 (19.0%) had received prior training. Most respondents reported easy access (81.7%) and requested further training (92.5%). Conclusion Differences in knowledge, attitudes and practices exist among health professionals and may influence the integration of ChatGPT into HPE. Further research and targeted artificial intelligence (AI) literacy programmes are recommended to support its implementation. Contribution The study provided valuable insights that could contribute to the development of AI-inclusive curricula in HPE.

A 90-day district pilot

  1. Days 1–15 · Appraise. Have the curriculum lead and a teacher read the methods and limitations. Record the study design, sample, comparator, outcomes and evidence gaps. Define a local question that the study can help inform.
  2. Days 16–30 · Design. Redesign one low-stakes assessment: require a first attempt, an AI-assisted revision, a source-check log and a short oral explanation. Use the same rubric for the comparison task. Name an accountable owner and set the baseline, success threshold and budget before implementation.
  3. Days 31–60 · Test. Start with a small voluntary cohort, preserve an accessible non-AI route and require teacher review. Use synthetic or de-identified examples; approve data handling and tool terms through district processes.
  4. Days 61–90 · Decide. Blind-score reasoning, factual accuracy and unaided transfer on a fresh task. Record suspected misconduct separately from demonstrated evidence. Compare with baseline, document uncertainty and stop or revise if learning worsens, access is unequal or critical errors persist.

The board decision brief

Report the learning problem, evidence quality, participating population, total cost including review time, measured benefit, errors, access differences and remaining uncertainties. Make a dated recommendation to stop, revise or expand. A positive perception survey alone does not establish learning improvement.

Attribution and reuse

Niren R. Maharaj; Christolene M.B. Saaiman; Dirk T. Hagemeister. Using Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer for teaching and learning: A survey among health professions educators. Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (2026-08-10). https://doi.org/10.4102/jcmsa.v4i1.442

Companion prepared 2026-10-30. Original authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract is an attributed source extract; the implementation plan is new AI-assisted editorial material, offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license. This guide has not undergone independent peer review.