Teaching with Passion, Assessing with Reluctance in the Age of AI: Exploring Educators Experiences of Teaching, Marking, and Algorithmic Assistance

Abstract

This study explores educators’ experiences of teaching and assessment in the age of artificial intelligence, focusing on the tension between passion for teaching and reluctance toward marking. Teaching is often experienced as intrinsically rewarding, while assessment is frequently associated with workload, stress, and emotional labour. With the increasing integration of AI tools—such as automated grading systems and generative feedback technologies—these dynamics are being reshaped in complex ways.Using a survey-based design, the study captures educators’ perceptions of teaching, marking, and AI use in their everyday practice. Data are analysed quantitatively using composite scales to examine relationships between teaching passion, assessment reluctance, AI engagement, and well-being outcomes.The findings highlight how AI can both alleviate and reconfigure assessment-related labour, reducing some burdens while introducing new professional, ethical, and cognitive demands. The study offers insights into sustainable teaching practices and informs institutional strategies to better support educators in an evolving, AI-mediated educational landscape

Keywords: Teaching, Assessment, AI

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008132