Abstract

This study investigated school administrators’ perception of Artificial Intelligence for quality assurance in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised administrators from selected public and private secondary schools, from which a sample of 214 respondents was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s sampling formula. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled School Administrators’ Perception of Artificial Intelligence for Quality Assurance Questionnaire (SAPAIQAQ). The instrument was validated by experts, and reliability was established through internal consistency measures. Descriptive statistics were used to answer the research questions, while chi-square, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a high level of awareness and understanding of AI among administrators, a strongly positive perception of AI’s usefulness for quality assurance, and significant challenges influencing AI acceptance. Inferential results showed statistically significant awareness levels, differences in perception between public and private school administrators, and significant variation in the influence of identified challenges. The study concluded that although administrators demonstrate readiness to adopt AI for quality assurance, infrastructural, technical and policy-related barriers remain critical. The study recommends targeted capacity-building, infrastructural investment and policy support to enhance sustainable AI integration in secondary education quality assurance systems