Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education, but its effectiveness depends on how educators perceive, adopt, and psychologically respond to the technology. This study examines the effects of educators’ perception of AI and AI adoption on self-reported educators’ performance through AI readiness and psychological well-being. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model, Readiness for Change Theory, and the Job Demands–Resources framework, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 121 educators at private higher education institutions in North Sumatra, Indonesia, using purposive sampling of active educators. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Educators’ perception of AI and AI adoption positively influenced AI readiness and psychological well-being. Psychological well-being was positively associated with self-reported educators’ performance and carried the indirect effects of perception and AI adoption, whereas AI readiness did not directly predict performance or mediate the proposed relationships. Within the estimated model, the statistical pathway through psychological well-being was stronger than the pathway through AI readiness. Because all constructs were measured concurrently through the same self-report questionnaire, the magnitude of these associations should be interpreted cautiously. The findings support combining AI infrastructure and training with mentoring, workload support, ethical guidance, and educator well-being initiatives.
First Page
140
Last Page
160
Ethics Approval
Yes
Declaration Statement
The authors declare that all participants provided informed consent, and the data supporting this study are available upon reasonable request. This research was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia under the Dosen Pemula Research Grant (DRTPM 2025). The authors report no conflict of interest, and this manuscript does not involve clinical trials or reproduced materials from other sources.
Recommended Citation
Pohan, F., Siregar, D., & Siregar, M. (2026). Artificial intelligence in higher education: How educators’ perception, readiness, and well-being shape performance. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE), 19(3), 140-160. https://doi.org/10.18785/jetde.1903.07
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
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