Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Drama in ELT: Pathways to Sustainable Teacher Education

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed educational practices, yet its integration with experiential pedagogies such as drama remains underexplored in English Language Teaching (ELT), particularly in pre-service teacher education. This study examines how AI-supported drama pedagogy contributes to the professional development of pre-service English teachers, focusing on reflective practice, pedagogical adaptability, creativity, intercultural awareness, and sustainability-oriented teaching perspectives. Grounded in sociocultural theory, experiential learning, and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the research adopts an interpretive qualitative case study design conducted over a 12-week elective course titled “Drama in ELT” at a foundation university in Istanbul, Türkiye. Participants included 40 second-year pre-service teachers, with 15 volunteers taking part in semi-structured focus group interviews. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and focus groups and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four interrelated themes emerged: creativity and pedagogical innovation, intercultural awareness and empathy, problem-solving and adaptability, and reflective professional growth with ethical awareness. Findings suggest that AI acted as a mediational scaffold that enriched drama-based learning while preserving human agency. The study concludes that integrating AI with drama offers a meaningful model for sustainable teacher education aligned with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

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