Kabir Sharma, Pratibha Rai
This study explores how online educators in Indian higher education interpret and experience the integration of ChatGPT in their teaching practice. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, in-depth interviews were conducted with 38 educators from diverse higher education institutions to examine both enabling and constraining aspects of ChatGPT use. Participants described the tool as supporting instructional efficiency, particularly in relation to teaching preparation and student engagement. Moreover, educators expressed concerns regarding data privacy, content reliability, academic integrity, and the risk of excessive student dependence on AI-generated outputs. Uncertainty surrounding institutional policies and assessment guidelines leads to cautious and selective adoption. From an interpretive perspective, the findings suggest that educators view ChatGPT not simply as a technical resource but as a tool that requires ongoing professional judgment and ethical consideration. By foregrounding educators’ lived experiences, this study addresses an important gap in the literature, particularly within the Indian online higher education context, where qualitative evidence on faculty engagement with generative AI remains limited.