Generative AI Adoption Among Spanish Teachers: Perceived Knowledge, Attitudes, Training, and Institutional Differences

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping educational practice while raising pedagogical, ethical, and professional challenges. This study examined Spanish teachers’ self-reported GenAI tool use, perceived knowledge, perceptions and attitudes, and training-related experiences and orientations. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 838 teachers from primary, secondary, vocational, and higher education, recruited through non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected using an adapted and extended 47-item questionnaire comprising three scales derived from CAPIAG-P and a nine-item modality-based GenAI Tool Use scale developed for this study. Internal consistency was good to excellent (Cronbach’s α = 0.827–0.930). Descriptive statistics, Holm-adjusted non-parametric comparisons, Dunn–Holm post hoc tests, effect sizes, and hierarchical multiple regression with HC3 robust standard errors were applied. Use was concentrated mainly on text-to-text applications, whereas perceived GenAI knowledge was moderate. Teachers positively evaluated several educational applications but expressed reservations about critical thinking, educational quality, and replacement of the teaching role. They reported limited previous training and strong agreement with predefined pedagogical and ethical professional-development priorities. Perceived GenAI knowledge was most strongly associated with tool use, followed by perceptions and attitudes; training was not independently associated with use. The final model explained 42.0% of the variance. This pattern remained in a sensitivity analysis excluding knowledge items with the clearest behavioral overlap, although explained variance decreased to 37.7%. Holm-adjusted group differences by sex, school ownership, and teaching level were small, while none remained by age or experience. The findings support equitable institutional provision and continuous, pedagogically and ethically grounded professional development.