TDNet Discover

The purpose of this qualitative action research study is to investigate staff and administration’s perceptions of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and impact to students’ critical thinking skills, and how those perceptions shape organizational policy related to GenAI use during synchronous learning activities at The Hub. The Hub is an online microschool supporting adolescents in self-directed education (SDE), using facilitators to guide synchronous, discussionbased learning sessions for small cohorts of students (TheHub.community, 2026). For the utility of this study, staff and administration’s perceptions of GenAI’s impact on critical thinking skills will generally be defined as how the team understands and experiences GenAI as a thought partner, which shapes organizational policy at The Hub relative to GenAI use. The theories guiding this study are self-determination theory, as it relates to individual learning motivation and social constructivism in understanding how knowledge is co-created through shared dialogue and experience. Together, these frameworks provide a lens for examining how collective meaning-making shapes policy development at The Hub and how the action research process can support data-informed alignment between policy and practice. This study will utilize a threephase qualitative action research design with all staff and administration at The Hub. Data will be collected through an open-ended questionnaire, experiential group activity, and a post-activity focus group, supported by observational notes and reflective artifacts. Data across phases will be analyzed through iterative thematic analysis to identify shifts in perceptions that may inform collective decision-making about The Hub’s GenAI policy.