Algorithms and Teacher Autonomy: Pedagogical Resistances to EdTech Standardization in the Age of Generative AI

Abstract

The acceleration of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and the rise of the Global EdTech Industry have configured new forms of algorithmic standardization that transform pedagogical practices and erode teacher autonomy. This article analyzes the perceptions and resistances of university teachers regarding the integration of EdTech platforms and GAI algorithms, from a qualitative-critical approach. Two focus groups were conducted with twenty teachers from various disciplines and both public and private institutions in Ecuador, allowing for the collection of situated experiences across diverse contexts. Through thematic analysis, three critical dimensions were identified: the reduction of the teacher’s role to an algorithmic operator, the illusion of algorithmic personalization, and pedagogical resistances aimed at recovering epistemic sovereignty. The findings reveal how the logics of technological solutionism, digital fetishism, and educational financialization consolidate a neoliberal algorithmic governance that redefines pedagogical roles, content, and methods according to market-driven digital standards. However, teacher resistance strategies—such as creating critical spaces beyond platforms and using GAI ethically as a subject of debate—challenge this algorithmic hegemony and reclaim epistemic plurality. This study contributes to the global discussion on educational privatization, digital governance, and teacher autonomy, inviting a rethinking of pedagogical practices in the era of digital transformation.