Developing a theory-grounded AI tool for the generation of culturally responsive lesson plans

As educators begin using Generative AI (GenAI) for lesson planning, they often encounter generated content that fails to consider the classroom's cultural context. In this study, we address this issue by adopting a design science research approach to develop a theory-based prompt grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and using it to customize a Culturally Responsive Lesson Planner (CRLP) GPT. Guided by the CRP framework, the CRLP uses an Interactive Semi-Automated (ISA) prompt architecture that engages teachers in dialogue to collect cultural and contextual details before generating a lesson plan. To evaluate the CRLP's effectiveness, we asked two expert reviewers to compare Grade 7 “States of Matter” lesson plans for Ghana's Ashanti Region, generated with both the CRLP and the base GPT-4o using a standard prompt. The expert reviewers rated the CRLP-generated lesson plan higher in cultural elements identified (36 vs. 21 elements), accuracy (1.8 vs. 1.2), and curriculum relevance (2.0 vs. 1.3) than that created by the standard prompt within the base GPT-4o. The CRLP-generated lesson plan also included more Asante Twi examples such as “Solid” (ɛpono [wooden furniture], dadeɛ [metal objects], aboɔ [stones], and ntadeɛ [clothing]), recommended local teaching resources, and allowed teachers to make final revisions before generating the complete lesson plan. Additionally, the CRLP included the developer's contact details to encourage ongoing feedback and improvement. However, cultural hallucinations were slightly higher (0.75 vs. 0.5) in the CRLP-generated lesson plan compared with the standard GPT-4o prompt. These findings suggest that a GenAI tool grounded in educational theory is more effective in supporting the goals of education than the standard version. Furthermore, the CRLP and its ISA prompt strategy represent Human-in-the-loop system that has the potential to enhance teachers' AI literacy and culturally responsive pedagogy as they engage with the tool. We recommend future studies comparing CRLP and human-generated lesson plans, as well as empirical research that tests CRLP lesson plans in classroom settings.