Framing AI in higher education: Discursive practices and legitimation strategies
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study analyzes the Gen AI policies of three Philippine private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Metro Manila: Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De la Salle University (DLSU), and Far Eastern University (FEU). It uses a combination of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Legitimation Strategies, and Framing Theory to examine how the technology is constructed and framed, and the power relations and governing structures built around it. The study found that Philippine HEIs discourses legitimize Gen AI integration through citing trusted authorities, emphasizing legal compliance, and moral appeals to religiosity/professionalism, among others. The framing constructs Gen AI tools as powerful but flawed tools that cannot be equal to or damage the capabilities of human students. Despite talking about Gen AI’s innovative capabilities and future roles, the policies are largely reactive and present-oriented, retaining traditional institutional authority and unequal power relations.
Authors: ZAREI, Nafiseh, GARCIA, Ramon
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7219919780