Abstract

This study analyzes how university lecturers in Vietnam sustain their professional agency in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) integration, in alignment with the National Strategy for Research, Development, and Application of Artificial Intelligence to 2030. Drawing on an ecological framework (iterational, practical-evaluative, and projective), the findings indicate that AI presents both opportunities and challenges: it enhances efficiency and personalizes learning, while also raising concerns about technological dependency, infrastructural and training limitations, and tensions with pedagogical values. Lecturers exhibit mixed attitudes, combining enthusiasm with concerns, particularly regarding ethics, data security, and the risk of professional deskilling. Based on these findings, several solutions are proposed, including AI competency training, reflective professional development, the establishment of ethical frameworks, and strengthened collaboration with domestic technology partners.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence in education, digital transformation, ecological framework, higher education in Vietnam, teacher agency.