Research on the optimization of the training system of university faculty development centers in the context of GenAI: a comparative analysis based on Chinese and Kazakhstani universities

Abstract

Introduction This mixed-methods field study examined generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) pedagogical readiness among university faculty in five participating universities in China and Kazakhstan, with particular attention to cross-sample differences and the effects of faculty development training. Methods Baseline survey data were collected from 568 faculty members, including 340 from China and 228 from Kazakhstan. Readiness was assessed across seven dimensions: basic GenAI understanding, prompt design, AI-supported instructional design, AI-supported assessment, critical judgement, educational ethics, and disciplinary transfer. A quasi-experimental subsample of 160 faculty members compared structured GenAI prompt-task training with conventional GenAI-focused faculty development. Prompt logs were additionally coded to identify post-training faculty development needs. Results At baseline, the Kazakhstani sample reported higher readiness across all seven dimensions, with the largest differences in disciplinary transfer, prompt design, and basic understanding. Measurement-invariance analysis supported cross-sample comparison of observed mean patterns. In hierarchical regression, the Kazakhstan coefficient decreased from B = 0.205 to B = 0.041 after prior GenAI use, recent AI-related training, multilingual resource access, institutional support, perceived permission, policy clarity, risk sensitivity, and disciplinary background were included. Post-test comparisons showed greater readiness in the structured prompt-task training group than in the conventional group, particularly for prompt design and critical judgement. Prompt-design gains remained above baseline at delayed testing. Prompt evidence linked these gains to objective specification, constraint setting, assessment criteria, faculty verification, and risk-control prompts. Discussion The findings indicate that GenAI pedagogical readiness is shaped by faculty course tasks, institutional support, resource access, and training design. Structured prompt-task training may therefore provide a useful approach to strengthening course-level faculty readiness for pedagogical uses of GenAI.