Building Resilience Through AI-Assisted Simulation in Teacher Education: A Survey-Based Needs Analysis

The article addresses the importance of resilience-oriented practices in pre-service teacher education. The study’s relevance lies in the growing professional pressure on novice teachers in Ukraine, the increasing need for trauma-sensitive, conflict-aware communication, and the insufficient practice-based training in university teacher education. The aim of the article is to analyse pre-service teachers’ perceived readiness for difficult professional situations and to substantiate AI-assisted simulations training as a methodological tool for building and maintaining professional resilience in pre-service English teacher education. The empirical basis of the study is a pilot questionnaire survey conducted among 53 undergraduate students majoring in Secondary Education at the English Department at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University. The study employs descriptive analysis of closed-ended responses and thematic grouping of open-ended answers. The results demonstrate the following: (1) students rate their readiness for challenging professional situations as moderate rather than high, (2) report insufficient practice of conflict resolution and professional communication in current university training, and (3) express interest in AI-assisted simulation as a form of professional preparation. The open-ended responses identified four main categories of challenging professional situations: conflict with parents, trauma-sensitive communication with learners, classroom management under pressure, and difficult interactions with colleagues or school administration. Drawing on these results, the article proposes a novel methodological design based on Mizou as the planned platform for AI-assisted dialogic simulations between pre-service teachers and conflicting personas. The developed training model will be integrated into the course Methods of English Language Teaching, with the possibility for asynchronous training via a supportive Moodle course. The training follows the reflective cycle: briefing → AI simulation → debriefing, which allows practising professional communication skills, such as conflict de-escalation, emotional self-regulation, and empathetic listening. It is concluded that AI simulation-based training can serve as a practical, controlled, and pedagogically sound means of strengthening resilience-oriented pre-service teacher training.