Most teachers reluctant to use AI for learning and assessment – new research finds

Most teachers reluctant to use AI for learning and assessment, new research finds

11 December 2024

The majority of teachers (64%) are not using ChatGPT professionally, including 19% who are 'not interested' in using AI anytime in the future, according to a new study.

41% said their school did not have an agreed approach to AI, and a further 17% didn't know if any policy had existed, according to research by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

The survey of over 5,000 teachers found the vast majority (84%) have not changed the way they assess students' work, despite the availability of AI tools. Only 41% say they are regularly checking homework and coursework for plagiarism content from the web.

The poll by BCS, which is the professional body for computing, covered 2,000 secondary schools in England. It suggests new inequalities in the use and understanding of AI in education; although a small proportion of the teachers surveyed were from private schools, the trend was that they were using AI more regularly than their state counterparts.

Teachers in the Northwest, Yorkshire and the Northeast were slightly less regular users of AI than those in other regions.

Only a third (36%) of teachers using AI for lesson preparation had 'admitted it' to their senior leadership team or head, suggesting it is seen as 'cheating' for teachers as well as students.

One computer science teacher who asked to remain anonymous said: 'Here we are, another technological wave washing over the education sector, leaving us stuck in the 1950s. At the school I've started at now, teachers are not allowed to use AI to create lessons. The senior leadership team fear that if they let AI in, it will replace, not enhance teachers.'

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In contrast Emma Darcy, Director of Technology for Learning at Denbigh High School, Luton, said they dedicated one period a week to teaching AI and digital literacy. The school also had clear policies on AI for teaching and learning and for acceptable use by students.
She said: 'We teach students and staff to understand what over-reliance on AI looks like and what the negative aspects are, as well as the positives.'

Media Studies teacher Kelly Midgley, from south Manchester, who was interviewed for the report said: 'I didn't start to use AI until this past year. I was sceptical at the start - visions of Skynet! It's thought that authentic teaching is when you design all the lessons yourself tailored to that class, and this is probably why some teachers may be cautious when using AI. I've now used AI to create text for a "how to" guide; I edited some of the AI text to be more specific and maintain an appropriate tone.'

Calls for schools to publish AI policies

In its report, BCS recommends that understanding of AI is made a significant part of teacher training and headteachers' leadership qualifications alongside wider digital literacy. The study also calls for schools to publish AI policies on their websites - but they can only be expected to do that with clear guidance from the Department for Education (DfE), the qualifications regulator (Ofqual), and other relevant bodies, BCS said in a third recommendation. BCS had earlier called for a new digital literacy qualification in schools (which focusses on general skills including using AI tools) alongside the current computer science GCSE.

Julia Adamson MBE, Managing Director, Education & Public Benefit at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT said: 'Teachers see the opportunity AI presents to transform their work and the lives of their students, from saving time on lesson plans, to personalising learning for each young person. But they need better training and guidance to grow in confidence with AI, to make sure it is used fairly and that it doesn't cause greater disadvantage in the education system.'

Lord Knight of Weymouth, former schools minister, said in the foreword to the report: 'BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is showing leadership in this conversation, advocating for digital literacy and equitable access to AI tools across all schools. We need robust policies, well defined ethical standards, and a framework for responsible AI use that empowers teachers and prepares students for a future in which AI will play a significant role.'

Read the full report