Recent developments in edtech with artificial intelligence (AI)—ChatGPT for writing, Khanmigo for math, Magic School for prep and planning, and so many more—have been impacting K-12 classrooms across the U.S. Many leaders in education are on board and enthusiastic about using AI, but what we don’t know is: What do all types of K-12 teachers think about AI tools in the classroom? What are the opinions of early elementary teachers or gym teachers, who may not be using AI in the same way as a high school English teacher? Are we learning about experiences across the U.S., in all types of school settings?
As university researchers interested in professional well-being and AI, we surveyed 1,000 K-12 teachers across the U.S. about their thoughts on AI, when they are using it, and how they’re using it. We asked about their concerns and if their school is supporting them. We asked what they needed. These teachers included all K-12 grades and a wide range of ages and subjects—core subjects, foreign languages, arts, health and PE, ESL, and more.
What we learned was a story of “and’s.” Most people thought AI could be helpful to some students, and most people thought AI could also be harmful to some students. Some teachers described expectations of needing to use AI frequently in their classrooms soon, and some teachers expected to never want or need to use AI for instruction. Other teachers echoed concerns about AI we commonly find in the news: early elementary school teachers said AI is developmentally inappropriate for their students. Other teachers didn’t want their students to grow dependent on AI or cheat. And, some teachers described issues that are less often reported, such as ways AI could be used to discriminate against students with less access—for example, low-income students or students in a county detention facility who have limited access to outside websites.
One of the more surprising things that teachers shared: They struggle to find what AI tools are even available or where they could potentially use AI. Over 90 percent of the teachers we surveyed shared that they thought it was important for schools to provide more support around AI, including both learning what tools exist and how to use them. Teachers who did have school support and the time to learn AI tools were more likely to share that they were using AI and feel confident in doing so.
Over 90 percent of the teachers we surveyed shared that they thought it was important for schools to provide more support around AI.
Questions to Ask Before Implementing AI
While there is still some uncertainty from teachers around how they find the right tool, there are ways teachers can evaluate them. We suggest educators ask themselves the following questions before deciding whether to use an AI tool:
- Would the tool be used by teachers or students?
- For what ages and subjects is the tool developmentally appropriate?
- What is the tool used for? Is it used for teaching and learning—like lesson planning, creating assessments or rubrics, differentiation, translating languages, grading? Management tasks—like paperwork, data management, communicating with parents, creating evaluation reports, analyzing student data? Increasing student engagement through creativity? Finding resources or learning a topic?
- How do I access this tool? What does it cost and who would pay for it? What does it need—internet, a computer? Is it mobile- or tablet-friendly?
- What about ethical considerations? Could the tool perpetuate biases or make up false facts? Is it culturally sensitive?
- How well does the tool work? Have other people found it effective?
We also encourage administrators to continue to advocate for ethically and equitably distributed knowledge about AI tools. Organizations or entities should continue to develop AI tool databases (such as the EdTech Index) that can help educators answer the above questions. These databases could include training videos, a rating system for teachers, and sample school policies for school administrators.
Another way to support teachers in learning more about AI is to increase the available trainings for and access to new AI tools. For example, school leaders can offer training opportunities asynchronously, such as recording a training so it can be viewed anytime. Another way to increase access is to create and distribute customized, easy-to-understand guides of “key AI tool tips and tricks” to or within teacher groups. The most effective training materials will get to the main points quickly and use examples that are easily applied and understood.
We also strongly encourage administrators to make learning opportunities opt-in (or with a long lead time to complete) and with protected time. “Time” was the number one challenge teachers described as a barrier to implementing AI tools in their classroom. Teachers may need a few months or a year to find enough time to learn a new AI tool. Normalizing that it is okay to take this time is one way to reduce the burden of AI tools.
Finally, keep it simple. As much as possible, focus on learning one tool at a time and incorporating one new way of learning it at a time. There are opportunities for AI tools to save teachers’ time and energy. But know that teachers are already doing a great job without these tools. Managing classroom behavior and engagement is an important part of teaching, and AI tools cannot replicate what teachers do. It is okay to slow down.
'Time' was the number one challenge teachers described as a barrier to implementing AI tools in their classroom.
Creative Ways to Use ChatGPT for Any Teacher
In line with keeping it simple, here are two ideas involving AI tools that can benefit any teacher. For each of the following situations, briefly describe a classroom topic in a ChatGPT prompt and then include the corresponding sentence and hit enter. Then, skim the response for ideas that you might want to incorporate.
- Brainstorming lesson planning and differentiation: “Please revise this lesson with equity in mind by including diverse perspectives, making it accessible for different learning needs, giving students voice and choice, and connecting it to real-world issues relevant to their lives.”
- Communicating with parents or administrators on difficult topics: “Please suggest ways to communicate about this issue with equity in mind, by being culturally responsive, empathetic, strengths-based, and solution-focused, while maintaining respect and collaboration with parents/guardians and administrators.”
AI tools such as ChatGPT can be helpful in brainstorming ideas, pulling from a variety of subjects. However, we do not recommend direct copy and pasting from ChatGPT on sensitive topics, since that runs the risk of losing your authentic voice and expertise.
Exploring AI for All
The questions about AI tools in education are complex, and many teachers feel overwhelmed by the many possible uses, ever-changing landscape, and the potential harms that may result from using these tools in their classrooms. By gathering the shared knowledge of many teachers, administrators, and AI developers into collective spaces, we can support each other as we navigate this changing AI landscape.
Author’s note: The authors would like to thank the K-12 teachers who participated in this survey, Eileen Johnson for critical advice on communicating with lay audiences, and Drs. Katey Shirey and Julie Martin for their guidance on this project. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), grant number 2333393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.
