Uneven Adoption of Artificial Intelligence Tools Among U.S. Teachers and Principals in the 2023–2024 School Year

Using survey data from the RAND American Educator Panels, the authors examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and products among teachers and principals in kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) and the provision of school guidance on the use of AI during the 2023–2024 school year. The results indicate that 25 percent of surveyed teachers used AI tools for their instructional planning or teaching. That said, English language arts and science teachers were nearly twice as likely to report using AI tools as mathematics teachers or elementary teachers of all subjects. Nearly 60 percent of U.S. principals reported using AI tools for their work. Teachers and principals in higher-poverty schools were less likely to report using AI tools than those in lower-poverty schools. In addition, principals in high-poverty schools reported providing guidance for use of AI less often than their counterparts in lower-poverty schools. These results have implications for district and school leaders, as well as AI tool developers and researchers.

Key Findings

• Comparable with previous surveys of the American Teacher Panel, the results indicate that one-quarter of ELA, math, and science teachers used AI tools for instructional planning or teaching in the 2023–2024 school year. Nearly 60 percent of surveyed American School Leader Panel principals also reported using AI tools for their work in 2023–2024.
• Although one-quarter of teachers overall reported using AI tools, the authors observed variation in use by subject taught and some school characteristics. For example, almost 40 percent of ELA or science teachers reported using AI compared with 20 percent of general elementary education or math teachers. Teachers and principals in higher-poverty schools were less likely to report using AI tools relative to those in lower-poverty schools.
• Eighteen percent of principals reported that their schools or districts provided guidance on the use of AI by staff, teachers, or students. Yet, principals in the highest-poverty schools were about half as likely as principals in the lowest-poverty schools to report that guidance was provided (13 percent and 25 percent, respectively).

Recommendations

• All districts and schools should develop intentional strategies for supporting teachers’ use of AI in ways that could most improve the quality of instruction and student learning.
• AI developers and decisionmakers should consider what useful applications of AI have the greatest potential to improve teaching and learning and how to make those applications available in high-poverty contexts.
• Researchers should work hand in hand with AI developers to study use cases and develop a body of evidence on effective AI applications for school leadership, teaching, and learning.

Source: rand