Headteachers are more optimistic than teachers about the power of generative AI tools to revolutionise teaching in the next five years, a poll has found.
A total of 79 per cent of heads thought AI would revolutionise teaching compared to 54 per cent of teachers overall, the YouGov poll for Trinity College London found.
But the figures revealed that many teachers are yet to use AI, and less than a quarter (23 per cent) of teachers say they have used AI tools in their teaching in the past term.
Three fifths (61 per cent) of teachers think they would be more confident and use AI more if they were trained in how to use it effectively.
And a third (32 per cent) of teachers said that, in the next five years, they expect to rely on AI to customise lesson planning and resources for individual students in the future.
But the study revealed a strong degree of scepticism over the reliability of AI, with nearly two thirds believing it is too inaccurate and unreliable to use in the classroom.
But teachers were supportive of incorporating AI into the curriculum with 38 per cent of teachers thinking students should be given a foundational understanding of how it works.
More than half (54 per cent) of the 1,012 teachers who took part in the study said students should be taught the ethical implications of using AI.
The poll has been published the month before both Ofsted and Ofqual have been asked by ministers to produce an updated plan for how they will approach AI in schools.
Multiple concerns have been raised over the use of generative AI tools by pupils for writing assignments, with some calling for a raft of new assessment techniques to be used.
Erez Tocker, chief executive of Trinity College London, which assesses nearly a million candidates each year in music, drama, combined arts, and English language, said: “Teachers’ scepticism towards generic AI tools underscores not a rejection but a call for precision and reliability. Notably, the research indicates that a quarter of teachers are already incorporating AI into their instruction, signalling a readiness for change, provided these tools meet their exacting standards.”
Mr Tocker added: “When used ethically, AI can become a pivotal tool in expanding traditional learning boundaries and fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Integrating AI seamlessly into education will help prepare students for a future where technology and human creativity converge, rendering education more inclusive, effective, and forward-thinking.”