For educators, a brighter perspective on trust and AI in the classroom

Key points:

• Educators report seeing positive impacts from technology integration and anticipate increased use of ai.
• More teachers have been able to devote direct attention to the needs of students.
• See related article: Five ways ai can help teachers in the classroom

Teachers have expressed “cautious optimism” around the use of generative ai in K-12 classrooms, and many more plan to integrate ai tools into their instruction this school year, according to the first part of the report. Educator Confidence Report 2023 from a learning technology company HMH.

Perspectives on teaching and ai, the first of three focused reports to be released over the course of the back-to-school season, found an improvement in both educator confidence in the K-12 education industry and sentiment toward the state of the teaching profession, offering some early signs. stabilization. The Educator Confidence Report series reveals findings from HMH’s annual barometer of how educators in schools across the country feel about the state of teaching and learning.

In a special section dedicated to new technologies, teachers expressed cautious optimism regarding the use of generative ai in K-12 classrooms. While only 10 percent of educators reported using generative ai in their classrooms during school 2022-23, 38 percent expect to adopt ai tools in the upcoming 2023-24 year and 57 percent feel that tools of ai must be used positively.

State of the profession: signs of hope

This year, the report’s educator confidence index, a measure of overall trust (out of 100), rose slightly to 42.0 from 40.0 in 2022, showing a small improvement over last year, a hopeful sign of possible stabilization after what has been a challenging period. for educators.

While many educators still have negative opinions about the profession emerging from the pandemic, optimism is growing in key areas. After the pandemic, educators identified several bright spots, including the use of digital platforms to improve student engagement (31 percent in 2023 vs. 14 percent in 2019) and greater attention to the social and emotional needs of students. students (50 percent in 2023 vs. 14 percent in 2019). 33 percent in 2019).

Educators feel there is more to do to improve the profession; Such improvements include increasing salaries and continuing to support the well-being of students and teachers. These areas will be explored in more detail in subsequent reports to be published by HMH this fall.

A spotlight on generative ai: cautious optimism

As generative ai emerges in all areas of society as a potentially disruptive force, this first report delves into educators’ feelings toward this tool. Although educational technology has become the norm in classrooms across the country, generative ai presents a new and unfamiliar landscape for many.

In fact, less than 20 percent of educators say they feel prepared to use tools like ChatGPT in their classroom or school. However, more than half of educators surveyed (57 percent) agreed that generative ai is inevitable and should be positively leveraged in the classroom, and students should be taught to use the tools ethically. More than half (58 percent) of educators indicated they would be interested in professional development and training around ai in the classroom.

While most educators (90 percent) are not yet actively integrating ai into their classrooms, early adopters (10 percent) are eager for more. For those who did use it, 74 percent said they expect to increase their use next school year. And 41 percent of all educators agreed that ai tools had potential to be used as personalized tutors for students.

Finally, although responses on how useful ai-generated content is as part of the curriculum specifically were mixed, there was interest in ai to support educators’ workflow. When asked which activities ai-generated content could accelerate achievement, 51 percent said ai could support the creation of worksheets, 48 ​​percent noted help with lesson plans, and 41 percent said than having ideas about writing prompts.

“It is encouraging to see that educators are beginning to come out of survival mode and regain confidence in their profession. We hope that last year was the low point and that we are moving beyond it,” said Francie Alexander, senior vice president of research at HMH. “Connection has always been key for educators and we will continue to focus on helping teachers collaborate with each other and strengthen relationships between themselves and their students’ families.”

This fall, HMH will release Part 2 and Part 3 of the Educator Confidence Report to further expand educators’ views on key issues affecting the profession. Download the full Part 1: Teaching and ai Outlook Report here.

“As we embark on a new school year, we enter an exciting and pivotal time in the evolution of educational technology,” said Jack Lynch, CEO of HMH. “As educator confidence grows, I am encouraged to see that teachers are eager to learn more about the potential of generative ai and take advantage of its benefits. At HMH, we remain focused on applying technology to save educators time and create more space for human connections that accelerate learning outcomes.”

The research was conducted between May and June 2023 in partnership with MarketCast and surveyed 1,000 K-12 classroom teachers and more than 200 administrators.

This press release tech-and-increased-attention-to-student-needs-emerging-as-bright-spots-301905586.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>originally appeared online.

Related:
Teachers are surprise ai champions
Four interesting ways ai is changing the game for teachers

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. She graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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