by CORY SMITH | The National News Desk
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(TNND) — Fewer than one in five teachers say they've received any kind of formal guidance on using artificial intelligence across a range of tasks to teach students or prepare for the classroom, according to a new Gallup report.
Another 48% told Gallup they’ve gotten some informal guidance. That would include verbal conversations or shared norms but not written policies.
And around a third of the teachers surveyed by Gallup said they’ve gotten no guidance on AI use at all.
George Veletsianos, a professor of learning technologies at the University of Minnesota, said the Gallup findings “are concerning but not surprising.”
“Schools should not expect teachers to navigate AI adoption on their own or rely solely on informal guidance,” Veletsianos said via email. “Teachers need meaningful support, professional learning opportunities, and clear frameworks that help them understand both the possibilities and problematic features of AI.”
Veletsianos, who previously wrote on questions schools should be asking before taking the leap on AI, added that rigid mandates on AI use also wouldn’t be helpful to teachers. They need professional autonomy to make informed decisions about how to best use AI for the specific needs of their students, he said.
Gallup broke down possible AI uses across 10 teaching-related task areas, including lesson preparation, writing quizzes, modifying materials to meet student needs, and administrative work. No more than 9% of teachers reported getting official, written policies for any of the specific task areas.
Teachers in wealthier schools are somewhat more likely to get some guidance on AI, though they’re still most likely to get only informal guidance.
Those who get formal policies are also more likely to be encouraged to use AI.
A previous RAND report also found that school guidance on AI is lagging behind usage.
Both Gallup and RAND found that a majority of teachers are using AI, but fewer than half of principals in the RAND study reported having an AI use policy.
The lead author on the previously released RAND report, Christopher Doss, said Thursday that the new Gallup findings generally align with his research, suggesting little progress by schools in developing formal AI policies.
Doss said written policies paired with training are the most effective way to provide a consistent application of AI across classrooms.
“And I think teachers and educators are yearning for that guidance,” he said.
But Doss said informal guidance might serve as a necessary bridge while schools work toward more comprehensive policies.
And he said schools shouldn’t wait for perfect policies before taking action. Broad guardrails defining acceptable and unacceptable AI use can still provide value to teachers and students while administrators work on more nuanced policies over time.
“I feel bad for schools in this moment,” Doss said. “I think they're really trying to figure this out like the rest of us.”
Douglas Harris, an economist and expert in education policy at Tulane University, echoed Doss’ sympathy for schools trying to grapple with a powerful, fast-evolving technology that represents a once-in-a-generation shift in education.
Harris said many teachers are probably just hearing ideas about AI, but not really receiving clear, coherent guidance.
And he warned about “the telephone game problem” that could arise with informal verbal guidance, sowing confusion or misinterpretation among educators.
Harris said schools face a tough task to create one-size-fits-all policies for educators, given the broad applications of AI and the unique needs from classroom to classroom.
He likened AI to a "Swiss Army knife, but even times 10."
Harris said schools should attempt to get their teachers "rowing in the same direction" on AI. And he said they should focus on areas where teachers hold the most control: lesson planning, assessments and classroom materials.
"On the one hand, you want teachers to experiment a little bit and feel their way through it, especially since they're in different subjects," Harris said. "On the other hand, you want a little bit of coherence, especially in the messages that students are getting."
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