Recently released survey data from the EdWeek Research Center shows that an overwhelming majority of U.S. teachers, principals, and district leaders say that at some point in their K-12 education, their students will not understand how artificial intelligence works. I think we should learn.
The survey found that nearly nine in 10 educators feel that students should be taught how AI works in a developmentally appropriate way sometime before they graduate from high school.
These findings demonstrate how AI has quickly become a must-know subject in the K-12 education world.
But at what age should K-12 students start learning about AI? Educators’ opinions vary, often depending on the grade level they’re teaching and whether they’re a teacher or administrator in the classroom.
Six percent of educators say the topic should not be taught beyond secondary school level, and a further 6 percent say AI should never be taught. Most (65%) say it should be introduced to middle school or high school students.
Pat Yongpradit, chief academic officer at code.org and director of TeachAI, an initiative that supports the use and teaching of AI in schools, believes that artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on K-12 education and the workforce. He said this was an encouraging finding, given how both sides of the equation are trying to transform power. .
Alex Harwin, a research analyst at EdWeek Research Center, said that when survey responses are broken down by job title, teachers’ views almost always align with administrators’ views, with a few notable exceptions. It is said that it matches.
“If you look at district leaders and school leaders, a quarter of them are enthusiastic about introducing artificial intelligence in third grade. Up to 5,” she said. “But only 14 percent of teachers agree.”
However, interestingly, this study shows different perspectives among teachers depending on the age group they teach.
For example, administrators were more likely than teachers overall to say students should start learning about AI in elementary school, while elementary school teachers were just as likely as school and district leaders to say students should start learning about AI in grades 3-5. of students were more likely to say they should learn about AI.
26% of elementary school teachers said students should start learning about AI in grades 3 to 5, compared to 11% of middle school teachers and 8% of high school teachers.
Yongpradit said that’s what he sees all the time among elementary school teachers. There is an extraordinary enthusiasm for teaching about computer science and technology, even though most educators, and the general public, may consider these to be topics at the middle school or high school level.
“The important thing here is, what is the role of an elementary school teacher? Providing the foundation – they’re always thinking about foundational skills,” Yongpradit said. “Similarly, these data show that elementary school teachers are very keen to introduce and teach students how AI works early on, given its role in the education system. We understand that we need to teach this early.”
However, survey data suggests that some of the difference in perspective between administrators and teachers overall may be due to teachers feeling overwhelmed by the possibility of adding yet another task to their jobs. This study also revealed that there is a gender.
“Also, a very small but statistically significant percentage of teachers, 8 percent, believe that AI should be taught in college and higher education. It’s only 1 percent in leadership and 4 percent in education, school leaders,” Harwin said.
Is teacher fatigue swaying opinions about when to introduce children to AI?
Research shows that some of these views about when to introduce AI to K-12 students may be due to teachers feeling overwhelmed with their current job responsibilities. there is.
EdWeek Research Center asked educators whether they have the time or resources to teach teachers and students in their schools how to think and use artificial intelligence.
78% said, “No, they and their teachers don’t have that luxury because they are overwhelmed with academic challenges, social-emotional learning priorities, safety concerns, etc.” I did. For teachers, the percentage was even higher at 82%.
“People said, ‘My plate is full. I can’t make space for AI,'” Harwin said. “That’s why some teachers say, ‘Enough is enough, let’s leave it to higher education.'” People deal with it. ”
So what can be done about teacher AI fatigue?
Yongpradit said new AI tools will look to solve real-world instructional challenges that teachers face every day to alleviate the pressure on teachers who don’t have time to teach students how artificial intelligence works. He said it should be directed.
“These findings are a reminder to curriculum providers, professional development providers and tool developers that they need to start with teachers’ problems and goals,” he said. AI doesn’t necessarily match teachers’ everyday realities. ”