Generative AI in Schools: New Briefing Highlights Need for Research, Training and Collaboration

A new PolicyWISE briefing, written by Sagun Shrestha, Research Associate, Policy WISE at The Open University, has highlighted significant differences in how governments across the UK and Ireland are approaching the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in schools, while calling for greater collaboration, research and teacher support as the technology becomes increasingly embedded in education.

While England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have all developed guidance to support the responsible use of AI in education, Northern Ireland currently has no dedicated national framework. The research found considerable variation in the maturity of policies and the level of support available to schools and teachers.

GenAI is seen as beneficial for lesson planning, resource creation, personalised learning, and reducing administrative workload, though actual reductions reported are modest. Teachers and pupils report increased engagement, with over half of pupils aged 8 to15 who go online in the UK using AI for schoolwork. However, concerns persist around the accuracy of AI-generated contents and its authorship, data safeguarding, access to harmful content and the potential reduced social interaction of pupils.

The comparative analysis reveals that there is a substantial difference in the maturity of national guidelines to regulate or support GenAI use. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have more comprehensive guidelines than Northern Ireland. In addition, research on impacts remains limited overall, which underscores the need for policy stakeholders to concentrate on the scholarship that investigate the impact of GenAI in teaching and learning.

Across nations, teachers’ use of GenAI varies, and training opportunities are often insufficient. Key policy needs include clearer and updated guidelines and stronger focus on training opportunities.