Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the K-12 landscape creating both opportunities and uncertainty for educators. The question of how to create conditions for safe, responsible, and ethical AI integration in instruction is critical. In this work, we share education leaders’ perceptions and expectations of how AI is impacting systems of practice in K-12 classrooms and how those systems should adapt and evolve for effective AI integration.
Interviews and focus groups with approximately 40 education leaders surfaced some of the concerns and optimism that K-12 education leaders have as they navigate how to leverage the affordances of AI using current and potential systems of practice for ethical and effective integration of AI.
Research Questions
What perceptions do education leaders hold about how AI impacts teachers in classroom instruction?
What perceptions do education leaders hold about how AI impacts students and learning?
Where do education leaders identify AI as potentially integrating within existing systems of practice?
What do education leaders identify as potential needs for new systems of practice leading to AI integration?
What systems have education leaders implemented to evaluate the impact of AI on K-12 instruction and learning?
Findings
Qualitative analysis surfaced several themes addressing the study’s research questions:
Transforms Teacher Work
Need for AI Literacy
AI can potentially save time and be used as a resource, allowing teachers to focus on connecting with students.
Educators, students, districts, and state and government leaders need support in developing AI literacy.
Transforms Student Learning
Ethical AI Integration
AI has the potential to facilitate higher-order thinking, prepare students for the future, and promote deeper understanding and meaning making.
AI needs to address issues of ethics, equity, bias and keeping the human in the loop. It also has the potential to enhance equity through purposeful development of policies.
Divergent Views on AI Policies
Evaluating AI Effectiveness
There are varying views on how policies should be established, who should develop them, and whether they are needed at all.
There are not systems in place to evaluate effectiveness of AI integration, nor did education leaders share what effective AI integration looks like.
Implications for AI in Education Guidance
This study’s findings inform how education leaders perceived the potential benefits and challenges of AI integration into schools. Based on the themes that emerged, we compared our findings against state-issued guidance published by education agencies across the country during the 2023-24 year recognizing much of the same themes are evident.
Several examples are highlighted below:
AI has the potential to transform teacher work. All state guidance documents published in 2023-24 identify avenues for how AI in education settings can change how educators work – both administratively and instructionally.
AI has the potential to transform learning. Similarly, all state guidance published has recognized the impact that AI in education can have on student learning, especially when AI literacy is effectively integrated into the curriculum.
AI needs to address issues of ethics, equity, bias and keeping the educator in the loop. Each state’s guidance document discusses the necessity for augmenting the teaching and learning experience with AI while keeping the human in the loop. Additionally, most states emphasize the need for addressing bias, diversity and representation in AI integration centering equity at the heart of the decision making process.
AI policies and practices need further articulation. Most published state guidance indicate the need for districts to develop their own guidance, policies and practices for AI in education.
AI needs systems for evaluating implementation and impact. Few states have developed recommendations for evaluation systems to determine effectiveness of AI in K-12 education. AI guidance needs to include a clear vision of what effective integration of AI looks like.
Learn More
Read this study’s findings compared against guidance for AI in K-12 education published by 12 state education agencies in the full white paper.
Director of Digital Learning at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. In this role, Emma leverages her 23 years of experience as a former Chief Technology Officer in Chatham County Schools (NC), Digital Learning Specialist and Digital Learning Coach with NCDPI, School Librarian, and Classroom Teacher to inform research and application in the K-12 setting and beyond. She works collaboratively with educators and stakeholders to support the effective implementation of instructional practices, content standards, and technology to make learning more accessible for all students. The work of Digital Learning in primarily focused on the FI’s impact area around the use of existing and emerging technologies, especially in the age of AI, to amplify teaching and learning in North Carolina and beyond.
Dr. Kimberly Farnsworth
Research Scholar at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. Kimberly has over 30 years’ experience in the field of educational technology, working in K-12 teaching, instructional design, academic research and education outreach. In Kimberly’s current role, she is focused on educational research in Artificial Intelligence including intelligent tutoring and scaffolding systems. Kim has a Doctor of Education degree from Indiana University in Instructional Systems Technology, an M.Ed. in Educational Technology from Arizona State University, and a B.A. in Spanish from Brigham Young University.
