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80% of Teachers Use AI Tools in the Classroom
In an evolving educational landscape, a recent survey conducted by PreK-12 marketplace TPT reveals that 80% of educators are integrating generative AI tools into their teaching environments. Of these, a significant 58% utilize AI regularly or occasionally, while 22% have experimented with it once or twice. Meanwhile, 20% of educators have yet to adopt AI tools in their classrooms.
The findings are part of TPT’s 2026 State of the Classroom report, which surveyed 11,500 teachers, administrators, and support staff globally, addressing critical education issues such as workload and generative AI usage. Classroom teachers constituted 81% of the respondents, with the remaining 19% being administrators or support staff.
Top Ways Teachers Use AI Tools
The survey highlights the diverse applications of generative AI tools in education. The most common use, reported by 44% of respondents, is the creation of classroom resources. This is followed by brainstorming ideas (20%) and performing administrative tasks (17%). However, only 4% of educators reported using AI for grading purposes.
Despite the widespread usage of AI, a substantial 93% of educators believe that AI cannot fully replace human-created or purchased resources. Forty percent see AI as a preliminary tool, while 27% uphold the superiority of human-made resources. TPT emphasized in a company blog post, “The message is unmistakable: While AI can help reduce educators’ workloads, they do not believe it can replace teachers’ experience or creativity.”
Stress and Workload Are a Factor
Another dimension explored in the survey was the level of stress related to workload among educators. A majority, 60%, described their stress levels as high (50%) or critical (10%), whereas 40% found it manageable. Notably, those experiencing higher stress levels were more inclined to use AI tools in the classroom.
An elementary school teacher from California shared, “My new school is woefully underfunded without a clear curriculum, but the expectations are incredibly high. I’m also teaching a new subject. I have never used AI, but the demand is so great that I had to resort to it to survive lesson planning… I prefer human labor, but without help it is impossible to stay afloat.”
For further insights and details about the survey, visit the TPT blog. The full article can be accessed Here.
About the Author
Rhea Kelly is Editor-in-Chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].
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