K-12 Teachers' Perceptions on New AI Tools

In the spring of 2024, a team of researchers at the University of Michigan launched a survey to collect the opinions, experiences, and perceptions of 1,001 K-12 instructors across the United States.

Outcomes: For K-12 Administrators

Outcomes: For AI Developers

Full Project Overview: What K-12 Teachers Shared

Read the slides presented in this video.

Outcomes: Building a database of AI tools for the K-12 Classroom

Read more about this project in an upcoming ASCD Blog post! (Planned publication: Sept 2025).

One of the often-repeated requests from K-12 teachers in this survey, from elementary to high school, was that they wanted more school support on using AI tools in the class room.

One way to address this need could be to develop a K-12 AI tool database. This database could have an overview of key features, linked tutorials, example lesson plans, a review system (imagine a star rating system and comment features), and a robust search system with key search filters. Based on survey results, key searchable information would include:

• Tool name

• User: teacher, student

• Developmentally appropriate: early elementary, elementary, middle high

• Teaching and learning: differentiation, lesson planning, assessment creation, language translation, rubric creation, grading – written, grading – other

• Management tasks: paperwork, data management, parent communication, evaluation reports, analyzing student data

• General usage: student engagement, finding resources, leaning a topic, creativity

• Access: free, individual subscription/cost, school/district purchase, requires internet, requires computer, mobile-friendly (Android or iPhone), tablet-friendly

• Ethics: perpetuates biases, may hallucinate, culturally sensitive

• Subject: English, history, science, math, special education, music, other

• Rating: 0-5 star based on reviews

Full Project Overview: All Survey Responses, Separated by Grade Level

More from this project

Read an 8-page summary of our project.

Conference paper publication from the American Society of Engineering Education's General conference in 2025:

K-12 teacher perceptions of artificial intelligence tool use in the classroom

More about this research

This project was funded by grant 2333393 from the National Science Foundation (NSF), titled Artificial Intelligence Curriculum and K-12 Teacher Agency: Barriers and Opportunities. Opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

If you have questions or requests regarding this project, please contact the Thrive Lab.

The research team