{"id":26,"date":"2026-05-21T16:09:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prorelocationteam.com\/?p=26"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:09:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:09:07","slug":"ai-could-worsen-inequalities-in-schools-teachers-are-key-to-whether-it-will","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prorelocationteam.com\/?p=26","title":{"rendered":"AI could worsen inequalities in schools \u2013 teachers are key to whether it\u00a0will"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Today\u2019s teachers find themselves thrust into a difficult position with generative AI. New tools are coming online at a blistering pace and being adopted just as quickly, whether they\u2019re personalized tutors and study buddies for students or lesson plan generators and assignment graders for teachers. Schools are traditionally slow to adapt to change, which makes such rapid-fire developments especially destabilizing.<\/p>\n

Read more What AI earbuds can\u2019t replace: The value of learning another\u00a0language<\/a><\/p>\n

The uncertainties accompanying the artificial intelligence onslaught come amid existing challenges the teaching profession has faced for years. Teachers have been working with increasingly scarce resources \u2013 and even scarcer time \u2013 while facing mounting expectations not only for their students\u2019 academic performance, but also their social-emotional development. Many teachers are burned out, and they\u2019re leaving the profession in record numbers. <\/p>\n

All of this matters because teacher quality is the single most important factor in school influencing student achievement. And the impact of teachers is greatest for students who are most disadvantaged. How teachers end up using, or not using, AI to support their teaching \u2013 and their students\u2019 learning \u2013 may be the most crucial determinant of whether AI\u2019s use in schools narrows or widens existing equity gaps.<\/p>\n

We have been conducting research on how public school teachers feel about generative AI technologies. <\/p>\n

The initial results, which are currently under review, reveal deep ambivalence about AI\u2019s growing role in K-12 education. Our work also shows how inadequate training and unclear communications could worsen existing inequalities among schools. <\/p>\n

A \u2018thought partner\u2019 for busy teachers<\/h2>\n

As part of a larger project examining AI integration in education, we interviewed 22 teachers in a large public school district in the United States that has been an early and enthusiastic adopter of AI. The district serves a multilingual and socioeconomically diverse student population, with over 160 languages spoken and approximately three-quarters of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. <\/p>\n

The teachers who participated in our study spanned elementary, middle school and high school grade levels, and represented a variety of subject areas, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics, social studies, special education, and culturally and linguistically diverse education. We asked these teachers to describe how they first encountered generative AI tools, how they currently use them, and the broader shifts they have observed in their schools. Teachers also reflected on both the opportunities and challenges of using AI tools in their classrooms. <\/p>\n

Mirroring a recent survey finding that AI has helped teachers save up to six hours per week of work, the teachers in our study pointed to AI\u2019s ability to create more space in the day for themselves and their students. Turning to AI for help writing lesson plans and assessments not only saves time, but it also gives teachers a tool for brainstorming ideas, helping them feel less isolated in their work. One high school teacher with over 11 years\u2019 experience reflected: <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe most significant benefit that AI has brought to my life as a teacher is having work-life balance. It has decreased my stress 80-fold because I am able to have a thought partner. Teachers are really isolated, even though we work with people constantly \u2026 When I\u2019m exhausted, it gives me support and help with ideas.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Why lack of training matters<\/h2>\n

However, not all teachers felt well-equipped to benefit from AI. Much of what they told us boiled down to a lack of resources and other professional support. An elementary school classroom teacher explained: <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a lack of time. We don\u2019t really get much planning time, and it would be a new tool to learn, so we would have to take the time personally to learn how to use it and where to find everything.\u201d <\/p>\n

Read more How I rehumanize the college classroom for the AI\u2011augmented\u00a0age<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Many teachers underscored the need for \u2013 and current lack of \u2013 professional development offerings to help them understand and integrate AI into their teaching. <\/p>\n

Research on previous waves of technological innovations shows that under-resourced schools serving disadvantaged students are typically the least well-equipped to provide teachers with the professional support they need to make the most of new technologies.<\/p>\n

Because well-resourced schools are far more likely to offer such support, the introduction of new technologies in schools tends to reinforce existing inequities in the education system. <\/p>\n

When it comes to AI, well-resourced schools are best positioned to give teachers time, support and encouragement to \u201ctinker\u201d with AI and discover how and whether it can support their teaching and learning goals. <\/p>\n

\u2018You need a relationship\u2019 to learn<\/h2>\n

Our research also uncovered the importance of preserving the relational nature of teaching and learning, even \u2013 or perhaps especially \u2013 in the age of AI. As one middle school social studies teacher observed: <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cA machine can give you information, but most students we know are not able to get information from something that\u2019s just printed out for them and put it into their heads. You need a relationship. Some kids can do online school or read a book and teach themselves, but that\u2019s like 2%. Most kids need a social environment to do it.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here again, prior research shows us that teachers in well-resourced schools are better equipped to introduce new technologies in ways that augment rather than undermine the relational dimensions of teaching and learning. And again, teachers are crucial in determining how and whether AI, like all new technologies, is used to support their teaching and student learning. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we believe the practices established during this current period of rapid AI development and adoption will profoundly influence whether educational inequities are dismantled or deepened.<\/p>\n

Grounded in the classroom<\/h2>\n

Going forward, we see the need for research to examine how generative AI is changing teachers\u2019 practice and relationship to their work. Their input can inform practices that empower teachers as professionals and advance student learning. <\/p>\n

This approach requires adequate institutional support at the school and district levels. It also means listening to the real experiences of teachers and students instead of responding to the promised benefits touted by education technologies companies.<\/p>\n

Read more The \u2018one chatbot per child\u2019 model for AI in classrooms conflicts with what research shows: Learning is a social\u00a0process<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Under-resourced schools are less likely to support teachers in implementing AI technology to best serve learning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[66,67,58,82,81,52,59,83],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-ai-and-education","tag-ai-and-education-spencer","tag-artificial-intelligence-ai","tag-equity","tag-inequality","tag-k-12-education","tag-learning","tag-teachers"],"yoast_head":"\nAI could worsen inequalities in schools \u2013 teachers are key to whether it\u00a0will - Pro Relocation Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/prorelocationteam.com\/?p=26\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI could worsen inequalities in schools \u2013 teachers are key to whether it\u00a0will - 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