Use of AI continues to grow among science educators
In this year's Science Teaching Survey we asked respondents about AI use and the impact it is having.
Our most important findings:
AI use continues to rise among teachers
Since 2024, we have been asking teachers and technicians whether they are using artificial intelligence (AI)* in their role.
*Generative AI refers to tools that create new content, based on patterns learned from large datasets. Examples include ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
What are teachers using AI for?
Teachers are most commonly using AI to create resources (79%) and write questions (66%). Some also use AI for general admin (40%) and writing reports (35%).
Teachers with fewer than five years' experience were more likely to report using AI for lesson planning than more experienced teachers (41% vs 30%).
Some of the other ways teachers use AI are:
- Writing emails
- Checking spelling, punctuation, grammar, and tone
- Content research
- Data analysis
Positive impact of AI use
Teachers said that AI is having a positive impact across a range of uses. Although teachers reported mainly using AI to create resources and write questions, those that use AI for report writing and general admin reported the greatest positive impact.
Respondents from schools with more than 30% free school meals (FSM) were also more likely to report positive impacts from AI in their administration and lesson planning.
These findings suggest that many teachers are identifying practical benefits from using AI in their day-to-day work.
However, teachers also told us that they’re largely using AI to refine writing or resources rather than replacing the work they’re putting in. Teachers said they use AI for: checking the tone of writing, finding alternative methods of explanation and reviewing resources.
In 2024, we found that AI was not reducing teacher workload. We did not ask specifically about the impact of AI on workload in the 2026 survey, but it remains a concern for teachers as demonstrated by their open text responses.
The Science Teaching Survey 2026 Dataset
Explore in more detail with our dataset that is available as a PDF download.
Download the 2026 dataset
Many educators would like further professional development on AI
Educators would like more support with using AI. 35% of teachers said they would value a PD course on AI in chemistry education.
We asked teachers what PD would benefit them and they said:
- A look at new ways of assessing pupils in the digital/AI world (Head of chemistry, England)
- Adapting to AI in teaching (Head of chemistry, England)
- Getting AI to plan so that I use my time more effectively (Science teacher, England)
- Links to AI and modern industrial chemistry (Science teacher, England)
- Use of AI in helping with workload re: marking & assessment (Science teacher, England)
Technicians are not using AI at the same rate as teachers, with only 31% saying that they have used AI within their role.
Technicians that did have support using AI in their role told us that the support they received was not specific to their role or was very limited.
Technician respondents told us that they use AI for noticeably different tasks from those reported by teachers, with applications including:
- Creating posters and displays
- Risk assessments
- Practical research
- Researching science content
- Calculations
This highlights how generic AI professional development and learning may not meet the needs of technicians.
What we’re doing
- Our AI for chemistry teaching self-led course will help you use AI effectively to make a genuine difference to your workload, providing tools and approaches that are specific to your classroom and your needs.
- EiC’s Tech Talk content stream focuses on AI (and Edtech), for example using AI ethically to prepare lessons. A new article is published each term/print issue.
- You can find all our AI-related EiC articles in AI in the chemistry classroom.
The Science Teaching Survey 2026 Dataset
Explore in more detail with our dataset that is available as a PDF download.
Download the 2026 dataset
Related pages
44% of teachers have used AI, but workload remains unchanged
In the 2024 survey, we asked teachers whether they had ever used artificial intelligence (AI)* within their teaching role.
Explore more on our education website
How safe are practicals in the hands of AI?
Help your learners become creative, critical and conscious consumers of GenAI by being aware of its limitations.
Is GenAI improving learning and teaching?
Wendy Winnard explores how effective generative artificial intelligence is in the chemistry classroom.
Using AI in the chemistry classroom
Advice, ideas and examples to help you make effective and informed use of AI in teaching chemistry.