New research from Pearson, suggests that UK teachers’ confidence in using AI and their belief in the positive impact of AI in education has risen significantly in the past two years. However, despite growing optimism and adoption, a gap in formal training is leaving educators feeling ill-equipped to support students in fully harnessing the potential of AI.
Teachers are embracing AI
The number of school teachers expressing confidence in teaching students about AI has seen an increase, from 9% in 2025 to 16% in 2026. This is complemented by a significant jump in the perception of the benefits of AI, with the proportion of teachers who believe AI tools have positively impacted their schools in the last two years increasing by 142%, from 12% in 2024 to 29% in 2026.
AI usage is also on the rise. This year, only 12% of schoolteachers say they don’t use AI in their role, compared to 20% last year. Insights suggest one key driver could be AI’s ability to reduce the heavy administrative workload that teachers face, allowing them to dedicate more time to teaching. Fifty-seven percent of primary teachers and 48% of secondary teachers said that AI saves them time in their role.
The readiness gap: A call for more training
Growing enthusiasm is matched by a recognition that skills in AI and other technologies will be important for the transition into employment. Eighty-four percent of school students say that being prepared for their future in a digital world is important to them, up from 78% in 2024.
However, there is a gap between adoption and the reality of how many students are prepared for the future world of work. Only 6% of teachers believe that the education system has enough digital emphasis to adequately prepare learners and just 8% feel they are currently preparing their students to be ready for an AI-enabled future.
Teachers also feel that they need more training on AI to assist them with supporting students to use AI for learning effectively. Fifty-three percent of schoolteachers believe more Continuing Professional Development (CPD) on using AI would help. Thirty-four percent identified specialised training on using AI effectively with students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), an area where AI has the potential to offer significant support through tools like text-to-speech and personalised resources.
Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director, Pearson Qualifications, said: “Teachers are gradually embracing AI, using it to manage their workload and seeing its benefits for learners. Teachers and students alike recognise that AI skills are critical to employers, yet teachers find it hard to support students in becoming work ready. To bridge this gap, we must work together across the sector on high-quality professional development to empower our educators.”
