Artificial Intelligence and Education

Artificial Intelligence and Education is sponsored by Nuffield Foundation. Research into the use of AI in education, exploring its impact on teaching and learning within UK schools.

Artificial intelligence and education - Nuffield Foundation Artificial intelligence and education January 2025 - January 2026 Researchers: Renate Samson Artificial intelligence and education Education Artificial intelligence and education Education Save project Project saved Data and digital technologies have been integral to UK education for many years.

Information on students’ learning and achievement is used to monitor progress and inform school performance rankings and policymaking. The use of digital technologies in schools, especially for teaching and learning, increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in education are diverse.

‘Narrow’ AI—task-specific systems trained with curated datasets—is used for administrative tasks such as analytics, safeguarding, classroom management, SEND education, and some personalised learning. Teachers’ use of general-purpose AI or generative AI (like ChatGPT, Microsoft Co-Pilot, or Google Gemini) for lesson planning and supporting marking and assessment is mostly informal, despite the hype and investment.

The impact of these technologies on outcomes, particularly their accuracy, is still under scrutiny. The development of AI technologies for education is in its early stages, with few products available, and these have yet to be evaluated for accuracy, efficacy, and efficiency in the classroom.

While AI technologies have the potential to assist teachers with planning, teaching, administration, and time management, their benefits for students are not yet clearly demonstrated. Moreover, the risks and potential harms from their use are not fully understood.

Previous issues, such as the failure of the A-level grading algorithm in 2020 and data protection risks with platforms like Google Classroom and ClassDojo, highlight the need for safeguards to ensure benefits without negative impacts on students and staff.

As data-driven and AI technologies evolve and their use in education increases, more research is needed to assess their impact on teaching practices, administration, and student development and attainment. The Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Foundation are researching the role of AI and data-driven technologies in education. In 2023, we responded to the Department for Education’s call for evidence on generative AI in education.

A landscape review of AI in education in UK state-funded primary and secondary schools will be published in early 2025. A landscape review of AI in education in UK state-funded primary and secondary schools will be published in early 2025.

This will launch the next phase of this work, aiming to evidence the opportunities, benefits, and risks of AI in education, including teaching and learning, marking and assessment, and careers guidance. We will also explore the evaluation of AI technologies used in schools to ensure they are pedagogically and technically fit for purpose and that their outcomes are beneficial and demonstrable.

The role of AI in education: Opportunities and challenges Nuffield Foundation and Ada Lovelace Institute respond to government consultation on AI in education The submission shares insights on the use of generative AI and foundation models The...

Save project Project saved A Iandscape review of AI and education in the UK Ada Lovelace Institute & Nuffield Foundation: Response to generative AI in education call for evidence Artificial intelligence and education Education Related news, events and opinion Artificial intelligence and education Nuffield Foundation and Ada Lovelace Institute respond to government consultation on AI in education Education | Equality, diversity and inclusion | 2027 - 2029 Religion and belief-related harassment in secondary schools Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and Stress in Pupils with SEND Ethnic diversity in England’s education workforce Experimentation to evidence: Assessing generative AI impact in schools School belonging and pupil outcomes: Evidence from PISA, PIRLS & TIMSS Smartphone experience and school policy Love to Read Phase 2: A large-scale evaluation The effects of permanent school closures on pupils’ outcomes The impacts of Relational and Restorative Practice in school The long-term impact of student loans in further education Noise in early years settings for children from under-privileged backgrounds School belonging and pupil outcomes: Evidence from PISA, PIRLS & TIMSS Education | Equality, diversity and inclusion | 2027 - 2029 Religion and belief-related harassment in secondary schools Experimentation to evidence: Assessing generative AI impact in schools Ethnic diversity in England’s education workforce Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and Stress in Pupils with SEND Smartphone experience and school policy The effects of permanent school closures on pupils’ outcomes How do students with SEND fare in the transition to post-16 education?

Love to Read Phase 2: A large-scale evaluation A study of multi-grade teaching in English primary schools The impacts of Relational and Restorative Practice in school Education | Equality, diversity and inclusion | 2027 - 2029 Religion and belief-related harassment in secondary schools Experimentation to evidence: Assessing generative AI impact in schools Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and Stress in Pupils with SEND Smartphone experience and school policy The effects of permanent school closures on pupils’ outcomes How do students with SEND fare in the transition to post-16 education?

Love to Read Phase 2: A large-scale evaluation A study of multi-grade teaching in English primary schools The impacts of Relational and Restorative Practice in school Your Baby and You: Developing the home learning environment for babies The long-term impact of student loans in further education Exploring Multi Academy Trust approaches to Artificial Intelligence A comparative analysis of EY workforce policy in the four UK nations Education | Welfare | 2024 - 2026 Choices, chances, and transitions around creative further and higher education Early years digital media literacy review Teacher recruitment & retention challenges in England The Extended Project Qualification: An Opportunity for All?

Revisiting the raising of the participation age to 18 in England What has ‘Free School Meals’ measured and what are the implications? Improving early mathematical skills by supporting home learning Understanding the take-up of early education entitlements Work or study? Gender and the transition from school to work Post-16 pathways: the role of peers, family background and expectations