Guiding teachers and tutors on how to get the best out of ChatGPT.
Teaching with ChatGPT is a free online resource to empower UK teachers and other educators to use ChatGPT effectively to enhance their day-to-day work.
In a gold-standard randomised control trial commissioned by the prestigious Education Endowment Foundation and funded by The Hg Foundation, it was found that science teachers using Chat GPT – supported by the resource – cut their lesson planning time by over 30 percent. The study involved almost 260 teachers in 68 secondary schools across England. The group of teachers who used ChatGPT shaved off an average of 25 minutes from their weekly lesson and resource planning time, compared to the comparison group of teachers who were asked not to use ChatGPT, or any other generative AI tools.
In research to develop the guide it was found that, of teachers who had already used ChatGPT and similar AI tools, the vast majority reported that it had saved them time, improved lessons and reduced their time to prepare for their classes. Despite this experience, as of late 2023 when the guide was developed, 50% of teachers said that they had not yet used generative AI.
The goal of the guide is to leverage this new technology in ways that will enable the easier and faster generation of high-quality teaching resources, and also to contribute to teacher retention and recruitment by reducing teacher workload. There is a shortage of STEM teachers in almost all of the education systems across the world, so tools that free up their time and aid retention in the profession are hugely important to the Foundation’s mission of building the pipeline of talent into tech. To date, the guide has been accessed almost 20,000 times.
This guide was supported by The Hg Foundation and produced with support from Bain & Company’s Social Impact practice, and from Bain’s Advanced Analytics Group. The Hg Foundation is also grateful for contributions and support in developing the guide from Academies Enterprise Trust, Ark, Tutor Trust, Mossbourne Community Academy, Mounts Bay Academy, Newcastle Sixth Form College, The Blue School, The Mirfield Free Grammar, Walkergate Community School and William Tyndale Primary School.
“All schools and teachers are having to find their way in this brave new world, but they know that the fundamentals of excellent teaching remain. That is what this guide gets right. It provides some immediate ways to empower teachers – giving them tips and tools to save time and get more done using the power of the new AI tools that are emerging.”
