K-12 teachers are adopting generative AI (GenAI) technologies in the classroom at a greater rate than their higher education counterparts, according to new national survey data from the global edtech firm Cengage Group.
Nearly two-thirds of K-12 teachers (63 percent) say they or their school district have integrated GenAI into their teaching – up 12 percent from last year. That compares to just 49 percent of higher education instructors, who reported a more modest five percent year-over-year increase.
Despite somewhat similar levels of optimism about the technology – 55 percent of K-12 teachers and 45 percent of higher education instructors have positive views – the adoption gap is growing.
The findings are based on a survey of over 3,000 higher education students and instructors and more than 1,000 K-12 teachers and administrators.
“Educators and administrators remain optimistic about the potential of GenAI and are starting to realize the positive impact it can have on learning,” said Kimberly Russell, vice president of UX, market and product research at Cengage Group.
“While we’re encouraged by this optimism, we found a significant delta – 28 percent difference – in reported adoption rates between both groups. Adoption and usage trends are important because they provide our product development team a more holistic view of how both markets are using GenAI in education,” Russell said.
The disparity comes as both sectors explore GenAI’s potential. In higher education, instructors are using the technology to generate course content (45 percent), plan lessons (42 percent), create quizzes and assessments (39 percent), and support lectures (42 percent). Students are using it to summarize complex material (67 percent), brainstorm writing topics (61 percent), and develop study aids (55 percent).
However, many higher ed students feel left behind by faculty. Two-thirds (65 percent) say they know more about AI than their instructors, and 45 percent wish their professors incorporated AI skills into coursework.
In K-12, adoption has grown even as concerns remain high. The majority of administrators (88 percent) and teachers (87 percent) believe GenAI poses moderate to severe risk, particularly around data privacy, which saw a four percent rise in concern this year. Even so, the demand for AI tools is growing – especially those that support personalized instruction (27 percent), administrative tasks (20 percent), and lesson planning (14 percent).
“There is tremendous potential for K12 to continue realizing the impact that GenAI can have on education,” said Darren Person, chief digital officer at Cengage Group. “But first, we must overcome and close perceived gaps around data and privacy concerns.”
