Can ChatGPT streamline lesson planning to reduce teacher workload?

Today, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) unveiled a new trial aimed at investigating whether assisting teachers in utilising ChatGPT, a generative AI tool, for lesson planning can lead to a reduction in their total working hours.

Secondary Schools Can Now Participate in ChatGPT Trial

Secondary schools are now invited to participate in a pioneering trial conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). The research focuses on examining whether the use of ChatGPT, can alleviate the workload of teachers, as excessive workload has been linked to lower staff retention rates in schools.

The trial aims to determine the effectiveness of an online guide developed by Bain & Company’s Social Impact practice and The Hg Foundation. This guide is designed to assist teachers in optimising ChatGPT for streamlined lesson planning.

The toolkit offers technical support for using generative AI to generate activity ideas, customise existing lesson materials for specific student groups, create clear explanations and step-by-step examples, and produce assessment materials such as practice questions and mock exams.

Learn more about this from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) here.

Sector Response

Rob Robson, ASCL’s lead on artificial intelligence, said:

“We are intrigued by the trial into the use of ChatGPT. However, the decision to focus on a single generative artificial intelligence system seems puzzling, given the array of powerful tools available on the market. We are aware of members who are already working with various tools, and we have had some interesting feedback about their effectiveness.

“Artificial intelligence is being integrated into the lives of teachers, leaders, and students, enhancing lesson planning and potentially extending its influence to assessments in the future, a development we welcome. However, it is important to acknowledge that AI, while valuable, will not be the remedy for the current workload crisis faced by the teaching profession. At the core of this crisis lie profound challenges related to recruitment and retention, issues that no amount of AI can address.”