80% of Teachers Are Using AI Tools in the Classroom -- THE Journal

Research

80% of Teachers Are Using AI Tools in the Classroom

By Rhea Kelly
04/22/26

Key Takeaways

AI use is widespread among educators: 80% of teachers report using generative AI tools, with 58% using them regularly or occasionally and 22% trying them once or twice.
Primary use is instructional support, not grading: Teachers most often use AI to create instructional resources (44%), brainstorm ideas (20%), and complete administrative tasks (17%), with only 4% using it for grading.
AI seen as a supplement amid high workload stress: 93% say AI cannot replace teacher-created resources; 60% report high or critical stress, and higher-stress educators are more likely to use AI.

In a recent survey by PreK-12 marketplace TPT, 80% of educators reported using generative AI tools in their classrooms. The majority (58%) said they use AI regularly or occasionally, while 22% have tried it once or twice. One in five respondents said they'd never used AI tools.

For its 2026 State of the Classroom report, the company polled 11,500 teachers, administrators, and support staff around the globe about key issues in education, such as workload pressures and the use of generative AI. Eighty-one percent of respondents were classroom teachers, while 19% held administrative or support staff roles.

Top Ways Teachers Are Using AI Tools

How are generative AI tools being used? Creating instructional resources was the most common use, cited by 44% of respondents, followed by brainstorming ideas (20%) and completing administrative tasks (17%). The use of AI for grading was cited by just 4% of respondents.

However, the vast majority of educators (93%) do not believe AI alone can meet their needs or replace resources they make or buy themselves. Forty percent of respondents said they see AI as a starting point, and 27% said that human-created resources are superior.

"The message is unmistakable: While AI may help lighten educators' workload, they do not believe it can replace the experience or creativity of teachers," TPT noted in a company blog post.

Stress and Workload a Factor

The survey also asked teachers about their current workload stress levels. The majority of respondents (60%) described their stress level as high (50%) or critical (10%), with 40% calling it manageable. Interestingly, educators who described their stress levels as high were more likely to report using AI in the classroom.

"My new school is dreadfully under-resourced without a clear curriculum, but the expectations are incredibly high. I'm also teaching a new subject," reported one elementary school educator in California. "I never used AI before, but the demand is so intense I had to turn to it to survive lesson planning … I prefer human work, but it's impossible to stay afloat without some help."

For more survey details, visit the TPT blog.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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