WASHINGTON, DC — Previous research has found that 6 in 10 teachers use AI in their work, and 3 in 10 of them use AI at least weekly, but only 18% of teachers reported receiving any formal guidance from school administrators on how to use AI tools. Across the 10 tasks in which educators might use AI, nearly one-third (34%) received no guidance at all, while nearly half (48%) of teachers received only informal guidance. This lack of clarity has left many K-12 teachers navigating a rapidly changing technology landscape without support.
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These findings are from the latest Walton Family Foundation and Gallup study, “Educating for Tomorrow: Closing the Expectation Gap,” which surveyed 2,069 U.S. public K-12 teachers between February 9 and March 2, 2026. Teachers were recruited from a nationally representative probability-based panel of U.S. public school teachers.
Formal AI guidance includes written policies and official guidance, while informal guidance includes verbal conversations and shared norms. Informal guidance on using AI varies across the 10 work tasks measured by Gallup, but formal guidance on all of them is rare, with less than one in 10 teachers receiving formal guidance on a particular activity. For some tasks, most teachers receive no guidance at all. 69% say this is true when it comes to one-on-one instruction and tutoring, and 58% say the same about how AI should be used to grade students and provide feedback.
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Teachers in high-income schools are slightly more likely than teachers in higher-need schools to receive some guidance (mostly informal) on how to use AI, particularly when it comes to preparing instruction and modifying and creating materials for students. With a few exceptions, instruction does not vary significantly by other characteristics, such as grade level or primary subject taught.
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Most guidance neither encourages nor discourages use
Even if teachers say they have received some guidance on using AI in their work, they may stop short of giving clear instructions. Most teachers who receive formal or informal guidance on specific tasks say it neither encourages nor discourages the use of AI, leaving this practical decision in the hands of teachers. Few would say that this guidance explicitly discourages the use of AI.
Encouraging the use of AI is most common in instructional preparation. This includes using AI to modify student materials to suit individual needs (58%), create worksheets and assignments (54%), and prepare lessons (53%). Encouragement is less common (and ambiguity is more common) in tasks that involve direct interaction with students, such as one-on-one instruction or tutoring. Three in 10 teachers say they are encouraged to use AI to get instructional feedback and coaching.
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For most AI use cases, disappointments are rare. Yet one in ten (10%) of teachers who have received guidance about using AI to grade student work say they are discouraged from doing so. This is the highest demotivation rate of any task measured. The majority of teachers who receive guidance on using AI for grading say they are neither encouraged nor discouraged from using it (54%), and 36% say they are encouraged.
Formal policies are likely to encourage the use of AI
Teachers who received formal instruction on the use of AI were more likely to say that the instruction encouraged the use of AI than those who received informal instruction. For example, 69% of teachers who received formal guidance on using AI to create materials for students said their use of AI would be encouraged, compared to 51% of teachers who received informal guidance. The same pattern usually applies to other work tasks that are asked about.
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conclusion
Although AI tools are becoming a routine part of teachers’ professional lives, institutional guidance to help teachers use them thoughtfully and effectively has not kept pace. Most teachers do not have a formal policy and individuals must make critical decisions within the policy vacuum.
This finding extends a pattern documented by Gallup in its “Educating Tomorrow: Closing the Expectation Gap” study. When teachers are not guided by their school or district, the burden of navigating the ambiguity falls on individual educators. This ambiguity has a lasting impact on educators, as unrealistic and unclear expectations are strongly associated with increased burnout and decreased workplace engagement.
Schools and districts willing to invest in explicit AI instruction can reduce ambiguity for teachers and foster more confident and effective adoption. So far, most schools have not taken such a path, leaving most teachers to navigate the AI environment on their own or with patchwork support.
Click here for details of Walton Family Foundation – Gallup Teaching for Tomorrow Research.
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