A new study from the Fraser Institute reveals that 64.7 per cent of Canadian teachers in grades 6-12 have not been provided training by their school or school board on identifying student use of artificial intelligence (AI). The survey, conducted by Leger and commissioned by the Fraser Institute, highlights a significant gap in teacher support as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in classrooms.
Lack of Training and Policies
According to the study, 63.6 per cent of teachers surveyed said their school or board has not provided training on how to instruct students to use AI appropriately, while only 31.9 per cent confirmed they had received such training. Additionally, less than half of teachers (46.8 per cent) reported that their school or school board has offered training on how to best use AI for class lessons and other in-class materials.
“Undoubtedly Canadian teachers are dealing with the impacts of AI use professionally and by their students – yet it’s clear from these survey results that teachers are not being supported by policies and training in this rapidly evolving space,” said Paige MacPherson, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of the study.
Regional Disparities in Training
The survey found significant regional differences in training availability. Teachers in Atlantic Canada were most likely to report that their school or board provided AI training for in-class lessons (61.1 per cent), followed by Alberta (56.0 per cent) and Ontario (55.4 per cent). In contrast, only 24.3 per cent of teachers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan indicated they had received such training.
Lack of School Policies
The study also found that only 34.8 per cent of teachers surveyed across Canada say their school has a policy on AI use for staff, and only 42.3 per cent report having a policy on student AI use. This lack of formal guidance leaves both teachers and students navigating AI use without clear direction.
“AI constitutes a potentially significant shift in education, reshaping how teachers craft lessons and more concerningly, how many students are actually doing their homework,” MacPherson added.
About the Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax. It does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research to maintain its independence.
