Autonomy and agency in the age of algorithms: How is AI shaping professional knowledge, identity and practice?
Featured image source: Catherine Breslin & Tania Duarte / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ RACHELE NEWMAN, DIRECTOR OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON, UK SIAN CUMMING, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER, UPPER SHIRLEY HIGH SCHOOL, UK NATALIE BUNGAY, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER, WESTON SECONDARY SCHOOL, UK The benefits for teachers in engaging with research-rich professional activity include improved subject and pedagogical knowledge, as well […]
From novelty to normal: How teachers are using AI in 2026
Featured image source: Max Gruber / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ KAREN WESPIESER, TEACHER TAPP, UK Quick-read summary AI has shifted from novelty to near-routine in teachers’ professional lives. By autumn 2025, a majority of teachers report using AI weekly to support school work, although 12 per cent have never used it. Teachers’ use of AI is selective […]
Integrating AI into productivity, planning and preparation, and pedagogy in schools
Featured image source: David Man & Tristan Ferne / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CAT RUSHTON, DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE, ACADEMY TRANSFORMATION TRUST, UK Introduction As the education system becomes accustomed to a world in which both teachers and students routinely use AI (artificial intelligence), educators are increasingly aware of its transformative potential, alongside the risks that it presents. […]
Reclaiming creativity in the generative AI Era: Dialogic pedagogy as human-centred innovation
BLESSING MAREGERE, SENIOR WORK-BASED LEARNING TUTOR AND PROGRAMME LEADER, LEEDS TRINITY UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction: Creativity at a crossroads As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) impacts education, the question confronting educators is not whether GenAI should be in the classroom but how it should coexist with human creativity. GenAI-powered writing assistants, adaptive learning platforms and automated feedback systems […]
Use AI for workload, not pedagogy: Prioritising teacher expertise and protecting high expectations for pupils with SEND
Featured image source: Wes Cockx & Google DeepMind / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ELLY PLANT, JASMINE LEONARD AND ROBBIE COLEMAN, PROXIMA EDUCATION, UK Introduction Inclusion is increasingly in the spotlight, with schools seeking to strengthen provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This shift is driven both by rising numbers of pupils with SEND […]
Effective use of AI to support EAL learners
TOM BEAKES, TRAINER, THE BELL FOUNDATION, UK This article explores where generative artificial intelligence (AI) might be used to help to enhance the learning of students who use English as an additional language (EAL) in integrated classrooms. Learners with EAL are defined by the Department for Education (DfE, 2020) as any child who is exposed to […]
The emerging evidence around the cognitive costs of learners outsourcing thinking to AI tools
DR LUCY RYCROFT-SMITH, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK Introduction This article considers the question: What does evidence suggest are some of the cognitive costs to using generative artificial intelligence tools in education? Research is only just beginning to address the cognitive and practical impacts of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools on learning, especially […]
A pair of ears in every lesson? Using AI to give trainee teachers richer feedback
MILES BERRY, PROFESSOR OF COMPUTING EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF ROEHAMPTON, UK AI can now generate detailed, evidence-referenced feedback from a transcript of any lesson, but how does this fit with professional formation? When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, one of the first things that many teachers did was ask it to write a lesson plan. The results […]
Using generative AI: How might teachers integrate it into their practice?
HANNAH OWEN, TEACHING ASSOCIATE AND PHD RESEARCHER, FACULTY OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK The implications of artificial intelligence (AI) use in education are far reaching, potentially enabling new forms of teaching, learning and educational provision, as well as enhancing learning experiences and supporting teachers (Miao and Cukurova, 2024). And while there is much uncertainty about […]
Creative fidelity: Keeping learners in charge of their ideas
TRUDI BARROW, ADVISOR, CLEAPSS, UK ‘Creative fidelity’ is a term that I use to describe the principle of retaining the intent of the author or designer when using artificial intelligence (AI) tools within creative processes. The word ‘fidelity’ is deliberately chosen. It implies faithfulness to something that already exists – for example, a design that […]
Empowering learners: Using VESPA to frame student autonomy towards teaching and learning
LIZ PYNE, PRINCETHORPE COLLEGE, UK The desire for student autonomy is the ‘holy grail’ of many teachers and school leaders. Teaching students self-regulation of their learning and to understand the skills and processes towards success continues to be an area of discussion and thought. ‘However, ownership and autonomy of learning do not necessarily come naturally […]
Teaching the British Empire: what is happening in schools and what can we learn?
Drawing on findings from the landmark Portrait EMB research project (https://dx.doi.org/10.5287/ora-rvno97kbq), this session explores what is currently happening in schools in relation to teaching about the British Empire, migration, and belonging, and what educators can learn from emerging practice across England. Based on one of the largest studies of its kind, involving over 1,000 teachers […]
AI Assurance Measures in the Education Sector
This study aims to explore the experiences of education stakeholders with adopting and managing safe and responsible technology in schools and classrooms, and the perspectives of policymakers on AI assurance. The goal of this project is to understand whether, and if so, how end-users of AI technologies in education are currently involved in the process […]
An exploration of the factors shaping the anti-racist praxis of school leaders in England
Are you a current school leader in England? If yes, please consider taking part in this study. •Doctoral study •60-90 minute interview [online or face to face] •Interviews will be scheduled May and June 2026 •Ethical approval from University of West London •Supervisor is Dr Manzoorul Abedin [manzoorul.abedin@uwl.ac.uk] Please email Sabrina Edwards: 21459475@student.uwl.ac.uk
White Paper Response Series – Secondary Settings Session 2
To inform The Chartered College of Teaching’s White Paper response we would like to invite practitioners working in secondary settings to attend a focused workshop event. In this session, we will invite you to share your thoughts on the paper and its implications for our classrooms. We are looking for current practitioners to share their thoughts and […]
White Paper Response Series – Secondary Settings Session 1
To inform The Chartered College of Teaching’s White Paper response we would like to invite practitioners working in secondary settings to attend a focused workshop event. In this session, we will invite you to share your thoughts on the paper and its implications for our classrooms. We are looking for current practitioners to share their thoughts and […]
Geography fieldwork: minds-on, as well as hands-on
When done well, fieldwork is at the heart of effective geography education – providing genuine, real-life contexts for learning and promoting curiosity, creativity and critical thinking skills. But how do you ensure your learners bring their ‘thinking caps’ out into the field? This free live webinar will share guidance and practical examples to help you […]
A reflective narrative on supporting international trainee teachers to thrive when teaching in English schools
SHALINI BHORKAR, ROBERT CAMPBELL AND JULIETTE CLARO, ST MARY’S UNIVERSITY, TWICKENHAM, UK Teacher recruitment and retention remain ongoing challenges in England (Maisuria et al., 2023). Most notably, recruitment of modern foreign language (MFL) and physics trainee teachers is particularly stark (DfE, 2025a). To address under-recruitment in these subjects, government bursaries are now available to international candidates. […]
‘Putting the children first, fighting their corner, being prepared to stick their head above a parapet’: Exploring reasons for the SENDCo recruitment crisis
NAOMI ASHMAN, DOCTORAL STUDENT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, UK Introduction There is currently a SENDCo recruitment and retention crisis (Robertson, 2023). Many find fulfilling SENDCo responsibilities unsustainable and are reluctant to remain in the role (Curran and Boddison, 2021). Reasons for attrition include overwhelming workload, inadequate time and insufficient funding for special educational needs and disability […]
Designing new pathways into teaching: Widening access, representation and inclusion in school communities through teacher degree apprenticeships
ANDY DAVIES, PROJECT CO-LEAD; DEPUTY DEAN, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK LIS BUNDOCK, PROJECT CO-LEAD; ASSOCIATE DEAN (EDUCATION AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE), UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK RICHARD HARVEY-SWANSTON, SENIOR LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK ROB CORBETT, APPRENTICE AMBASSADOR, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK ALLISON GODFREY, EMPLOYER COORDINATOR, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK POLLY HERBERT, HEAD OF INITIAL TEACHER […]