‘More efficient and easier’: How AI can help teachers spend less time on things other than teaching

While students have been benefiting from using AI to enhance their learning, teachers should be using it to cut down on bloated workloads.

Artificial intelligence should be harnessed to help teachers cut hours of administrative work each week, giving them more time to focus on students, experts say.

As well as marking student work, teachers across the nation are struggling with huge increases in workloads from requirements including data collecting, mandatory reporting, individual student learning plans and applications for assistance for students with disabilities.

As the bureaucratic demands pile up, surveys in recent years have shown teachers do anywhere between 12.5 to 16.5 hours of unpaid overtime a week – the equivalent of two full extra days’ work.

News Corp has this week launched the third year of its Australia’s Best Teachers advocacy series to celebrate the positive impact educators have and tackle workforce challenges in our schools. This year’s series is presented in partnership with Officeworks, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Education Perfect and Big Ass Fans.

UniSA education expert Dr Sam Fowler said AI could knock as many as five hours a week off their schedules.

“It’s not just saving me time from doing it, it’s making it easier for me to do the actual explanation (of tasks) because I’ve got a better example to work from,” said Dr Fowler of reducing lesson-planning time.

AI will cut down time teachers spend on administrative work. Picture: Getty Images

“Not only can the AI mark the students’ work … but in other ways it can help communication between other people who are giving feedback.”

In a study by technology company Education Perfect, almost 20,000 students around Australia and New Zealand received feedback on their work using an AI-powered tool after submitting written answers to questions.

The 10-week study in late 2024 showed an average improvement of 47 per cent in students’ final response quality when the AI tool was used.

The vast majority, 87 per cent, re-engaged with the AI to improve low-scoring responses and 69 per cent demonstrated a deeper understanding of a concept by their final attempt.

Education Perfect co-founder Shane Smith said AI tools allowed teachers to cut down on the time spent identifying gaps in learning.

“The best learning cycles are where students get that immediate feedback (from AI) and then get it fine-tuned and get the kind of feedback that only teachers can give,” Mr Smith said.

“Having that automated feedback means that the system can identify the students who need the most help and can allow the teachers to focus more of their time on those students … rather than trying to scan through everything.”

President of the Australian Secondary Principals’ Association Andy Mison says AI is already helping teachers across the country. Picture: Supplied.

Streamlining of tasks is already happening in some schools across the country, Australian Secondary Principals Association president Andy Mison said.

In 2023, the South Australian education system was the first in the nation to welcome AI into the classroom with its own chatbot, EdChat, developed with Microsoft.
The last year, the NSW Education Department announced it would introduce its own model after initially joining jurisdictions around the country in banning AI.

“It’s not just about their workload, it’s got great potential to support differentiated teaching practice in classes,” Mr Mison said.

“We will see a reduction in hours with some aspects of lesson preparation and planning.”

Australian Primary Principals Association president Angela Falkenberg said “low value tasks” will be quicker and more efficient. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Australian Primary Principals Association president Angela Falkenberg highlighted risk- assessment paperwork and creating rubrics for assignments as tasks that could be streamlined through AI.

“It has the potential to make a whole lot of low-value tasks more efficient and easier which will save some hours,” she said.

“Teachers may not spend less time at work through this, but (the time) goes to things they love.”