Canadian Educator Study Finds Most Teachers Feel Unprepared and Unsupported on Generative AI

Over the past year and a half, a team of Queen's University doctoral students has worked with more than 800 educators to develop the GenAI-dentity survey and workshop, helping educators reflect on their comfort with generative AI, assessment practice, fears, and challenges. Preliminary findings show that many feel unprepared and unsupported, and that comfort with AI varies by context, purpose, role, and risk rather than fitting a simple pro-or-con divide.

The study identifies major barriers to adoption: many educators feel unprepared and unsupported and may ignore AI instead of guiding students. This directly affects implementation and may widen inequalities in AI literacy. Discomfort may lead educators to avoid AI instruction and leave students without structured guidance. The research framework can inform teacher training and policy support.