A new guide has been released to help secondary teachers use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in ways that support student learning while maintaining evidence-based teaching practice.
Developed by Professor Miriam Tanti, Dr Alexia Maddox and Dr Emma Phillips from the School of Education, The Science of Learning and Generative AI: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers provides practical advice on integrating GenAI into classroom teaching without allowing the technology to replace students’ thinking.
The guide draws on research from cognitive science, educational psychology and neuroscience to address a key question facing educators: how GenAI can be used to support learning while ensuring students remain actively engaged in the thinking process.
Professor Tanti said the resource was designed to help teachers respond to the emerging pedagogical challenges presented by AI.
“Using AI for genuine learning is a new skill, and new skills need to be taught explicitly. We want to support this endeavour with practical, evidence-informed guidance,” she said.
The publication focuses on four key areas where generative AI intersects with learning: attention and cognitive load, memory and knowledge, transfer and problem-solving, and metacognition and self-regulation.
It includes classroom examples across Science, PDHPE, English and History, demonstrating how GenAI can be used to prompt explanation, reinforce memory, encourage deeper thinking, support student reflection and challenge assumptions or identify gaps in understanding.
A central theme of the guide is the distinction between using AI to extend students’ thinking rather than replacing it. The authors also emphasise the importance of explicitly teaching students to critically evaluate AI-generated content by checking claims and questioning sources as part of everyday classroom practice.
The resource is described as a living document that will continue to evolve as research into the educational applications of GenAI develops and classroom practice changes.
The guide is available as a free download and may be used and adapted by schools and teachers in their own contexts.