A new globally-researched report reveals almost half (42%) of Australian teachers are optimistic about the benefits of leveraging generative AI tools like ChatGPT within the classroom.
Moreover, there’s a recognition of the significance of AI in preparing students for future careers.
Capgemini Research Institute’s new report, ‘Future ready education: Empowering secondary school students with digital skills’, also found that over half of Australian respondents (55%) acknowledge the importance of interacting with AI in shaping the workforce of tomorrow.
In its report, Capgemini also found that urban educators are proactively integrating technology into their teaching methodologies, giving precedence to digital literacy, and embracing the potential of AI for the future job market.
The report also found urban educators in Australia benefit from access to sufficient learning technologies and reliable internet connectivity; four in five Australian teachers confirm their schools possess suitable digital tools and technologies for effective learning.
The report, based on results of a global survey involving 1,800 secondary school teachers, 4,500 parents of secondary school students, and 900 students aged between 11 and 18 years old, demonstrated Australian urban schools are committed to fostering digital skills.
The majority (92%) emphasise digital literacy over data and media literacy, covering essential aspects of digital technologies such as computer hardware, software, the internet, and mobile devices.
Digital skills are actively woven into teaching practices, with over three in four urban teachers frequently incorporating them into their lessons. Notably, 80% of teachers report that urban students are equipped with the digital skills essential for their future careers.
From an AI perspective, more than half (55%) of teachers believe that competence in AI interaction will be pivotal for upcoming job opportunities.
Significantly, over two in five teachers recognise that the benefits of integrating ChatGPT into education outweigh potential risks. More than half (56%) of teachers agree that educational adaptations are necessary to effectively accommodate AI and nearly half (44%) of teachers express that AI will enhance the teaching profession.
Ms Shobha Meera, chief corporate responsibility officer at Capgemini, said the new report spotlights the significant gaps in future-ready digital skills between rural and urban schools.
“It is our conviction that as technologies like generative AI increasingly shape our world and amplify the criticality of foundational digital skills, they also hold the key to bridging gaps through self-paced learning, hyper-personalisation and other such capabilities,” she said.
“At Capgemini, we are committed to responsibly leveraging the power of new tools and technologies to continue our role in digital skills training: almost 2 million people have already benefited from our digital literacy programs since 2018, and we are proud to have 23% of the 26,000 graduates from our digital academies as our colleagues today. We hope the findings from this report serve and inspire the ecosystem of players tackling the same topic in our shared quest for a more sustainable and inclusive future.”
Download the report here.
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