More than half of teachers across Europe (58 per cent) believe that when students use AI to complete their schoolwork, it has a negative effect on learning – a concern shared even more strongly in the UK, where three in five teachers (60 per cent agree).
That’s according to new research on the impact of technology on education commissioned by Epson, which unsurprisingly is doubling down on the ongoing need for printed resources within the classroom environment.
While three quarters of teachers across Europe report noticing students using AI tools to help with schoolwork or homework, many fear that AI use is allowing students to sidestep learning altogether.
This is a belief shared by six in ten (60 per cent) teachers across Europe and 68 per cent in the UK. In fact, 54 per cent across Europe say AI use is leading to poorer exam results because students struggle to perform without it — rising dramatically to 68 per cent among UK teachers.
Teachers are also worried about the long-term consequences for critical thinking. Nearly three quarters of teachers across Europe (73 per cent) say over-reliance on AI is reducing students’ ability to spot fake information and think critically, a concern echoed just as strongly in the UK, where 74 per cent of teachers agree on both counts.
Importantly, the majority of teachers (78 per cent in Europe, 76 per cent in the UK) agree that AI has an important role to play in education, but that it needs to be used with care. Nearly three quarters of teachers across Europe (74 per cent) believe traditional learning resources are essential to ensuring the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy are firmly in place, rising to 78 per cent among UK teachers.
What’s more, six in ten teachers across Europe (60 per cent) believe students learn better on paper than on screens, while two thirds (66 per cent) say traditional teaching methods provide the groundwork for lifelong learning — rising to 75 per cent among UK teachers.
Academic experts echo this view; Dr Lili Yu from Macquarie University’s School of Psychological Sciences in Australia states: “Comprehension drops when we are using a screen to read information-dense text, like a textbook for study.”
This emphasis on paper-based learning has practical implications for schools. More than half of teachers across Europe (54 per cent), rising to 66 per cent in the UK, say printers remain a vital part of education, enabling students to access and engage with traditional learning materials.
However, access is not always guaranteed. Almost a third of UK teachers (29 per cent) say they do not have enough printers in their school to provide hard-copy resources whenever they are needed, while 68 per cent of teachers across Europe — and 80 per cent in the UK — believe policymakers should consider access to printers when making decisions about how to improve educational outcomes.
“AI is undoubtedly changing the world.” says Fabio Girotto, Epson Europe. “To make the most of it later in life, students need to use it carefully at school. There needs to be a focus on getting the basics in place first through traditional teaching methods. In short, to create an AI-ready workforce that can think critically and use AI responsibly, we need a strong focus on pen and paper in the classroom.”
“This is why practical tools still matter,” Girotto adds. “Printers in schools help make sure students can still access and engage with the hard-copy materials that reinforce these foundations”.
Photo by Bozhin Karaivanov on Unsplash
