Young students embrace AI tutoring, finds survey

A recent survey conducted by tutoring company Superprof reveals varying attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) among students, parents, and tutors. The survey, which collected over 1,500 responses from tutors and 300 from students and parents, highlights a generational divide in perceptions of AI’s role in education.

Overall, scepticism prevails among adults and tutors regarding AI’s potential to replace human tutors, with 74% of tutors, 78% of parents, and 67% of adult learners believing AI will never surpass human tutors. In contrast, 60% of high school and college students express optimism about AI’s capabilities, believing it can eventually match human tutoring.

Despite this optimism, students overwhelmingly prefer human tutors over AI for their educational needs, with 60% favoring tutoring sessions compared to 21% opting for online courses and tutorials, and 10% for educational apps.

The survey also underscores a perceived failure of traditional education systems in adequately preparing students for real-world challenges. Participants across all groups emphasise the effectiveness of self-directed, flexible learning supplemented by regular check-ins. Superprof tutors utilise various methods to track student progress, including monitoring participation, conducting quizzes and assessments, and seeking feedback from students and parents.

Subject-wise, tutors identify significant gaps in foundational knowledge, particularly in math, English language arts, and foreign languages, impacting student performance in school.

In a related survey, 801 students and parents indicated a preference for AI chatbots like ChatGPT alongside in-person tutoring, with 85% finding AI chatbots effective for improving grades. This preference reflects a broader trend where online resources such as Quizlet and Course Hero integrate AI features to support learning goals.

Overall, while younger students show greater openness to AI in education, preferring traditional tutoring methods, there remains scepticism among educators and parents regarding AI’s ability to fully replace human interaction in the learning process.