AI‑crafted lesson plans earn teachers an F, offering no boost in engagement
It turns out that when teachers lean on the AI chatbots everyone’s been talking about to put together civics lessons, the classrooms don’t get any brighter. In a recent study, researchers pulled a batch of AI-generated units and compared them with the same topics taught the usual way. They saw no real jump in how engaged students were, no deeper immersion, and no clear boost in learning outcomes.
One of the authors summed it up: “When teachers rely on commonly used artificial intelligence chatbots to devise lesson plans, it does not result in more engaging, immersive, or effective learning experiences compared with existing techniques.” The civics curriculum they examined actually earned the AI-crafted lessons an F from teachers. So the promise of faster, smarter planning hasn’t shown up as better results, at least not in this sample. The tech can do impressive things elsewhere, but in lesson design it still seems to miss the mark educators were hoping for.
It leaves us wondering why a tool that spits out text so easily can’t lift learning when it counts.
When teachers rely on commonly used artificial intelligence chatbots to devise lesson plans, it does not result in more engaging, immersive, or effective learning experiences compared with existing techniques, we found in our recent study. The AI-generated civics lesson plans we analyzed also left out opportunities for students to explore the stories and experiences of traditionally marginalized people. The allure of generative AI as a teaching aid has caught the attention of educators.
A Gallup survey from September 2025 found that 60 percent of K-12 teachers are already using AI in their work, with the most common reported use being teaching preparation and lesson planning. Without the assistance of AI, teachers might spend hours every week crafting lessons for their students. With AI, time-stretched teachers can generate detailed lesson plans featuring learning objectives, materials, activities, assessments, extension activities, and homework tasks in a matter of seconds.
However, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot were not originally built with educators in mind.
The study suggests AI isn’t a magic wand for teachers. When a group of educators let popular chatbots write civics lessons, the plans ended up with an F grade - no measurable boost in student engagement, immersion or learning outcomes compared with a textbook approach. In addition, the AI-generated units left out opportunities for students to hear stories from traditionally marginalized groups, which could hurt curriculum inclusivity.
Still, the research looked at only a handful of lesson plans and focused on a single subject, so it’s unclear whether tweaking prompts or trying other subjects would change the picture. Those results put a damper on the hype around generative AI as a quick classroom fix, reminding us that novelty alone doesn’t equal pedagogical value. Schools will probably have to weigh any time saved against possible losses in depth and representation.
More work is needed to see if newer models or teacher-guided AI use can fix the gaps we saw. Until that evidence shows up, the promise of AI-crafted curricula stays unproven.
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Common Questions Answered
What were the specific findings regarding student engagement when using AI-generated civics lesson plans?
The study found no measurable lift in student engagement, immersion, or overall effectiveness when teachers used AI-generated civics lessons compared to traditional methods. This indicates that the popular chatbots did not deliver the hoped-for upgrade in learning experiences.
How did the AI-generated lesson plans handle the inclusion of traditionally marginalized groups?
The AI-generated civics lesson plans analyzed in the study omitted opportunities for students to explore the stories and experiences of traditionally marginalized people. This gap represents a significant shortcoming in curriculum inclusivity that the automated tools failed to address.
What limitations did the researchers acknowledge about their study on AI-crafted lesson plans?
The researchers noted that their study examined only a limited set of lesson plans, suggesting that broader conclusions require further investigation. Despite this limitation, the findings clearly showed that the AI-generated plans earned an F compared to traditional teaching methods.