Digital teaching in Austria: Teachers use AI, but where is the progress?

Digital teaching in Austria: Teachers use AI, but where is the progress?

On May 15, 2025, a new study was published by the Austrian Federal Publishing House (ÖBV) in collaboration with the University of Linz, in which 949 teachers in Austria were surveyed about their use of digital media. According to the study, 87% of teachers use digital devices and offerings, but only 25% use these media in more than 40% of their lessons. 50% of teachers even use digital media in less than 20% of their lessons. The differences in use depending on the type of school are particularly striking: there is hardly any digitally supported teaching at primary and special schools, while vocational schools show a higher prevalence of digital aids.

Particularly in the context of artificial intelligence (AI), the study shows that 56% of respondents use AI tools, mostly to prepare lessons. While 60% of teachers at vocational schools use AI intensively, this rarely happens in normal lessons. A third of teachers ultimately encourage students to use AI. Rejection of this technology has fallen and there are hardly any bans.

Challenges and potential in teaching

Despite the positive trends, there are also challenges. Around a third of those surveyed complained about unstable internet and inadequate digital teaching materials. 25% complain about an insufficient number of devices and workstations for lesson preparation. Only 10% of teachers perceive their digital skills as problematic, which suggests that digitalization in schools is seen as “on a very good path”.

Nevertheless, the didactic potential of AI tools remains largely unknown. Teachers consider the use of AI in teaching to be useful. Many teachers report positive experiences when it comes to having dialogues with AIs or carrying out individual research. The majority of teachers see AI as a helpful tool to ease the burden on teaching and enable students to learn individually. On the other hand, incorrect results from AI often lead to frustration among students.

Further training for teachers

In Germany, the federal states have already begun to intensify their efforts to train teachers in dealing with AI. In Baden-Württemberg, for example, the focus is on integrating AI into lessons, with students learning how to use AI effectively. The same applies to Bavaria, where extensive training courses are provided for all subjects and types of schools. Berlin and Brandenburg also offer guidelines and training courses through various educational institutions to make it easier for teachers to use AI.

In Lower Saxony, special training courses are offered under the keyword “LernenMitKI”, and in North Rhine-Westphalia, comprehensive materials and courses on text-generating AI systems are available. The various initiatives in the federal states show that the integration of AI into the education sector is considered necessary. This is supported by survey results showing that over 20% of students in Austria have used AI to cheat on exams, while almost a third want AI to be offered as a subject.

In conclusion, it can be said that digitalization and the integration of AI into teaching are progressing. It will be crucial to expand access to the necessary technologies and teaching concepts to optimally support teachers and improve the learning environment for students. The challenges associated with digitalization require a collective effort from teachers and educational institutions in order to achieve learning goals sustainably and effectively.

For more information, see the study results vienna.at, the findings on the use of AI education.digital and the further training offers in Germany future-digital.school available.