---
title: >-
  Sixty-eight English secondary schools in the EEF Teacher Choices trial:
  Teacher-controlled ChatGPT lesson planning with implementation guide
slug: eef-chatgpt-lesson-planning-rct
stable_id: a7cc28afea359c61
company: Sixty-eight English secondary schools in the EEF Teacher Choices trial
function_code: enrollment
pattern_codes:
  - step_before_decision
  - creator_to_judge
evidence_strength: verified
publication_tier: showcase
freshness: current
reviewed_at: '2026-08-23'
updated_at: '2026-08-22'
source_quality_summary: 1 independent; publication outcomes are verified.
caveat_summary: >-
  Teachers used ChatGPT for roughly one-third of relevant lessons, so this is not
  whole-workload reduction. Resource quality is not the same as student learning
  outcome.
collections:
  - human-still-decides
bundle_version: 1.0.0
bundle_fingerprint: sha256:c23c6cc2b88153d008ea8fda928f632ce0011fc2d4c5036672a16e5d895bab93
canonical_url: https://brianletort.ai/transformations/eef-chatgpt-lesson-planning-rct
---

# Sixty-eight English secondary schools in the EEF Teacher Choices trial: Teacher-controlled ChatGPT lesson planning with implementation guide

Teachers can use a general model for preparation while retaining curriculum, quality, and classroom decisions.

Function: Enrollment. Patterns: AI prepares, human decides; Creator to judge. Evidence: verified.

Freshness: current. Reviewed: 2026-08-23. Updated: 2026-08-22.


Source quality: 1 independent; publication outcomes are verified.

## Before

1. **Science teacher** — Creates questions, quizzes, activities, and differentiated resources without generative AI. (control: Teacher judgment and school curriculum.)
2. **Teacher** — Reviews and adapts prepared resources. (control: Teacher quality assurance.)

## After

1. **Science teacher with ChatGPT** — Uses an implementation guide and prompts the model for questions, quizzes, activity ideas, or tailored materials. (control: Use limited to lesson preparation.)
2. **Teacher** — Reviews, corrects, and decides whether to use each resource. (control: Teacher retains pedagogical authority.)

## Decision rights

Teachers decide prompts, edits, suitability, and classroom use.

## Exception path

Teachers reject poor output and prepare the resource conventionally.

## Outcomes

- **Weekly Year 7-8 science planning time** (verified): 81.5 minutes in the non-GenAI comparison group. → 56.2 minutes in the ChatGPT group, 25.3 minutes or 31% lower.. Teachers used ChatGPT for roughly one-third of relevant lessons, so this is not whole-workload reduction.
- **Lesson-resource quality** (verified): Blind expert ratings of non-GenAI resources. → No apparent reduction in quality for ChatGPT-assisted resources.. Resource quality is not the same as student learning outcome.

## Executive lesson

Bounded preparation tasks can save time without degrading reviewed artifacts, but student outcomes remain a separate question.

## Anti-pattern

Claiming reduced planning time proves improved learning.

## Questions for leaders

- How is saved time reinvested?
- Which subjects generalize?
- What student-data use is prohibited?

## Sources

- [ChatGPT in Lesson Preparation: A Teacher Choices Trial](https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/production/documents/projects/chatgpt_in_lesson_planning_-_evaluation_report.pdf?v=1737473227) — National Foundation for Educational Research / Education Endowment Foundation