TALIS 2024 data from Alberta, the only Canadian jurisdiction in the survey, shows that 67% of non-AI-using Alberta teachers say a lack of skills is a barrier to using AI in their classrooms. That sits below the OECD average of 75%. Alberta also reports lower infrastructure barriers than most OECD countries and the highest professional development participation rate in the survey.
The OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey gathered data from teachers and school leaders in dozens of education systems during the spring of 2024. Results were published in October 2025.[1] Alberta joined as Canada’s only participating jurisdiction, making it the single data point we have for Canadian teachers in this round of the survey.
What did TALIS 2024 find about the AI skills gap in Alberta?
Among Alberta teachers who do not currently use AI in their classrooms, 67% identified a lack of skills as a barrier to adopting AI in their teaching.[1]
Note: Alberta’s TALIS 2024 data carries an OECD non-response bias caution; results should be interpreted with that limitation in mind.
That qualifier matters: the 67% figure applies only to teachers who are not yet using AI. It says nothing about teachers who already have. And 67% is actually below the OECD average of 75% for the same question, which means Alberta teachers, as a group, report slightly more confidence around AI skills than teachers in most other surveyed countries.
How does Alberta compare to the OECD average on AI barriers?
Two types of barriers show up in the TALIS data: skills and infrastructure. Alberta comes in under the OECD average on both.
On infrastructure, the gap is especially striking. Only 26% of Alberta teachers cite inadequate devices or connectivity as a barrier, compared to 37% across all OECD participants.[1] Alberta classrooms appear better equipped than the average OECD classroom.
That means the main remaining obstacle is not hardware. It is training: the knowledge to use what is already available.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, commenting on the TALIS results, noted that the profession is under pressure to keep pace with change, and that the demands on teachers have intensified in recent years.[2] Infrastructure is less of a problem here than in most OECD countries, but time and training to build confidence with AI tools is another matter.
Why does 100% professional development participation matter for AI readiness?
Alberta teachers reported 100% participation in professional development (PD) in the TALIS 2024 survey, tied for the highest rate in the OECD.[1] That figure means virtually every teacher in Alberta took part in some form of structured learning during the survey period.
High PD engagement is relevant to the AI skills gap for a practical reason: if well-designed AI learning opportunities reach Alberta teachers, a reception infrastructure already exists. Teachers here are accustomed to ongoing professional learning. The question is whether AI training is part of what gets offered.
TALIS does not report how much of that PD specifically covered AI. The 100% figure tells us about volume and habit, not content. But combined with lower infrastructure barriers, it suggests Alberta is positioned to close the skills gap faster than many OECD jurisdictions, provided the training becomes available and practical.
What does the skills gap look like in practice for classroom teachers?
The difference between knowing AI tools exist and feeling ready to use them in a classroom is real. Teachers often understand conceptually that AI could help with lesson planning, feedback, or differentiation. Getting from concept to practice takes time, low-stakes space to experiment, and reduced pressure on everything else in the day.
When most of a teacher’s preparation time is consumed by administrative tasks, learning anything new becomes hard to justify. Teachers who feel stretched thin on workflow tend to adopt new technology more slowly, not because they are unwilling, but because the margin for experimentation is thin.
This is the gap LinoClass is designed to help with, at least on the workflow side. LinoClass handles the routine administrative side of teaching: tracking, reporting, and organizing class data. Whether and how a teacher brings AI into their practice is entirely their decision. LinoClass does not make that call; it takes care of the parts of the workday that do not require a teacher’s judgment, so the parts that do get more attention.
Track student progress, manage your classroom data, and spend less time on paperwork. The AI decisions are yours.
See how it worksWhat should Alberta schools take away from the TALIS 2024 data?
A few signals stand out from the Alberta results:
- The skills gap is real but narrower than the OECD average. Alberta teachers are not starting from zero confidence.
- Infrastructure is less of a problem here than in most OECD countries. Closing the gap is a training and time problem, not a hardware problem.
- High PD engagement is an asset. Schools and districts that want to address AI readiness have a teaching population already oriented toward learning.
Progress is likely to come from two directions: structured, practical AI training built into PD time, and reducing the administrative burden that competes with that time. Both matter. One without the other tends to stall.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about TALIS 2024, Alberta’s results, and AI in Canadian classrooms.
What is TALIS 2024?
TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey) is an OECD survey of teachers and school leaders in about 50 education systems worldwide. The 2024 edition gathered data in the spring of 2024 and published results in October 2025. It covers working conditions, teaching practices, and professional development.
Alberta is the only Canadian jurisdiction that participated in TALIS 2024. That makes it the sole data point for Canadian teachers in this round of the survey.
What does “non-AI-using” mean in the TALIS data?
TALIS asked teachers whether they currently use AI tools as part of their teaching. “Non-AI-using” refers to the group who answered no. The 67% figure applies to that group alone: of Alberta teachers who said they do not use AI in their classrooms, 67% cited a lack of skills as a barrier to doing so.
Teachers who already use AI in their classrooms were not included in that calculation. The figure says nothing about their confidence levels.
Is Alberta’s TALIS 2024 data representative of all Canadian teachers?
No. Alberta is the only Canadian province in TALIS 2024, so the data reflects Alberta specifically. Other provinces have different funding structures, curriculum mandates, and professional development systems, so figures could differ.
The OECD also issued a non-response bias caution for Alberta’s 2024 TALIS data, meaning results should be read as directional rather than definitive.
What professional development options exist for AI in teaching?
TALIS defines professional development broadly: courses, workshops, peer coaching, conference attendance, and collaborative lesson planning all qualify. Alberta reported 100% professional development participation in TALIS 2024, tied for the highest rate in the OECD.
TALIS does not specify how much of that PD was AI-focused. The high participation rate tells us teachers engage with structured learning; the content of that learning is a separate question.
How does LinoClass relate to AI in the classroom?
LinoClass handles the administrative side of teaching: tracking student progress, managing class data, and reducing paperwork. It does not decide for teachers whether or how to use AI. That call belongs entirely to the teacher.
Teachers who want to explore AI tools tend to find it easier when their workflow admin is already handled. Teachers who are not there yet have nothing pushed on them. LinoClass is a workflow tool, not an AI platform.
Sources
- OECD. Results from TALIS 2024: Alberta (Canada) Country Note. October 2025. oecd.org (PDF)
- Alberta Teachers’ Association. “TALIS results reveal profession under pressure.” 2025. teachers.ab.ca
Last reviewed: June 22, 2026