More than half of Australian schools are set to ramp up their use of education technology over the next 12 months, and generative AI looks set to play a big role.
Campion Education's EdTech Adoption in Australian Schools 2026 Research Report, which involved 126 survey respondents and in-depth interviews with five school leaders, found more than half (56%) of respondents intend to scale up, while 60% are extremely interested in education-specific generative AI.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, edtech is firmly embedded in most schools’ day-to-day operations. School platforms and content systems were the most consistently used category across every stage of the teaching journey, ranging from 57% in lesson preparation to 85% in student wellbeing.
General-purpose generative AI is also becoming part of teachers' planning and preparation, used by 45% of respondents for planning and 55% for lesson preparation, the survey found.
Teaching and learning tools are most prominent in student practice and application, where they are used by 50%, and classroom teaching, at 46%.
What schools really want from technology
Brett Watson, GM Growth at Campion, said schools need a clearer picture of where technology is genuinely making a difference.
“The aim of the research was to help schools understand how EdTech is being used across the full teaching journey, from planning and preparation through to assessment, feedback, progress monitoring, and wellbeing, rather than treating digital adoption as one broad measure,” Watson told The Educator.
“What schools told us is that successful technology needs to align with learning goals, simplify rather than add complexity, remain sustainable over time and come from trusted providers.”
Watson said that thinking underpins Campion CuratED and the company’s INTENT framework for resource selection.
“Our schools expect us to be able to curate the right mix of print, digital and education-specific technology, integrate it properly within their ecosystems, and support implementation with local teams to support,” he said, adding the goal “is not more technology for technology-sake.”
“It is better-connected technology that helps teachers work more effectively and gives students richer, more relevant learning experiences.”
The research also shows that schools are taking an increasingly considered approach to adoption.
Academic integrity policies are already in place at 84% of respondent schools and data privacy policies at 83%, while 61% have formal policies governing student use of generative AI.
“Schools are now building the policy, capability and confidence needed to use emerging technology well, but more is needed to support schools with education-specific tech that move away from generic, catch-all products.”