TL;DR
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Google has published findings from two education studies: a 10-week UK trial involving more than 1,100 students and a yearlong study across 31 Italian schools. The company reports that Gemini-supported tutoring performed similarly to human tutoring on classroom tasks and quizzes, while Italian teachers using Gemini reported more collaborative lessons. The UK trial found no corresponding improvement on STAR standardized test scores during the study period.
Google on October 29, 2026, reported findings from two studies of its Gemini AI tools in schools: a randomized math-tutoring trial with more than 1,100 students in the UK and a yearlong study involving 31 schools in Italy. The company said UK students using AI tutoring performed similarly to students paired with human tutors on platform work and intermediate quizzes, while Italian educators reported more collaborative classroom activity when they used Gemini to plan lessons.
The UK trial lasted 10 weeks and included students aged 12 to 15 using Eedi’s school platform. When a student answered a math question incorrectly, they received either a static hint, help from a human tutor, or interactive AI tutoring combining Gemini capabilities with Eedi’s teaching resources. Teachers monitored progress and supported students in class. Human experts reviewed every AI response in real time before students saw it.
Google reported that expert reviewers approved 95% of AI responses, up from 76% in an earlier study, describing the improvement in pedagogical quality as nearly 25%. Students receiving AI tutoring performed similarly to those with human tutors on platform tasks and intermediate quizzes. The company said Gemini guided students rather than giving answers in nearly 99% of sessions, and students worked through the math themselves in more than 85% of chats. However, the study found no improvement on STAR standardized test scores over the trial period.
In Italy, Google worked with the Salesians of Don Bosco school network and the Pontifical Salesian University on a yearlong study across 31 schools. The study gathered classroom activities and teacher self-reports from 1,600 educators, representing more than 24,500 students aged 13 to 18. Google said teachers reported greater creativity in lesson planning with Gemini, and described a shift away from lectures toward workshops, group work and peer discussion. These findings are based on the study’s reported measures and do not, on their own, establish that Gemini caused every observed change.
Classroom Gains and Test Score Limits
The findings speak to two practical questions for schools: whether AI can help deliver individualized academic support, and whether it can free teachers to run more active lessons. In the UK trial, AI tutoring was associated with performance comparable to human tutoring on classroom tasks and quizzes, under a design that included teacher involvement and expert review of responses. That setup is different from unsupervised use of a chatbot and matters when interpreting the results.
The absence of a STAR score gain is a significant qualification. Google said students using step-by-step AI tutoring solved about 14 problems per session, compared with 19 for students receiving static hints. The company’s explanation is that the slower pace meant students covered less curriculum during the 10-week trial, though that interpretation does not establish what would happen over a longer period. For schools weighing adoption, the results suggest a possible trade-off between deeper guided practice and the amount of material completed.
The Italian findings point to a different potential benefit: teachers may use AI to design lessons that give students more opportunities to participate. If the reported changes hold in other settings, that could affect how classroom time is organized. The study, however, was based partly on educator reports and classroom activity data, so readers should distinguish those reported outcomes from evidence of measured academic gains.
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Two Studies, Different Classroom Uses
The UK work followed an earlier exploratory study with Eedi, which Google said found AI tutoring could operate in real classrooms. The newer randomized controlled trial compared three forms of help after incorrect answers, with learning tracked through regular Eedi assignments, intermediate quizzes and independent STAR tests. Google says its full technical report contains further study details.
The Italian project followed an initial pilot in Northern Italy and focused on lesson planning and classroom dynamics rather than a direct comparison of student test scores. It included primary, secondary and vocational educators, although the reported student group was aged 13 to 18. Across both projects, Google framed educator participation as central: teachers monitored students in the UK and used Gemini to co-design lessons in Italy.
“Technology best serves education when it creates space for inspiring teaching and deeper learning.”
— Google, in its October 29, 2026 report
Limits of the Reported Evidence
The findings come from studies described by Google, and the supplied report does not provide full technical details for independently evaluating every measure or result. The UK trial’s 10-week duration did not produce STAR score gains; whether a full-year intervention would change that result remains unknown. Google said the AI tutoring group completed fewer problems per session and suggested that reduced curriculum coverage may help explain the test outcome, but that explanation is not itself proof of the cause.
The Italian report excerpt provides headline figures for teacher-reported creativity and classroom activity, but does not include the full methodology, comparison details or complete results on student responses. It is also unclear from the available material how well these findings would generalize beyond the participating schools or to classrooms using different curricula and levels of teacher support.
Longer Trials and Full Reports
Google said it is exploring follow-up tutoring trials across a full academic year and plans to expand its measures to better understand what contributes to learning and longer-term outcomes. Those studies may help test whether students’ quiz performance translates into broader curriculum coverage and standardized-test results over time.
For now, the next step for readers seeking more detail is the technical report linked by Google for the UK trial. The company has not, in the supplied material, announced a date for new results or described a comparable follow-up schedule for the Italian study.
Key Questions
What did the UK Gemini tutoring study find?
Google said students using Gemini-supported tutoring performed similarly to students paired with human tutors on Eedi platform tasks and intermediate quizzes. The 10-week trial did not show a corresponding improvement on STAR standardized test scores.
How many students took part in the UK trial?
The randomized controlled trial included more than 1,100 students aged 12 to 15, according to Google.
What did the Italian study report?
Across 31 schools, teachers using Gemini to co-design lessons reported greater creativity in planning and a shift toward more workshops, group activities and peer discussion. The report describes classroom and teacher-reported findings, not proof that Gemini alone caused the changes.
Did the UK study show improved standardized test scores?
No. Google said the tutoring trial showed gains on daily classroom tasks and intermediate quizzes, but not on STAR standardized test scores during the 10-week study.
What happens next?
Google says it is exploring UK follow-up trials covering a full academic year and broader measures of learning. The company has not provided a release date for further results in the material supplied.
Source: blog.google
