FE News | Survey Results on Educational Technology Use in the Classroom

93 percent of educators using education technology agree that it makes teaching and learning better but need more time and training on using edtech effectively 

ATLANTA (GA) – March 29, 2024 – NetSupport – a classroom management solution used throughout the globe – has published the results of a survey asking educators who either manage or use technology about the use and benefits of education technology in their schools. Educators were asked about the challenges they encounter and whether more funding or training or another support would improve the effectiveness of education technology.

Given the growth in number of edtech tools used per school district reported by LearnPlatform – tripling between 2017 and 2023 – NetSupport wanted to gather insight from classroom teachers, IT staff, and administrators about how well-equipped educators feel about using and managing technology. Among the findings:

1. 93 percent of educators felt that education technology makes teaching and learning better.
2. When asked who was more responsible for ensuring education technology was used effectively, 34 percent of respondents said that teachers were key in making sure that education technology was used effectively. Twenty-seven percent of respondents reported that IT staff were responsible for making sure that education technology was used effectively and an equal percent of respondents said it was the responsibility of school leaders.
3. When asked what would be most helpful in maximising the use of technology 32 percent reported that they wanted more time to learn and improve how to best use classroom tech and 22 percent said they needed more time for training. These two responses combined – 54 percent – are nearly double the 28 percent who reported they wanted more funding to purchase technology.
4. 10 percent of respondents stated that they wanted fewer technology tools and a simplified approach to using classroom technology.

Al Kingsley, CEO of NetSupport, said,

“These results support our experience in working with teachers and education leaders. Across the globe and in the United States, educators say that devices and learning technology offer significant benefits, but we cannot overlook the pressing need to give teachers proper training and time to manage the technology they are currently using.”

“Furthermore, purchasing technology needs to be made on clearly stated goals,” added Kingsley. “The fact that respondents to this survey suggested that teachers, IT staff, and school leadership shared roughly the same amount of responsibility indicates to me that perhaps there is some confusion about who is responsible for such decisions. There is less confusion about responsibilities when the decision to purchase is based on clearly stated objectives.”