British teachers not 'utilising technology effectively' says study
Nearly half of all teachers in the UK are rarely using the technology they have at their disposal for teaching in the classroom, a new survey has suggested. It said that a lack of training into how to effectively utilise the technology and the myriad devices on offer is to blame for this issue.
In the Instructure poll of 500 teachers at primary and secondary level across the UK, the Telegraph reports, some 49.3 per cent of state school teachers and 43.9 per cent of independent school teachers said they had never been trained on how to best use the technology at their disposal.
Overall, a third of primary school teachers and a similar number of secondary school teachers said they were not sure about how they could integrate technology such as tablets and laptops into their curriculum. What this means is that many devices are now sitting unused in classes across the country.
And with technology in schools costing an estimated £623 million this year alone, the research, suggests that millions could be getting wasted in buying technology that is never actually put to use in the classroom.
It said that across the 24,372 schools across the UK, this would equate to a potential £11,800 in technology sitting unused per school.
The fact that so many teachers say they feel unable to use technology in their classrooms because they don't know how to, even while many also say technology can raise the grades of students, it shows just how poor training is in this regard.
Samantha Blyth, director of schools at Instructure, said: "There is clearly no lack of enthusiasm for technology among UK teachers and there is broad support for the principle that it improves learning.
"The problem is that systems have tended to be imposed from the ‘top down’ and can’t be shaped by the teacher to suit their own style, or indeed the particular needs of their students."
“We now have the sophistication to do away with some of the problems that have dogged teachers in the past... but teachers still need systems that are easy to use and the training to make that happen."
