Half of teachers 'rarely use' classroom technology
Classroom technology worth thousands of pounds is not being used due to teachers lacking the training required to implement it properly, according to new research.
The poll of 500 primary and secondary school teachers in the UK - conducted by educational technology company Instructure - revealed that over a third of teachers in primary schools, and a similar number in secondary schools, don't feel confident about incorporating technology into the school curriculum.
What's more, teachers in state schools were found to be less well-equipped with using technology in the classroom, with 49.3 per cent reporting that they haven't received adequate training - in comparison to 43.9 per cent of teachers in independent schools.
This year, technology in schools cost the government an estimated £623 million, which could equate to around £11,800 per school - based on the 24,372 schools in England.
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."
In a bid to increase the use of classroom technology, the Department for Education has partnered with the British Computer Society to build a £3 million network of more than 400 'master teachers' to provide training in computer science.
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