A majority of teachers and parents agree that technology is useful in children’s learning education, although they believe they need more of a voice in how it’s used, according to a new study.
Conducted by the American Federation of Teachers and Parents Together, researchers held interviews with approximately 1,755 AFT member teachers who work in K-12 and 810 public school parents.
In their findings, the AFT reported that a majority of teachers agreed that technologies used in the classroom are beneficial with 71% of them reporting that they used it daily for planning and lesson preparations. Approximately 65% reported that they regularly use AI technology to communicate with their students as a whole class and nearly six in 10 reported that it allows them to understand their students better.
While the study didn’t specify what type of technologies were being implemented by the teachers, virtual reality and augmented reality were amongst the technologies that were least understood by instructors. Only eight percent of all teachers and 11% of secondary teachers reported that they knew VR and AR well.
ICYMI: Nation’s Teachers and Parents Overwhelmingly Embrace Education Technology in Classrooms but Want Guardrails in Place.
— AFT (@AFTunion) October 12, 2023
💻@ptogetheraction https://t.co/1P4wKhtTph
Per the study, overall, parents also agreed with the usage of technology as 66% of guardians reported that they do believe using technology is useful for their child’s educational learning path.
Despite showing approval for its place in the classroom, both teachers and parents reported that they think they need more control over technology in the classroom. Approximately 84% of teachers and 55% of parents agreed that they felt they needed more of a say in how it’s used in learning systems.
According to a representative of the AFT, the survey’s results are indicative of a “natural allyship” between parents and teachers on the education of children, highlighting that they could both be more involved in decisions on technology usage.
“They could be surveyed locally to gauge opinion and use and inform decision making around deployment. Smaller committees could include teachers and parents,” said an AFT representative in conversation with The Hub News. “There could also be feedback loops when new tech is deployed into classrooms—to gauge parent and teacher feedback.”
The study also examined the opinions of educators and parents on the usage of social media by children. Social media was particularly a concern for teachers as 74% of instructors reported that they believed it had negative effects on students.
Throughout the years, the rise of social media amongst children has previously been well documented.
Per the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 90% of teens from the ages of 13 to 17 are on social media with 75% reporting that they are active on the sites and 51% reporting that they check them daily.
In recent years, these numbers have been on the rise as apps such as TikTok continue to dominate. According to a study by nonprofit research organization Common Sense Media, the overall use of screen time has increased by 17% in the span of two years, growing at a faster pace than before.
The ages of children on social media were also found as getting younger. Amongst children in the 8 to 12 age range, 38% said that they were on social media as the number of tweens on these platforms increased by seven percent in just two years.
According to Ailen Arreaza, the executive director of ParentsTogether, the AFT’s recent findings on the opinions of teachers and parents on social media corroborate the fact that they are in agreement when it comes to its effect on children.
“There’s no doubt that social media has a huge impact on kids’ mental and even physical health – the dangers of which are not taken lightly by either our nation’s educators or parents,” said Ailen Arreaza, the executive director of ParentsTogether, per a release. “We believe parents and teachers are equally invested in the success of their students and are careful to help them avoid the common pitfalls of bullying, addictive behaviors, loneliness and lack of privacy.”
