A new survey by digital education company, TES Global shows that 96 percent of teachers say technology plays a significant role in the classroom, yet barriers still exist to accessing that technology. The results of the survey were released at SXSWedu and the research provides an interesting peek into the minds of educators and highlights what they feel are the most important technologies and what the barriers are to accessing those technologies.

The number one complaint of teachers surveyed was that they do not have access to enough hardware. More than 60 percent of teachers said they do not have enough computers and tablets in the classroom and they named tablets as the most wanted technology.


An infographic that illustrates TES Global’s findings

Major findings include:
• 69% teachers claim that open resources are now used more often than textbooks.
• The majority of teachers (83%) use technology to deliver whole-group instruction or differentiated instruction (79%), while 78% report that it’s useful in communicating with parents.
• 33% teachers report that technology lets students learn content in a different way, and 24% thinks it improves student engagement.
• 35% claim that internet connectivity is a barrier to successful use of technology in the classroom.
• On the software side, teachers were enthusiastic about game-based learning. 20% would like to see more in their classroom, above all other new technology.