How did schools cope without the classroom? Insights from Teacher Tapp

When schools closed this year, staff were forced to adapt their strategies from home without face-to-face teaching or classroom tools. Meanwhile, SLT members had to manage their staff remotely, and IT managers worked to support the education technology staff and students relied on.

So how did teaching and learning cope without the classroom? Our 2020/21 State of Technology in Education report shares candid insights from educators on their experiences this year. But first, we take a look at Teacher Tapp’s survey which has been following over 7,000 educators throughout school closures. Here’s how they found learning in lockdown.

How confident were educators in remote teaching?

The survey has found consistent uncertainty around schools’ ability to cope without the classroom. 38% of respondents say they have a platform to use for setting work remotely, but 21% don’t think it would be possible. Even if staff are able to set work remotely, only 31% say they have an existing platform for accepting it back.

Further hindering remote teaching, the majority of staff (39%) don’t think broadcasting a video lesson would be possible if schools were closed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the survey shows educators don’t feel lockdown has benefitted students’ engagement either. Over a third of educators (39%) estimate students are learning for less than one hour a day, and almost half (47%) believe it might only be as much as one or two hours. Our 2020/21 State of Technology in Education Report also found motivating students was the biggest challenge for teachers this year.

How confident are they in edtech?

Educators are much more confident in the value of edtech. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) agree they’re confident in using edtech as a learning resource. But are all staff members as confident as each other? Nearly 10% fewer classroom teachers strongly agree than SLT. Training could be the issue, especially when there’s the same imbalance of confidence — while nearly a quarter of SLT say they have received training in supporting remote learning, fewer than 1 in 5 classroom teachers reported the same.

It’s clear how much educators have relied on edtech this year. Online learning platforms have been the most popular tool for setting work, used by 66%. Educators have also sought further edtech opportunities to support their teaching — in one week, almost a quarter had subscribed to or used a new piece of software. Our ActivPanel Series supports staff with the very latest front-of-class technology that facilitates engagement through interactive learning in classrooms — request a free demo to see how it can transform your teaching.

The survey affirms how, while educators may have struggled with student motivation and time pressures in lockdown, they are increasingly convinced of edtech’s teaching and learning value. Read more of the survey’s findings and view our State of Technology in Education report for comprehensive insight into student engagement and schools’ use of edtech.