The 2019/20 State of Technology in Education report is now underway, with our annual survey once again out and gathering tech-related facts and opinions from educators across the UK.

As we look ahead to this year’s findings, we’re also looking back at the previous three years’ reports, to see how the education technology (edtech) landscape has changed over that time period.

Key patterns and shifts in edtech, 2016-2019

Strategic focus on attainment and results keeps increasing

Just under two-thirds (64%) of last year’s respondents said that raising attainment and results was a key focus for the 2018/19 academic year – a sharp jump from 48% the previous year.

Reducing the attainment gap between pupils was, naturally, almost as big a focus: 46% last year, up from 33% the year before.

Where do attainment and results rank on your list of priorities for this academic year? Higher or lower than last year? And where does technology fit into your plan for achieving stronger outcomes?

The vast majority of educators think technology will continue to play a key role in education

Across all three years, only a minority of respondents have been sceptical about the future potential of edtech and its continued usage in the classroom:

• 7% in 2018/19
• 8% in 2017/18
• 6% in 2016/17

Do you expect much movement on this statistic in the 2019/20 report?

All teachers now recognise that classroom technology has some value

In our very first report (2016/17), one in 100 educators believed that technology should be kept out of the classroom. By the time last year’s report (2018/19) came around, this minority had disappeared completely, and only 4% of last year’s respondents suggested that technology can create more problems than it solves.

The use of front-of-class displays has steadily grown, year on year

• 73% of teachers had them in 2016/17
• 80% had them in 2017/18
• 86% had them in 2018/19

Will this year break the 90% mark?

That said…

Heads and deputies are increasingly dissatisfied with edtech training and support

55% of school leaders felt that the level of training their staffed received was “adequate” in 2016/17, which fell to 41% in 2017/18, before dropping further to 36% in 2018/19.

25% of respondents in 2016/17 went as far as to say that they received “full” edtech training and support, but this plummeted to 5% the following year – and stayed at 5% last year.

How do you feel about it this time round?

Just over half of teachers: “Tech is part of everyday life, so that should be reflected in lessons”

Last year, 54% of respondents agreed with the idea that technology should be used in schools due to the fact that we live in a technological world. This was only a tiny dip on the previous two years, when 55% of teachers agreed with that same sentiment.

We predict that most educators’ viewpoints haven’t changed on this over the last 12 months, but we’ll soon see.