Sixty-four per cent of schools use tech everyday

Almost three quarters (64%) of schools in the UK are now embedding technology in everyday teaching and learning practices, coming up top in the global study by SMART Technologies.

The findings come from the ‘Capabilities for Success: What’s Working in EdTech Today’ whitepaper from SMART Technologies. The research surveyed more than 3,300 global respondents, including more than 419 in the UK, made up of educational leaders, policy makers, administrators, ICT coordinators and teachers. Collected from SMART’s Edtech Assessment Tool between 2018 and 2022, it is one of the largest studies of education technology adoption available and is based on global frameworks and practices such as those from the OECD and ISTE. 

The research found parents of children between the ages of 4-19 in the UK are actively engaged with how technology is used inside and outside of the classroom. More than half (55%) are supportive of remote or hybrid learning and have been given the training and tools to support their children. This is compared to an average of only 24% of parents who feel the same across the rest of the world. 

More than a quarter (26%) of parents of UK pupils also have significant involvement in technology planning in schools and their children’s digital competencies, which contrasts with a global average of just 16%. Since 2020, the importance of this type of family and community engagement has increased in importance, with schools doing this well reporting higher outcomes. 

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted many schools into remote online learning in compliance with local safety guidelines, but despite the return to in-person teaching, the research found that more than a third (39%) continue to develop curriculum content that can be delivered remotely. Less than a quarter (24%) of schools globally, on average, are doing the same. 

Alongside parents’ involvement, the research found that UK schools are much more willing to involve students in the planning of technology use in schools too. More than half (57%) say their students are involved in decision-making groups and contribute towards the technologies, content and resources used in the classroom, compared to 40% globally. 

As a result of this increased adoption of classroom technology, UK schools are reporting better outcomes for their students and teachers. 84% of schools reported enhanced student preparation in the UK, compared with 78% on average globally. Meanwhile, 76% of UK schools report to have met their teaching and learning goals, compared to just 68% in the rest of the world. 

Those schools reporting high outcomes are using a variety of technology in the classroom, including significant increases in the use of collaborative software, assessment software and game-based software as well as pre-created content, in comparison to schools reporting lower overall outcomes.