FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2001
84%
of Teachers Say Internet Improves
Quality of Education
Three-Fourths Agree
the Internet is An Important Tool to Help Find New Resources to Meet
New Standards
Irvine, CA --
According to a survey released today by NetDay, a national education
technology nonprofit, more than eight out of ten teachers (84%)
believe that computers and access to the Internet improve the quality
of education. Seventy-five percent of teachers say the Internet
is an important tool for finding new resources to meet new standards.
However, two-thirds of teachers agree the Internet is not well
integrated into their classrooms and only 26% of them feel pressure
to use it in learning activities.
Five years ago, when
NetDay launched a national movement to wire all schools and classrooms
to the Internet, few schools had Internet connections and only
a handful of classrooms were wired. Today, nearly every teacher
has access to the Internet at his or her school and 80% of classrooms
have computers that are online. Seventy-seven percent of teachers
agree that teachers without Internet access in the classroom are
at a disadvantage.
While teachers cite
multiple uses for the Internet, most primarily see its potential
as a research tool, but say that it has not changed the way they
teach. Forty-eight percent of teachers say the Internet has become
an important tool for teaching over the last two years, yet across
every demographic group of teachers, half or more use the Internet
at school for less than 30 minutes a day.
- 78% of teachers
cited lack of time as the number one reason for not logging on
to the Internet.
- 46-50%
list lack of equipment, speed of access, or lack
of technical support as hindering their use of online
resources.
- 4%
of teachers cite lack of
knowledge about how to use
the Internet, and 32% list
lack of leadership from the
principal or administrators
as reasons for not logging
on.
NetDay's research
suggests that the critical challenge ahead is to find ways to help
teachers go beyond the research functions of the Internet. Most
teachers do not use the Internet in daily activities such as communication
with students, parents, and other teachers or for organizational
activities. Sixty-seven percent of teachers believe the Internet
is not well integrated into their classroom. Those teachers most
likely to use the Internet and to say it is well integrated into
their classrooms are 6th through 8th grade teachers.
- Currently, less
than half of teachers use the Internet when building new lessons
or engaging in classroom projects (42%), and an even greater
number (62%) do not update lesson plans with material found online.
- Teachers
in private and parochial schools engage in technology
integration more often than teachers in public schools.
Fifty-two percent of private and parochial teachers
use the Internet for class projects and for updating
lesson plans; compared to 40% of public schoolteachers
who use the Internet for these activities.
The vast majority
(73%) of teachers say they do not feel pressure to use the Internet
in classroom instruction or the curriculum. Interestingly, of those
teachers who reported feeling pressure, 54% say district administrators,
colleagues, and peers are the source of that pressure. Notable,
only 10% say the pressure comes from principals. The lack of pressure
that teachers feel from principals suggests the need for more guidance
to help principals learn how to best utilize technology to support
education. In addition, learning how to provide leadership on educational
technology is a new development area for many principals.
NetDay's Education
Technology Leadership campaign, to be launched at the National
Leadership Summit on Education and Technology on March 31, 2001,
will address this new challenge and the need for technology savvy
school leaders. By bringing together leaders from education, community,
government, and business, NetDay will help build a foundation where
technology is embraced and utilized in schools by creating a network
of technology leadership mentors. Traveling from state to state,
this leadership campaign will build upon NetDay's legacy of empowering
parents, community volunteers, and business leaders to rally behind
schools and education technology leaders to help achieve educational
results.
This bi-partisan survey
was conducted by Lake Snell Perry & Associates and the Tarrance
Group for NetDay. The survey reached 600 public and private schoolteachers
nationwide by telephone. The polling sample was stratified geographically
based on the proportion of teachers in each state. The survey was
conducted between January 31 and February 6, 2001 and has a margin
of error of +/- 4 percent.
About
NetDay
NetDay (www.netday.org), a national, education technology nonprofit, continues
to connect every child to a brighter future by helping educators meet educational
goals through the effective use of technology. Through national and state programs
and events, NetDay connects people by creating environments where the magic
of learning for all participants - students, teachers, administrators, parents,
and community members - is enhanced with appropriate technology resources.
####
NEWS
MEDIA CONTACTS:
949.609.4660
info@netday.org |