Special Report
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center

How Tech Training for Teachers Is Not Measuring Up, in Charts

By Kevin Bushweller — September 21, 2022 1 min read
edtech sept 2022 tech training
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Most ed-tech experts agree on this point: Professional development to help educators use technology to improve schools is not nearly as good as it could be. It still relies heavily on one-time, “dog-and-pony show” events with little or no follow-up training; it does not show teachers how to be critical evaluators of ed-tech products and services; and it’s not personalized to the individual needs of classroom teachers.

Consider, for instance, that a July survey of teachers, principals, and district leaders by the EdWeek Research Center found that nearly half of educators—48 percent—said the training they or their teachers receive to use educational technology tools was mediocre or poor. More than half said the ed-tech professional development experiences educators participate in are mostly one-time events with little or no follow-up coaching or training. And 7 of every 10 said the training educators receive to evaluate ed-tech products is mediocre, poor, or nonexistent.

But the glass for ed-tech PD may be half full as well as half empty—there are reasons to think that things are heading in a better direction. During the pandemic, important lessons were learned about how to deliver technology training in ways best suited for teachers, principals, and district leaders. And 46 percent of those surveyed in July said the ed-tech PD educators receive is “excellent.”

The following charts—based on a nationally representative EdWeek Research Center survey in July of 1,042 teachers, principals, and district leaders—paint a picture of the problems and opportunities ahead for training educators how to use technology in smarter and more effective ways:

education week logo subbrand logo RC RGB

Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Classroom Technology Q&A Why Principals Matter in School Tech Integration
A instructional tech coach discusses why principals should play a role in tech integration.
3 min read
Saicy Lytle, an instructional technologist for Clyde school district in Texas, presents a session on the role of principals in technology integration at the ISTELive 25 + ASCD Annual Conference 25 in San Antonio on June 30, 2025.
Principals’ vision and leadership have a big role to play in technology integration, says Saicy Lytle, an instructional technologist for the Clyde district in Texas.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Classroom Technology How Digital Tools Can Spark Writing Growth in Young Students
Letting students use technology to create something is a way of taking student writing to “that next level," a technology coach explains.
3 min read
Nathalie Desir, a second grade teacher at Bryant Elementary in Mableton, Ga., tests a digital tool for student writing.
Nathalie Desir, a 2nd grade teacher at Bryant Elementary in Mableton, Ga., tests a digital tool that can motivate reluctant writers.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Classroom Technology Exploding Chromebooks? How to Counter the Latest TikTok Trend
The social media challenge has kids damaging school-issued devices.
4 min read
Students in Lynne Martin's 5th grade class study math using Chromebooks at Markham Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2019.
Students in Lynne Martin's 5th grade class study math using Chromebooks at Markham Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2019. The least trend affecting schools is prompting students to set their Chromebooks on fire, which can lead to damage, fines, and even criminal charges.
Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center Chromebooks or Cellphones: Which Are the Bigger Classroom Distraction?
Most schools have had 1-to-1 computing environments since 2020; others have had it since the early 2010s.
2 min read
Left, chromebooks, to be loaned to students in the Elk Grove Unified School District, await distribution at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove, Calif., on April 2, 2020. Right, a ninth grader places his cellphone into a phone holder as he enters class at Delta High School on Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah.
Students work on 3-D printing projects at Sutton Middle School in Atlanta on Feb. 13, 2020.
AP