Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) announced today the launch of the HMH Educator Confidence Report, a new annual report that surveys over 1,000 teachers and school and district administrators across the United States on a range of issues, including top areas of concern and excitement, technology use in classrooms, and plans to remain in or leave the teaching profession.
The inaugural survey found strong digital adoption driving optimism among educators within an increasingly challenging environment, as well as significant concern over student data privacy. Top findings include:
- Almost all educators surveyed (97%) use some form of digital content, with more than 50% using apps/websites/digital games in classrooms;
- Two-thirds, however, cite infrequent use of digital tools for various learning purposes, with only 23% using the most prevalent form of classroom technology on a daily basis;
- 58% of educators are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned about student data privacy;
- Teachers and administrators have differing perceptions on key issues, including online assessment and adaptive learning activities in classrooms.
Out of the 97% of educators who use some type of digital material in their classrooms and/or school districts, the most common resources were:
- Free/open-educational resources (used by 71% of respondents) and videos (66%);
- Digital versions of instructional materials and interactive whiteboards (both 54%);
- Apps/websites/digital games (51%).
The challenging environment was reflected in educators’ most overriding concerns, which included:
- Lack of funding (cited by 66% of respondents as a worry);
- The implications of teacher accountability requirements (63%);
- Meeting new standards-aligned assessment requirements (58%);
- Lack of technology devices in classrooms, lack of classroom autonomy and lack of differentiated lessons for students who require intervention (all three tied for fourth place at 36%).
