Ridgefield Park, N.J. – June 23, 2015 –Although 90 percent of teachers believe that technology in the classroom is important to student success, 60 percent of teachers feel they are inadequately prepared to use technology in classrooms, according to research released today by Samsung Electronics America and GfK. A nationwide survey of K-12 teachers revealed that while schools are taking steps to bridge the digital divide by putting more technology into classrooms, more action must be taken to ensure that teachers know how to integrate it into their lessons.

“With the increasing popularity of Chromebooks, tablets, interactive whiteboards and apps in classrooms today, it’s evident that technology is a critical tool for today’s learners,” said Ted Brodheim, vice president of Vertical Business at Samsung Electronics America “However, our new research highlights that teachers are not yet receiving full support to harness the power of technology and truly transform  classroom learning into a 21st century experience.”

“As the former CIO of the New York City Department of Education, I’ve seen the positive impact technology can have on student outcomes and the importance of developing educators to use it effectively,” Brodheim added.

According to the survey, 81 percent of teachers agree that technology in the classroom enables students to get more hands-on experience during lessons. However, teachers overwhelmingly feel they need help to use technology in a valuable way:

  • 91 percent of teachers believe that up-to-date training on using technology in the classroom is important to achieve success in the classroom
  • 37 percent of teachers say that they would “love” to use technology in the classroom, but they simply do not know how
  • Teachers over the age of 43 are less confident about using technology in the classroom compared to younger teachers, with 63 percent agreeing they need more technology training to support their students’ needs.

Not only do teachers agree that professional development on classroom technology is vital, but they also have strong opinions about how it should be delivered:

  • 76 percent say they would like a professional development day dedicated to technology during the school year when students would not be present
  • 80 percent say it would be helpful to download pre-existing lesson plans that enhance science,technology, engineering and math skills in a way that easily integrates technology
  • More than one third of teachers feel that training on technology fundamentals would be most helpful

The survey further illustrates that teachers also need a support system to successfully use technology in their lesson plans:

  • One in three teachers are not satisfied with the support they receive from their schools in integrating technology into their classrooms (32 percent)
  • 30 percent each are not satisfied with the quality of or access to technology in their schools
  • 70 percent say they do not have a technology center to provide them with additional resources

“At Samsung, not only are we committed to developing classroom–ready technology, but we’re also dedicated to providing schools and teachers with services and resources to improve learning outcomes,” Brodheim said. “This is why we plan to introduce a professional development program for teachers and school districts. Samsung’s Professional Development can help teachers re-engineer their instruction for a technology enabled environment, assist teachers in using technology in their classrooms, and expand teachers’ skills to significantly impact student achievement.” 

On Monday, June 29 at ISTE 2015 in Philadelphia, Samsung will host a panel discussion, Redefining Professional Development for the Curriculum of the Future, where educators and education experts will discuss best practices for year-round professional development programs to support successful one-to-one learning initiatives. The session is open to all ISTE 2015 attendees.

To view an infographic, please visit: http://www.slideshare.net/SamsungBusinessUSA/survey-shows-need-for-professional-development-to-power-classroom-success. For more information about Samsung K-12 products and solutions, please visit: www.samsung.com/education. For more information on Samsung’s education-focused corporate citizenship efforts nationwide, please visit Solve for Tomorrow.

The survey was conducted using GfK KnowledgePanel between February 12 and March 2, 2015, and included a representative sample of 1,008 K-12 teachers nationwide. The respondents were selected using random probability address-based sampling. The survey took 21 minutes on average to administer.Final data were weighted by age, gender, race/ethnicity, level of completed education, and type of school(public school teachers vs. private/charter school teachers) according to the 2012 NCES data.  Age,gender, and race/ethnicity were also weighted within school type (public vs. private/charter). The margin of error for the sample is +/- 3.4 percentage points (total weighted teacher sample).  
 

About Samsung Business

As a global leader in enterprise mobility and information technology, Samsung Business provides a diverse portfolio of enterprise technologies from smartphones to wearables, tablets, digital displays,hospitality TVs, printers and medical diagnostic equipment. We are committed to putting the business customer at the core of everything we do by delivering comprehensive products, solutions and services across diverse industries including retail, healthcare, hospitality, education and government. Samsung Business is committed to helping customers realize the promise of a digital business. For more information, please visit samsung.com/business, call 1-866-SAM-4BIZ or follow Samsung Business via Twitter: @SamsungBizUSA.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology.  A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA delivers a broad range of digital consumer electronics, mobile products and wearables, wireless infrastructure, IT and home appliance products. Samsung is the market leader for HDTVs in the U.S and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brand. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.