BOSTON, Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning company
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
today announced the results of its fourth annual Educator
Confidence Report, a survey of more than 1,200 K-12 teachers and school and district
administrators, which investigates key issues impacting today's
educators. The survey, created in collaboration with market
research and data analytics firm YouGov, explores educator
sentiment toward the teaching profession, covering a broad range of
topical and emotional drivers such as use of educational technology
in the classroom, equity, school safety, funding and more.
The results offer a nuanced portrait of the current educator
experience, revealing a professional community striving to balance
its unwavering commitment to students and hope for the future with
deeply felt concerns set against an especially challenging national
backdrop. To download and read the full report, please visit:
https://www.hmhco.com/educator-confidence-report
Educators reported an upward trend in overall sentiment (53
percent of educators are
optimistic about the profession, up 25 percent since our inaugural survey in
2015), citing positive feelings about the following bright spots in
their practice: teacher collaboration around student learning (55
percent), a shift in standards toward critical thinking (46
percent) and using data to inform teaching and differentiation (45 percent).
Additional key findings from the fourth annual Educator
Confidence Report include:
- Digital usage is higher than ever, but teachers lack the
time needed to realize the potential of ed tech. This
year, 96 percent of educators report they have seen the
benefits of using ed tech in the classroom, citing improved student
engagement as the number one benefit (63 percent). However, 52
percent of teachers report that the biggest barrier to more
effective use of technology is lack of time to integrate digital
materials and tools into instruction.
- For the first time, salaries, lack of funding and school
safety top the list of concerns. A solid majority of educators
(69 percent) said teacher salaries are a main concern, followed by
lack of funding at 60 percent. Forty-two percent say school safety
issues have not been adequately addressed in their school or
district, tied with differentiating instruction for special
education and other student populations.
- Ninety-four percent of educators believe that a meaningful
connection between teacher and student is the most important aspect
of learning. Fifty-three percent, however, worry that today's
growing emphasis on using technology for learning may be coming at
the expense of that critical personal relationship.
- If potential time-savings from ed tech were fully realized,
76 percent of teachers would use that extra time to work more
closely with students who need intervention. Fifty-seven
percent of teachers would work individually with students, and 52
percent would provide enrichment opportunities.
- Eighty percent of teachers believe that technology has
empowered them to strengthen their teaching practice. However,
69 percent also think technology's full potential to improve
workflows and save time has not yet been realized.
- Inconsistent access to ed tech and variations in outlook
regarding its efficacy exist across schools of differing
socio-economic status. Despite having less access to technology
overall, teachers in high-poverty schools are more likely to report
experiencing improved student achievement from ed tech (41 percent
vs. 22 percent of teachers in low-poverty
schools).
"The fourth annual HMH Educator Confidence confirms what
we have always known and what we consider to be core to our
learning company ethos: that nothing is more important than the
teacher-student relationship," said Jack
Lynch, President and CEO, HMH. "It's critical that we listen
to educators, and the issues that are most important to them. This
data brings us closer to those we serve and deepens our
understanding of how we can partner with, advocate for and support
educators in our shared goal of improving student outcomes for all
learners."
About the Educator Confidence Report
The Educator Confidence Report is an annual independent
study, distributed to a diverse national cross section. The fourth
annual survey content was crafted and analyzed by learning company
HMH and YouGov, and survey programming, sample recruitment and
data-collection monitoring was directed by MDR. The
administrative group included school principals, superintendents,
curriculum heads and chief technology and chief information
officers. Teachers from across the K-12 spectrum completed the
survey. Math, science, social studies, English language arts and
literacy, in addition to general classroom teachers were
represented.
To learn more about the fourth annual HMH Educator Confidence
Report, which examines additional topics including social media
usage among educators, widely employed teaching strategies used
alongside technology and professional development, please visit:
https://www.hmhco.com/educator-confidence-report
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(NASDAQ: HMHC) is a global learning company committed to delivering
integrated solutions that engage learners, empower educators and
improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K-12 core
curriculum, supplemental solutions and professional learning
services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to
uncover solutions that unlock students' potential and extend
teachers' capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students
and 3 million educators in 150 countries, while its award-winning
children's books, novels, non-fiction and reference titles are
enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information,
visit www.hmhco.com
Follow HMH on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Media Contact:
Meghan Daly
617.351.5163
meghan.daly@hmhco.com
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SOURCE Houghton Mifflin Harcourt