Survey of digital material use by teachers

This researh adds new insights from English language arts (ELA), math, and science teachers on their use of digital materials. Drawing on data from the spring 2019 American Instructional Resources Survey, researchers share the digital materials that ELA, math, and science teachers across the United States reported using regularly for instruction during the 2018–2019 school year. Researchers then examine how teachers' use of these materials compares with their use of comprehensive curriculum materials, as well as teacher-reported barriers to digital material use. Researchers also explore several hypotheses regarding factors that might influence digital material use.

Key Findings

• Most teachers use digital materials both for planning and classroom instruction. However, they use these materials to supplement other curriculum materials rather than as main materials.
• For all subjects, the top digital materials used during instructional time include a mix of general resources, such as YouTube, and content-specific resources, such as ReadWorks and Khan Academy.
• Teachers who used standards-aligned curricula, who had more low-income students, or who attended certain teacher preparation programs were more likely to use digital materials.
• Expense was the most commonly cited barrier to digital material use, even more so among teachers with more low-income students.

Tosh, K., et al. (2020). Digital instructional materials: What are teachers using and what barriers exist? Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2575z17.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=NPA:2435:6021:Apr%2016,%202020%207:40:01%20AM%20PDT&utm_campaign=NPA:2435:6021:Apr%2016,%202020%207:40:01%20AM%20PDT

BSRG Survey - How K-12 School Districts Choose Curricula Materials

A national survey of curriculum decision makers in K-12 school districts sought to understand the process by which K-12 school districts select and adopt full-course curricula materials, and to understand the degree to which K-12 school districts are aware of and adopted Open Education Resources (OER).  Key findings include:

·      Over three-quarters of districts have made a full-course curricula decision in the past three years, with two-thirds of these making decisions in more than one subject area.

·      The most common subject area is Mathematics, followed by English Language Arts. Adopting a full-course curriculum is a group activity including teachers, administrators, and principals. Half of the districts include parents and outside experts in this process.

·      The vast majority of district adoption decisions are driven by an external factor: changing standards (curricula is replaced roughly every 6 to 10 years), with most decision processes take the better part of a year to complete.

·      K-12 school districts have a greater degree of awareness of OER materials than of OER concepts and definitions. Two-thirds of all districts are aware of at least one OER full-course curriculum, with roughly a third having considered at least one for adoption.

Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2017). What we teach: K-12 school district curriculum adoption process, 2017. Wellesley, MA: Babson Survey Research Group. http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/k12oer2017/whatweteach_2017.pdf