UK schools caught in a 'learning technology balance gap' as kids demand more tech in the classroom

Date:
Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:01:32 +0000

Description:
Schools have been investing heavily in digital tools for the classroom they now have too many screens and not enough use cases.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Epson study finds IT managers agree that most investments have covered buying new tech but not use cases Teachers are seeing declines in student attention, critical thinking and knowledge retention Schools need to focus on determining real-world use cases New research from Epson claims UK teachers feel their classroom is falling behind when it comes to successful tech integration, with nearly two-thirds (64%) worried that tech adoption may have accelerated faster than its actual effective use.

In other words, they worry that many tech implementations have been done for the sake of it, but they're not getting the most out of it. This comes as
nine in 10 (91%) UK students report to use technology in almost every aspect of their lives as many as half (48%) even expect to have extensive
technology use during lessons nowadays. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Students want more digital classrooms, it turns out Three in four (72%) school IT managers say their schools have introduced more tech
over the past year, however 84% of them agree that those investments have mostly covered acquiring new devices and not determining how they should actually be used.

Teachers generally agree that there's too much tech without enough purpose, too, with three in five saying there are too many individual screens and a further three in five believing there's too much emphasis on AI. You may like Teachers are worried AI is taking over the classroom faster than they can
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"Education systems must move beyond simply adopting technology and instead focus on how it is used," Epson Europe Education Lead Dr Sarah Henkelmann-Hillebrand explained, noting the need to design around learning outcomes and strike a better balance between digital and physical tools.

However, teachers are also worried that tech in the classroom so far hasn't been all that positive 83% note a reduction in student attention, 77% saw a decrease in critical thinking, 76% have seen knowledge retention decline and 68% even believe teaching fundamental literacy and numeracy skills has become harder. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The report's biggest takeaway is that schools should invest in use cases as much as they have in equipment, while retaining choice across both digital
and traditional physical. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/uk-schools-caught-in-a-learning-technology-balan ce-gap-as-kids-demand-more-tech-in-the-classroom


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