The first comprehensive NSW survey of attitudes towards the use of technology in schools has identified broad support for limits on young people’s screen use, with school students self-reporting distraction and difficulty regulating their own use of screens.
The survey of 1,057 students, 914 teachers, 166 school leaders, and 1,686 parents/carers from public, Catholic, and independent schools in NSW found students’ screen time rose dramatically in the transition to high school with Years 7-8 students reporting screen use doubled for learning at school and more than tripled for learning at home.
The publication of the research follows the Minns Labor Government’s recent announcement of limits on screen use in public schools, with its findings helping to inform the policy.
Highlighting the need to support students in regulating their use of technology, just 10 per cent of high school leaders said students could self-regulate their use of technology when learning. High school students themselves supported that view with just 8 per cent always or consistently monitoring their time on screens and 84 per cent saying they were distracted when using screens in class.
Undertaken through the Minns Labor Government’s Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund, the Macquarie University-led study also found students, parents and educators support the reasonable use of age-appropriate technology in schools when it is connected to learning.
Observations in NSW public schools found that, where screens were being used purposefully, teachers used technology to enable learning, including research. The recently published screen use guidelines complement this, indicating that screens should still be used where they are the most appropriate tool for learning, within limits.
This research is the first to be published from recipients of the Minns Labor Government’s $2.5m Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund, which is producing a new body of knowledge to inform government policies and better understand how technology and social media affects young people’s learning and development.
Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:
“The excessive use of technology and its impact on children’s mental health and education is a major concern for parents and schools today.
“These real concerns, alongside strong evidence of the learning benefits of reading and writing with paper and pen, is why the Minns Labor Government has introduced limits on screen use in our schools.
“Students benefit from the use of screens and technology in schools when they are used in an intentional way with a specific and age-appropriate educational purpose.
“The introduction of age-appropriate screen use limits in schools will ensure that children continue to develop reading and writing skills and avoid the distraction students are themselves reporting.
“Through the work of the Screen Use and Addiction Research Fund, we are ensuring our policies are informed by evidence and will lead to better outcomes both socially and academically for our young people.”
Macquarie University School of Education and lead researcher Professor Matt Bower said:
“This comprehensive survey provides a baseline that will help inform future research into attitudes towards the use of technology at home and in school.
“It will help to provide a roadmap on how schools and families can shape the way technology is used at home and in the classroom so that educational benefits are realised while risks to wellbeing, safety and equity are reduced.”
