Classroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of Technology

STATE OF THE K-12 MARKET 2016

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MDR and its agents have exercised reasonable efforts in gathering and preparing data and information published in Classroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of Technology (State of the K-12 Market 2016). MDR does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident, or other causes.

ISBN 978-1-943664-93-1 ISSN 2156-5848

Classroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of Technology

(STATE OF THE K-12 MARKET 2016)

Written by Marci Goldberg, K-12 Market Advisors

Edited by Gretchen Rigol, Education Consultant

Data and Analysis by Chuck Romans, Education Consultant Ann Busbey, Education Consultant Stephanie Burdick, Consultant

Acknowledgements Janis Weiner, Consultant and Colleen Galligan and Anne Wujick of the MDR Team

Thanks to the many people in the industry who generously gave their time to share their thoughts with the author and the editor.

Classroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of Technology

(STATE OF THE K-12 MARKET 2016)

Table of ContentsChapter 1: Overview .................................................................................................................... 1

Highlights .................................................................................................................... 1

ProfileofU.S.PublicSchoolTeachers ...................................................................... 4

Methodology .............................................................................................................. 5

Background of Respondents ............................................................................ 6

Chapter 2: School-Funded Classroom Budgets .............................................................. 9 Budget Dollars per Classroom ................................................................................ 11

Teacher Purchasing Power Through Classroom Budgets ............................ 13

Materials Purchased with School-Based Classroom Budgets .............................. 13

Chapter 3: Teachers’ Personal Funds ................................................................................ 16

Out-of-Pocket Spending per Teacher .................................................................... 17

Teacher Purchasing Power for Instructional Materials

Through Teachers’ Personal Funds ................................................................ 19

Materials Purchased with Teachers’ Personal Funds ............................................. 19

Professional Development Purchased with

Teachers’ Personal Funds ........................................................................................ 22

Chapter 4: Finding Materials and Purchasing ............................................................... 24

Sources of Information About Instructional

Materials and School Supplies ................................................................................ 24

SocialMediaUsageforProfessionalPurposes ............................................. 30

Sources to Purchase Instructional Materials and School Supplies....................... 33

FactorsInfluencingthePurchaseofInstructionalMaterials ................................. 37

Teachers’ Role in the Purchase Process ................................................................. 39

Chapter 5: Instructional Resources: Time and Frequency ....................................... 42 FrequencyofUse ..................................................................................................... 42

Time Spent on Various Tasks ................................................................................... 47

Chapter 6: Teaching Methods ................................................................................................ 52

Chapter 7: Technology .............................................................................................................. 57 Features of Digital Instructional Materials and Assessments ............................... 57

Availability of Classroom Technologies .................................................................. 60

Adequacy of Classroom Technologies ................................................................... 63

RoadblockstoUsingPurchasedDigitalProducts ................................................. 64

ChallengesofUsingAppsintheClassroom ......................................................... 68

Chapter 8: Key Takeaways ...................................................................................................... 72

References ...................................................................................................................................... 75

Appendix: Survey Materials .................................................................................................... 76

State of the K-12 Market Reports 2016Copyright 2016 Market Data Retrieval

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List of FiguresFigures

1 Average Hours per Week Spent on Tasks ..................................................................................3

2 Teacher Survey Respondents: Grades Taught ...........................................................................6

3 Teacher Survey Respondents: Subjects Taught .........................................................................7

4 Teacher Survey Respondents: Years in the Teaching Profession ..............................................7

5 Size of Schools Where Respondents Teach ...............................................................................8

6 Classroom Budget Provided: All Schools ..................................................................................9

7 Classroom Budget Provided by Grade Level ..........................................................................10

8 Classroom Budget Provided by School Size ............................................................................10

9 Classroom Budget: All Schools .................................................................................................11

10 Classroom Budget by Grade Level ...........................................................................................12

11 Average Classroom Budget by Grade Level ...........................................................................12

12 Classroom Materials Most Likely to Be Purchased with Classroom Budget .........................14

13 Classroom Materials Least Likely to Be Purchased with Classroom Budget .........................15

14 Percent of Teachers Spending Personal Funds: All Schools ..................................................16

15 Personal Funds Spent: All Schools ...........................................................................................17

16 Personal Funds Spent by Grade Level .....................................................................................18

17 Average of Personal Funds Spent by Grade Level ..................................................................18

18 Classroom Materials Most Likely to Be Purchased with Personal Funds ...............................20

19 Classroom Materials Likely to Be Purchased with Personal Funds ........................................20

20 Classroom Materials Most Likely to Be Purchased with Classroom Budget vs Personal Funds .........................................................................................................21

21 Personal Funds Spent on Professional Development: All Schools ........................................22

22 Sources for Information on Instructional Materials: Included in the Top Five .....................25

23 Sources for Information on Instructional Materials: Ranked as First Choice .........................26

24 Top Five Sources for Information on Instructional Materials by Grade Level .......................27

25 Top Five Sources for Information on Instructional Materials by Years of Experience ..........29

26 Social Media Site Visits for Professional Reasons—Weekly or More Often ..........................30

27 Frequency of Social Media Site Visits for Professional Reasons ...........................................31

28 Social Media Site Visits for Professional Reasons—Weekly or More Often by Grade Level ...........................................................................................................................32

29 Social Media Site Visits for Professional Reasons—Weekly or More Often by Years of Experience ...............................................................................................................32

30 SourcesUsedtoPurchaseInstructionalMaterials:IncludedintheTopFive ........................33

31 SourcesUsedtoPurchaseInstructionalMaterials:RankedasFirstChoice .........................34

32 TopFiveSourcesUsedtoPurchaseInstructionalMaterialsbyGradeLevel ........................35

33 TopFiveSourcesUsedtoPurchaseInstructionalMaterialsbyYearsofExperience ............36

34 MostImportantFactorsInfluencingthePurchaseofInstructionalMaterials ........................37

35 MostImportantFactorsInfluencingthePurchaseofInstructionalMaterials by Grade Level ...........................................................................................................................38

36 Educators’ Role in Purchasing Materials and Programs ........................................................39

37 Influences/ParticipatesinPurchasingofMaterialsandProgramsbyGradeLevel ..............40

38 SourceofInstructionalMaterialsUsedWeeklyorMoreOften ..............................................43

39 FrequencyofUseofInstructionalMaterialsbySource ..........................................................44

viClassroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of TechnologyCopyright 2016 Market Data Retrieval

40 SourceofInstructionalMaterialsUsedWeeklyorMoreOftenbyGradeLevel ...................45

41 SourceofInstructionalMaterialsUsedWeeklyorMoreOftenbySchoolSize ....................46

42 Hours per Week Spent on Tasks ...............................................................................................47

43 Four or More Hours per Week Spent on Tasks ........................................................................48

1 Average Hours per Week Spent on Tasks ................................................................................49

44 Four or More Hours per Week Spent on Tasks by Grade Level .............................................50

45 Four or More Hours per Week Spent on Tasks by Years of Experience ................................50

46 Four or More Hours per Week Spent on Tasks by School Size ..............................................51

47 Degree of Implementation of Classroom Methods ................................................................54

48 Substantial Degree of Implementation of Classroom Methods ............................................54

49 Substantial Implementation of Classroom Methods by Grade Level ....................................55

50 Substantial Implementation of Classroom Methods by Years of Experience .......................56

51 Features Valued in Digital Instructional Materials ...................................................................58

52 Features Valued as High in Digital Instructional Materials by Grade Level ..........................59

53 Features Valued as High in Digital Instructional Materials by Years of Experience ..............59

54 Features Valued as High in Digital Instructional Materials by School Size ............................60

55 Technologies Available in Classrooms. ....................................................................................61

56 Technologies Available in Classrooms by Grade Level...........................................................62

57 Adequacy of Instructional Technology .....................................................................................63

58 RoadblockstoUsingPurchasedDigitalProducts:Ranked#1 ...............................................65

59 RoadblockstoUsingPurchasedDigitalProducts:RankedinTopThree ..............................65

60 RoadblockstoUsingPurchasedDigitalProducts:RankedinTopThree by Years of Experience ...............................................................................................................66

61 RoadblockstoUsingPurchasedDigitalProducts:RankedinTopThree by School Size .............................................................................................................................67

EdNET Insight is the education industry’s trusted source for information about the current state of the K-12 market and the game-changing trends that impact educators and administrators as well as the companies and organizations that serve them. EdNET Insight combines the proven power of research and analysis with recognized industry experts to deliver an insightful,comprehensiveviewofthetrendsandinfluencesthatareshapingthe education market today—and tomorrow.

State of the K-12 Market 2016 provides an insightful overview of the K-12 education market based on a survey to one of the following key stakeholders: Technology Directors, Instructional Directors, Principals, and Teachers. These reports are essential reading for a thorough and up-to-date understanding of the K-12 education market. Each report in the series, authored by industry analysts, includes results from secondary research and interviews and offers key takeaways and recommendations.

STATE OF THE K-12 MARKET 2016

Classroom Trends: Teachers as Buyers of Instructional Materials and Users of Technology