Teachers' Tools for the 21st Century

The primary focus of this report is teachers' use of computers or the Internet for instructional purposes. Findings presented in this report indicate that about half of the teachers with computers available in their schools used them for classroom instruction. Moreover, teachers' use of technology was related to their training and preparation and work environments. As described in detail in the report, teachers were more likely to use these technologies when the technologies were available to them, available in their classrooms as opposed to computer labs, and available in greater numbers. Moreover, teachers who reported feeling better prepared were more likely to use these technologies than their less prepared colleagues. (Teachers who spent more time in professional development reported feeling better prepared than their colleagues.) Finally, teachers who perceived that lacking computers and time for students to use computers as great barriers were less likely than their colleagues to assign students to use computers or the Internet for some instructional activities.