Many Parents Say Tech Barriers Hindered Academic Success in the Last Year

A new survey of 1,000 parents of school-age children (age 0–10) found that nearly half (48%) reported technological barriers that hindered their kids' academic success over the last year. Barriers included limited equipment, lack of Wi-Fi and other factors.

At the same time, parents were split on how the pandemic affected their kids' learning and productivity. The plurality, 40%, saw an increase in learning and productivity, while a nearly equal number (38%) reported a decrease as a result of the aforementioned barriers.

The findings were part of a fall 2021 parent survey overseen by ed tech company codeSpark, which offers a game-based educational tool focused on STEM for grades K–5. The tool, codeSpark Academy, is free for public schools in North America.

Other findings included:

  • 18.5% of parents made a decision to keep their kids in remote learning;
  • Most students (51%) were back in the classroom this year; and
  • 66.2% of students prefer in-person learning.

The findings were not released in a report accessible to the public. Further information about codeSpark can be found at codespark.com.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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