Results from a small study have indicated that K-8 parents place different importance on the role of quality teachers versus technology based on where they live.

Leading educational services provider Follett Corporation and research firm Toluna partnered together to survey almost 600 parents of K-8 students to determine whether they thought teachers or technology were more important in the classroom.

According to a statement from Follett Corporation, the study found:

"Parents of K-8 students who live in the South and Midwest think having high quality teachers is the most important ingredient to providing a successful education. Meanwhile, parents in the Northeast and in the West believe the greatest factor in determining student success is technology-based." 

"When asked to rank a series of items conducive to an effective education, 41% of parents in the Northeast and 31% of parents in the West chose up-to-date technology as the most important factor. That's in stark contrast to the 41% of parents in the Midwest and 33% of parents from the South who focused on high quality teachers, according to the survey."

In total, quality teachers was considered to be the most important factor in the classroom, beating out technology by a 1% margin.

The full list of the breakdown in what the U.S. parents sampled thought of the most important factors in the classroom is as follows: 29% quality teachers; 28% technology; 13% class size; 8% personalized learning; 7% access to additional teacher instructions; 6% quality textbooks; 4% ample curriculum funding; 4% ample school supplies; 1% other, according to the company's statement.

The company also issued a statement from Rosalind Wiseman, a parenting educator and New York Times best-selling author to remind parents of the importance of quality teachers guiding student-use of technology:

"While educating our children to use technology is absolutely critical to any young person's education, it is teachers who bring the learning process to life...Ideally, the best teachers are collaborating with their students to use technology in ways that demonstrate what they are learning is applicable to their lives both inside and outside the classroom."

Read more about the study here and comment with your thoughts below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

09/03/2015