Screens Ubiquitous in Classrooms; Teachers Split on Efficacy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Most U.S. K-12 public school teachers say their students use learning devices such as laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, iPads and e-readers in class, but a majority think students should be using them less.

Ninety-six percent of teachers report that their students use learning devices in class. Yet 61% of teachers say students should spend less time on devices, 6% say more time, and 33% say about the same amount of time. Elementary school teachers are less likely than their middle and high school counterparts to want reduced device time, at 55%, compared with 67% and 65%, respectively.

Most teachers believe learning devices help their students, but their support is measured. Fifty-nine percent of teachers agree or strongly agree that the digital tools or apps they use with students help them learn more effectively, yet only 10% strongly agree. Another 40% are neutral or disagree.

These findings are from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup’s latest Teaching for Tomorrow study, conducted May 6-29, 2026, in partnership with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. The report, Screen Wise: What Teachers Say About Making Classroom Technology Work, includes responses from 2,101 U.S. K-12 public school teachers. Teachers were recruited from a nationally representative, probability-based panel of U.S. public school teachers.

Teachers Divided on Learning Device Benefits and Harm

Teachers’ views on learning devices are mixed. Twenty-nine percent say student learning devices do more harm than good, while 18% say they do more good than harm. About half of teachers (52%) say learning devices do equal amounts of harm and good.

High school teachers are somewhat more negative toward learning devices, with 34% saying they do more harm than good, compared with 27% of elementary teachers and 28% of middle school teachers.

Teachers believe learning devices add to instructional and learning differentiation for key student subgroups. Majorities of teachers say devices are very or somewhat important for English learners (77%), students with an IEP or 504 plan (76%), students needing enrichment or extension (72%), and those needing extra academic support or intervention (71%).

Teachers Report Little Device Oversight, but It Influences Their Views

Only 42% of teachers report having a lot of oversight over what students are doing on learning devices during classroom instruction. Forty-four percent report having some oversight, and 14% report having not much or none.

Teachers in the lower grades have more oversight than teachers in upper grades do. About half of elementary teachers (51%) report having a lot of oversight. This decreases to 44% of middle school teachers and drops further to 28% for high school teachers.

Teachers who say they have greater oversight of learning devices tend to report more positive experiences with them. Those with more oversight are more likely to say devices do more good than harm or equal amounts of harm and good and that they would like students to use learning devices about the same amount of time or more.

Teachers with greater oversight are also more likely to view digital tools as effective for student learning. Among teachers who report having a lot of oversight, 67% agree or strongly agree that digital tools help students learn more effectively, compared with 55% of those with some oversight and 49% of those with little to no oversight.

Teachers Support Stronger Safeguards More Than Blanket Time Limits

Teachers broadly support efforts to improve how learning devices are used and managed in school. Across six potential approaches, teachers are most likely to strongly support more investment in high-quality print-based or hands-on materials (58%) or stronger filtering or monitoring requirements (54%).

Far fewer teachers, 34%, strongly support a daily time maximum for student learning device use. While all approaches receive little opposition from teachers, more than a quarter of teachers somewhat (19%) or strongly (8%) oppose a daily time maximum.

Implications

As states and districts weigh screen-time policies and schools assess technology’s role in the classroom, the question is not only how much time students spend on screens, but also how learning devices are managed. Teachers' strongest preferences point toward investing in non-digital materials and stronger device filtering and monitoring, more so than broad screen-time restrictions.

Giving teachers more control over devices in their classroom — for example, through stronger monitoring and management — may be an effective approach. Those with greater oversight consistently report more positive views of devices and their impact on learning. Teachers acknowledge shortcomings in learning devices and prefer that students spend less time on devices, but they also see clear value in instructional differentiation, suggesting the bigger opportunity lies in improved device implementation and management.

Learn more about the Walton Family Foundation-Gallup Teaching for Tomorrow study.

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