The rate of teachers quitting within the first five years of starting has seen an increase. Why is this the case and can EdTech support them in the future?
According to research:
“Seven in 10 teachers considered leaving their job in the last 12 months.”
A culmination of several factors such as increased workload, lack of pay and working excruciatingly long hours have all contributed to teachers desiring to leave the profession early.
In addition to this, the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on teachers’ wellbeing. Staffing problems, absenteeism and teachers being inundated with workload have all been damaging to teachers’ mental health and wellbeing. According to statistics:
“More than four out of five (84%) believe their job has adversely affected their mental health in the last year, with 52% citing workload as the key factor.”
Teachers have had to balance creating an abundance of content and dealing with other issues in conjunction with staff absence. Teaching staff have had to be sparsely spread across schools and this is a factor in why teachers have considered quitting.
According to an NASUWT survey of 4,000 UK members:
“nine out of 10 (91%) have seen an increase in workload in the last year – 61% said it had increased significantly – with full-time teachers working 57 hours a week in a typical midterm week.”
These colossal statistics exemplify why teachers need support. The significant increase in the number of hours expresses how new avenues need to be explored by schools to further support their workforce, and implementing EdTech could be a viable option.
How can EdTech support teachers?
Saving teachers time and limiting stress is a key component of instilling EdTech into an establishment.
Less time can be spent on marking and homework can be tracked with immediate feedback provided for students. According to research:
“potential longer-term changes seem to relate to homework and communication tasks, for example 60% of teachers suggest that they would make changes in their use of technology to set or collect homework.”
By having homework online, an automated system not only creates the content for teachers but can also mark students’ work saving a huge amount of time for staff.
Furthermore, by saving time, teachers’ wellbeing can also be improved. Less stress is placed on them as an automated system can design content digitally and can reduce an excessive workload. According to research:
“The majority of headteachers (74%) and teachers (65%) also indicated that technology already had, or would in the future, contribute to reduced workload.”
EdTech has the potential to improve teachers’ lives during an unprecedented time. During exam season, it can even help strategise new approaches that can be integrated into a school and also help track the overall impact for schools and students rapidly.
According to research regarding the effectiveness of using EdTech:
“96% of teachers were using some digital learning tools, with 75% reporting that they were very or quite likely to continue using digital learning tools in the longer term.”
If EdTech was properly engrained within schools then the benefits could be immense, especially for teachers. There are plenty of affordable options that can be explored and teachers need all the support they can get.
How EDClass can improve teachers’ lives
EDClass is an online alternative provision that can help support students from remote locations. Schools can accommodate several types of students from those at risk of exclusion to mental health challenges.
Teachers can focus their attention on other pressing matters within their school by enrolling their students with EDClass.
Students and teachers both benefit from 17,000 pre-made lessons available and nearly 2,000 video lessons that cover the current curriculum from KS1-KS4. The system also continuously assesses students and provides instant feedback on their learning.
Students are also safeguarded by UK-qualified teachers and your staff are notified if there is even an issue.
If you would like a free online demonstration of the platform then please call 01909 568 338, send an email to mail@edclass.com or book directly here.
