3 in 4 teachers back screen time limits in schools: Gallup poll

A new Gallup poll found that about three-quarters of teachers back setting limits on how much time students spend on screens in classrooms, even as educators remain divided over the role of devices in learning. The findings highlight teachers’ mixed feelings toward classroom technology, with majorities expressing both support for digital tools and concern about how much they are used.

Seventy-three percent of teachers said they strongly or somewhat strongly support setting a maximum amount of time a student can spend using devices to learn in school.

Almost 90 percent said they support clearly defined exceptions to screen time rules, such as for students who use technology due to a disability.

Two-thirds of teachers said they want device-based classes to be paper-based instead.

Around 59 percent of educators said digital tools help students learn more effectively, according to Gallup.

But 61 percent said students should spend less time on devices.

Fifty-two percent said devices do as much good as harm.

The approach to devices in the classroom varies widely among school districts, with some banning cell phones all day and requiring students to lock them away in pouches, while others distribute individual iPads or Chromebooks for students to keep on them at all times.

While guidance and recommendations for AI and technology use have come from states and the federal government, decisions about classroom technology are largely left to local schools.

The Gallup poll was conducted between May 6 and May 29 and surveyed 2,101 teachers working in public K-12 schools. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.