Concerns over classroom screen time emerge in new national study by professors at Auburn's College of Education and Christopher Newport University

A national study led by Auburn University College of Education Associate Professor David Marshall and Christopher Newport University Associate Professor Tim Pressley is shedding new light on how teachers view the growing role of technology in K–12 classrooms.

The study, based on a survey of nearly 600 U.S. teachers in May, found that 85% of teachers believe students spend too much time on screens during class. Marshall and Pressley say the findings highlight a growing shift in educator sentiment and raise important questions about how digital tools are shaping classroom learning.

“Teachers are beginning to wonder whether schools have overcorrected,” the authors write, pointing to classroom experiences where devices intended for learning often lead to distraction and diminished focus.

Insights from the study were recently highlighted in a June 2 op-ed in Real Clear Education by Marshall and Pressley, titled “Have We Gone Too Far with Technology in Schools?” The op-ed explores whether schools have “overcorrected” in their reliance on digital tools.

Marshall and Pressley note that their survey also revealed other concerns. Without prompting, nearly one in six teachers advocated for a return to more traditional paper-and-pencil learning approaches. Many respondents expressed concern about students’ declining ability to write for extended periods without assistance from spell check or autocorrect, as well as shortened attention spans and difficulty focusing without digital stimulation.

The findings align with broader national conversations. A recent report from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten similarly called for reduced screen use and more active, hands-on learning experiences.

Marshall and Pressley emphasize that their research does not suggest abandoning technology, but rather using it more intentionally. Digital tools continue to offer value in communication, organization and access to information, but their overuse, the researchers note, might be crowding out essential learning skills.

“The solution is not abandoning technology,” they write. “Nor is it romanticizing some pre-digital version of schooling. The solution is recalibration.”

The study also highlights strong support among teachers for policies that limit digital distractions. Among respondents working in schools with cell phone bans, 91% supported the policy, while more than three-quarters of teachers without bans said they wished their schools would adopt one.

Marshall noted that the rapid expansion of technology — accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic — has made screens central to nearly every aspect of teaching and learning. What began as a necessary shift, the researchers suggest, has in many cases become the default, even when other approaches might be more effective.

Ultimately, the research underscores a growing consensus among educators: while technology remains a powerful tool, its role in the classroom must be carefully balanced to ensure it supports—not competes with—student learning. 

"Schools once feared students would fall behind without technology. Increasingly, teachers worry that students are falling behind because of it,” Marshall and Pressley stated in their op-ed.