A recent European study, commissioned by Epson, reveals that 75% of teachers and 74% of families in Spain prefer that greater importance be given to printed materials in classrooms, such as textbooks and worksheets. This finding comes after years of large investments in educational technology, especially in laptops for students in Western Europe. Currently, 49% of teachers express concern about the possible negative effects of laptops and tablets on learning.
In contrast, a large majority of teachers and families in Spain (88%) highlight the benefits of using printed materials for traditional classroom tasks. These data support growing evidence that students, especially younger ones, learn better with print materials than with screens.
Some European governments are already taking action. In February 2024, Lotta Edholm, Sweden’s education minister, stated that the best conditions for developing basic reading and writing skills are achieved in analogue environments. Announced an annual investment of 44 million euros in textbooks starting in 2024.
Printed materials in the classroom versus technology
In Spain, 90% of teachers point out challenges associated with the use of tablets and laptops in the classroom. More than half (54%) have observed a decrease in reading skills, 41% a reduction in knowledge retention, 20% a decrease in class participation, and 28% a decrease in attention.
Additionally, 69% of teachers in Spain believe that printed textbooks and worksheets improve reading skills, while 52% of teachers and 43% of families see greater retention of knowledge with printed materials. 46% of teachers and 43% of families also consider that these materials are better adapted to different learning styles.
69% of all teachers surveyed say that traditional printed materials improve reading skills and 52% say they improve knowledge retention
As a result, 45% of Spanish teachers believe that educational authorities should reconsider the introduction of laptops and tablets, and 73% believe that these authorities are not sufficiently connected to the reality of teaching to make the best recommendations.
It is clear that public procurement in the education sector must take these points of view into account. Many families also report that too much screen time causes arguments at home, and 62% say using laptops in schools makes it difficult to manage screen time at home, especially when homework is done online. .
In search of solutions, more than half of families (51%) and teachers (63%) in Spain want a more balanced use of technology in schools, using digital and paper resources in a complementary way. This requires a hybrid approach to learning, where both types of resources are used together to improve teaching and learning.