{"id":32366,"date":"2025-05-14T13:30:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T03:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.educationperfect.com\/?post_type=article&p=32366"},"modified":"2025-05-14T16:11:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T06:11:34","slug":"teachers-know-what-students-need-but-do-they-have-the-tools","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.educationperfect.com\/article\/teachers-know-what-students-need-but-do-they-have-the-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"Teachers Know What Students Need. But Do They Have the Tools to Deliver It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every day, teachers make hundreds of decisions – when to pause and reteach, when to push forward, when to offer encouragement, and when to challenge. These decisions are grounded in their professional judgement, built from experience and their understanding of each student. It\u2019s a superpower that no tool can replace. However, they also need the right data and insights to inform those judgements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Formative assessment is a critical teaching component in obtaining data and insights. In our recent global survey, we set out to explore how teachers use assessment in schools today<\/a> and what they need to make it more effective. The goal? To better understand how formative assessment is actually playing out in classrooms, what the challenges are and whether technology can better support what teachers do best: help students learn.<\/span><\/p>\n

What we heard from educators around Australia and New Zealand was clear. They value assessment deeply. But they\u2019re under enormous pressure\u2014and they don\u2019t have the time, tools, or training to do it the way they know they should.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this blog, we examine the data at a high level to determine what it tells us about assessment ahead of a more detailed report on the full survey.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Reality for Teachers<\/b><\/h4>\n

When it comes to student progress, teachers are confident in their ability to help students grow. The challenge lies in knowing exactly where each student is at any given moment. The \u2018knowing\u2019 part has also become harder. Relationships with students are becoming more complex, time pressures are increasing, and class sizes remain large. Teachers are looking for ways to better \u201cknow\u201d their learners\u2014data can help, but only if it\u2019s trustworthy and actionable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Teachers know that regular formative assessment is best practice. It\u2019s not up for debate. But the reality is that for many, it\u2019s just not always possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 70% of teachers in our survey said the biggest challenge they face in using formative assessment is the time it takes to create and manage it. Yet less than 30% strongly agreed that they can easily use the data they receive to plan their teaching. This disconnect\u2014between what teachers know works and what they can feasibly do\u2014is a major roadblock.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these challenges, the intent is there. The majority of teachers said they are already using quizzes, discussions, and self-assessments regularly. They\u2019re finding ways to make it work\u2014but the cracks are starting to show. All teachers surveyed said they use formative assessments, with the greatest number reporting that they use them on an ongoing basis. Yet, without curriculum alignment, the resulting data often becomes subjective and harder to act on.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Right Technology, Implemented the Right Way<\/b><\/h4>\n

When asked what could help, the message was unanimous: teachers want tools that are easy to implement and aligned with the curriculum. Tools that can reduce their workload, not add to it. Technology that works with them, not around them.<\/span><\/p>\n

In practice, this means looking for tools that:<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n