Questions about technology in education for students, plus six for teachers
A technology-in-education survey asks students which devices and apps they use for school, whether those tools work and help them learn, and what stops them at home. Start with the student core 12, add sets on class apps, online learning, phones or safety, and give teachers their own six questions.
- 40questions with answer choices
- 12in the student core
- 6for teachers
- 4 minto answer the core
By Michael Hodge, BSc Psychology Updated September 2026
The full set: 40 questions about technology in education
The student core 12 starts in your survey. Add a set for class apps, online learning, phones or online safety, or the teacher set for staff. Each question shows every option a student can pick and the decision its answer supports.
The student core 1212 questions
Devices used last week, device days in lessons and the homework gap, then seven agree statements on learning, reliability, help, focus and privacy, one improvement vote and one story. It runs on its own in about four minutes.
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Which of these did you use for schoolwork in the past 7 days?
Class laptopOwn laptopTabletPhoneDesktopNoneTick all that applyA one-week window counts real use, and a ticked "Phone" shows who works on a small screen. Nationally, 35% of teens often or sometimes do homework on a cellphone.1
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On how many school days last week did you use a device during lessons?
None1 or 23 or 4All 5Counts use in lessons instead of asking whether students like technology. Read it by subject to find devices that sit in a cart.
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In the past month, how often did a slow connection or missing device stop you finishing homework?
NeverOnceA few timesOftenThe homework gap in one question. Pew found 17% of US teens often or sometimes cannot finish homework because they lack a reliable computer or connection.1
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The apps and sites we use in class help me learn.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeAsks about learning, not enjoyment. A tool students love that scores low here is entertainment.
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I know which app to use for each class.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeToo many platforms shows up here first. Low agreement is a reason to agree on fewer tools across classes.
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School devices and Wi-Fi work when we need them.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeReliability. A lesson that stalls on log-ins and dead batteries loses students before it starts.
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When tech breaks, I get help quickly.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSupport in the moment. The teacher set asks the same thing from the front of the room.
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Teachers show us how to use a new tool first.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeStudents notice when a tool arrives without a demo. A low score usually points to training for staff as well.
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Screens in class rarely pull me off task.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeDistraction, worded so that agreeing is the good answer. When it scores low, send the phone set next.
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I know what school apps do with my data.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreePrivacy awareness. UNESCO counts only 16% of countries with laws that protect children's data privacy, so the school's own explanation matters.4
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What would most improve technology in your classes?
Faster Wi-FiFewer appsBetter devicesTrainingFewer screensOne vote sets the priority. Each answer points to a different budget line, so this is the question to show leaders first.
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Describe one lesson where technology helped you learn, or got in the way.
Open answerA story names the exact step where a tool helps or fails. Sort the answers into two piles before you read them closely.
Class apps and platforms6 questions
For teachers and coordinators deciding which tools earn their place. Ask about the apps this class really uses.
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Which of these do you use for school at least once a week?
Class websiteVideo lessonsPractice appsShared docsQuiz gamesAI chatTick all that applyShows which tools students open each week. Anything nobody ticks is a candidate to drop.
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How many different apps or sites do your teachers ask you to use?
1 to 34 to 67 to 10More than 10Not sureEvery extra log-in costs lesson time. A high count usually explains low agreement that students know which app to use.
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I can find all my assignments in one place.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeOne place for due dates removes a whole class of missed-work stories. Low agreement is a setup problem, not a student problem.
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Practice apps tell me right away what I got wrong.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreePersonalized practice with quick feedback is the kind of learning software with the most promising trial results, particularly in math.5
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Class quizzes on screens show me what to review.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeTells you whether in-class quizzes and polls read as feedback or only as a game.
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Which app or site helps you learn most, and why?
Open answerThe "why" names the feature to look for when you choose the next tool.
Learning online or from home5 questions
For online courses, hybrid classes, snow days and homework platforms. Students answer about the times they learn away from the classroom.
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How do you take this class?
In the roomFully onlineA mix of bothSplits every other answer by format. In controlled studies, fully online courses tended to trail face-to-face ones, while blended courses kept pace.5
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Where do you usually do online schoolwork?
HomeSchoolLibraryFriend or relativeSomewhere else"Library" and "Somewhere else" are the answers to follow up. Pew found 12% of teens at least sometimes use public Wi-Fi for homework because they have no connection at home.1
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I know how to reach my teacher when I learn online.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeOnline, a quick question can wait a day. Low agreement calls for one named channel and a stated reply time.
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Recorded lessons and files are easy to find.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeWhen a student misses a live session, the recording is the lesson. If nobody can find it, it does not exist.
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What gets in the way most when you learn online?
ConnectionNoiseScreen fatigueHard to askNothingOne pick sets the fix: a hotspot loan, a quiet room at school, shorter live sessions or an easier way to ask.
Phones and focus in class5 questions
For a school reviewing its phone rule, or a class where the screens statement scored low. Ask it before and a few weeks after any rule change.
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Where is your phone during most lessons?
Handed inOff in my bagOn my deskIn my handNo phoneThe rule as students live it, which can differ from the rule on paper. Pew found 30% of teachers whose school has a phone policy call it hard to enforce.2
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In your last lesson, how many times did you check your phone for something else?
NoneOnce2 to 45 or moreNo phoneA count for one lesson is easier to answer honestly than "how often do you get distracted".
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Classmates' screens seldom distract me.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeDistraction spreads. In one experiment, students who could see a classmate multitasking on a laptop scored lower too.7
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Phone rules at this school are applied fairly.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeA rule students see as uneven gets little support. A low score is a conversation to have before any new policy.
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Which phone rule would you choose for lessons?
Away all dayAway in lessonsTeacher decidesNo ruleGives students a vote in a live debate. In 2026, 77% of US adults backed in-class phone bans for middle and high school, and 48% backed all-day bans.3
Online safety and AI rules4 questions
For digital citizenship lessons and parent meetings. These cover filtering, reporting, unkind messages and clear AI rules.
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My teachers explain when AI tools are allowed.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeStudents unsure of the rule either avoid a useful tool or use it where it is banned. Low agreement asks for one written rule per course.
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I know how to report something unsafe online.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeA reporting route only works if students know it. Low agreement calls for a two-minute reminder, not a new policy.
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This term, has anyone been unkind to you through a school app or account?
NoOnceMore than onceRather not saySchool platforms carry messages too. Any "More than once" answers go to the counselor as a group trend, never as names.
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How often does the school filter block a site you need for schoolwork?
NeverSometimesOftenNot sureOver-blocking stops research and sends students to their phones. "Often" is a request to review the filter list.
About you (optional)2 questions
Needed for any split by level or by home access. Fold small groups together before you report them.
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What grade are you in?
6 to 89 to 1011 to 12CollegeRather not sayTeachers report very different phone problems in middle and high school, so read the phone set by this answer.2
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Do you have a laptop or computer of your own for schoolwork?
Yes, my ownShared at homeOnly at schoolNoPew found a quarter of teens in homes earning under $30,000 had no home computer, against 4% at $75,000 or more. Split the homework question by this answer.1
Teachers answer: technology in my teaching6 questions
Give these to staff in the same weeks the students answer. Where both sides rate the same thing, such as help when tech fails, the gap between them is the finding.
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I get training on a new tool before I must use it.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeUNESCO describes a program in Peru that handed out a million laptops without training teachers, and learning did not improve.4
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When classroom tech fails, help arrives in time.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSet it beside the students' answer on getting help quickly. If both are low, support staffing is the issue.
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I have planning time to build lessons with tech.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeSeparates a skills gap from a time gap. Each needs a different fix.
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The school's digital tools suit what I teach.
Strongly disagree12345Strongly agree1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agreeA tool bought for the whole school may not fit every subject. Read this one by department.
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How often do students use devices to make something, not just read or watch?
Most lessonsWeeklyMonthlyRarelyNeverShows whether devices mostly deliver content or get students practising and building. Compare it with the practice app statement in the student sets.
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Which kinds of tech training help you most?
DemosCoachingPeer sharingWebinarsPlanning timeTick all that applyPlans the next staff session in the format teachers will turn up for.
What to ask before your school adopts a new tool
Leaders, teachers and parents asking questions about technology in education usually need these. UNESCO's 2023 GEM Report reduces the decision to four questions,4 and the survey answers above supply the evidence for each.
| UNESCO's question | What it means in a classroom | Questions here that answer it |
|---|---|---|
| Is it appropriate? | It serves the learning goal in this subject | Students: 4, 16 and 17. Teachers: 38 and 39 |
| Is it equitable? | Every student can use it, at home as well as at school | 1, 3, 20 and 34 |
| Is it scalable? | It works beyond one pilot class, and the school can keep paying to run it | 6, 7, 14 and 36 |
| Is it sustainable? | Teachers can keep it going and student data stays safe | 10, 35, 37 and 40 |
Two checks no survey can make
Ask the seller for independent evidence. When the US What Works Clearinghouse assessed education interventions, under 2% had strong or moderate evidence of effectiveness.4 Then ask how long the product will be supported: UNESCO puts the average turnover of education technology products at three years, against about ten years between curriculum reforms.4
For AI in particular, the AI survey questions include a set students answer about AI in their courses. When the decision is about one new platform, the technology acceptance model measures how useful and easy the people using it find it.
Before the bell: five technology questions to ask students
Only ten minutes before the bell? These five cover learning value, the homework gap, working devices, quick help and one story about a real lesson.
- 01The apps and sites we use in class help me learn.
- 02In the past month, how often did a slow connection or missing device stop you finishing homework?
- 03School devices and Wi-Fi work when we need them.
- 04When tech breaks, I get help quickly.
- 05Describe one lesson where technology helped you learn, or got in the way.
Honest answers about school technology
Four choices decide whether the results describe learning or just count gadgets.
Ask what devices are used for
A review of randomized trials found that giving a child a computer may have limited effects on learning, while computer-assisted learning with personalized practice can be quite effective, particularly in math.5 So the core asks whether the apps help students learn, and the apps set asks whether practice tools say right away what went wrong. Counting laptops tells a school what it owns; these questions tell it what the laptops do.
US teachers who call phone distraction a major problem in their classroom
Read the phone set by school level
Teachers describe very different phone problems at each level: 72% of high school teachers call phone distraction a major problem, against 33% in middle school and 6% in elementary.2 Send the grade question with the phone set so one level does not hide another. Ask about classmates' screens too. In a college course, exam scores fell after lectures where devices were allowed, both for students who used them and for those who did not.6
Run it where the homework gap shows up
A survey link sent home misses the students it most needs to hear from. In Pew's teen survey, 24% of teens in homes earning under $30,000 said a missing computer or connection often or sometimes kept them from finishing homework, against 9% in homes earning $75,000 or more.1 Give the survey ten minutes of class time on school devices, keep printed copies for anyone locked out of an account, and read the homework question (number 3) beside the computer question in About you.
Ask teachers in the same week
The teacher set mirrors two student statements, on help when tech fails and on being shown new tools. When students and teachers both rate help as slow, the fix is support staffing; when only students do, look at how they ask for help. Training matters as much as hardware: UNESCO describes a program in Peru that handed out a million laptops without training teachers, and learning did not improve.4 For feedback on a training session itself, use the professional development survey.
Starting a staff meeting or a digital citizenship lesson? Project question 11 and let everyone vote in a live poll from their phones or school laptops. The vote makes a good opener for the full survey.
When a school account is locked, hand out paper
Paper reaches the students a link would miss, including anyone whose school account is locked that day. The teacher questions come last, so the final sheet can go to a staff meeting on its own.
Student technology questionnaire
Sheet one: the student core, ready for a pencil. Then class apps, online learning, phones, safety and About you, with the teacher questions on the final sheet.
Download PDF
Class results worksheet
Tally the homework-gap answers, turn each core statement into a percent who agree, then circle the two lowest.
Download PDFWhere school tech is letting students down
Type the tallies for the seven device, app, help, focus and privacy statements into the boxes. A higher score is better on every one, so whichever bar is shortest marks the weakest link in your school's technology.
- 1Enter each statement's counts from 1 to 5. The bars show the share who agree and the share who disagree.
- 2If working devices and Wi-Fi, or getting help quickly, score lowest, the fix is equipment and support staff, not more lessons.
- 3If knowing which app to use, being shown new tools or knowing what apps do with data scores lowest, cut the number of tools and teach the ones you keep.
- 4Read the homework-gap tally next to the chart. If students say a connection stopped their homework a few times or often, offer offline or on-site options before adding online work.
Student technology results
Researching the impact of technology on students
Students and graduate researchers often need a questionnaire on technology use in education for a paper. Choose one research question first, then keep only the items that answer it.
| Your research question | Items from this page | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Does missing home access hold back homework? | 3, 20 and 34 | Cross-tab question 3 by computer ownership and compare the share answering "A few times" or "Often" |
| Do phones in lessons hurt focus? | 9, 24, 25 and 33 | Compare agreement with the screens statement for handed-in phones against phones on the desk, by grade |
| Do students and teachers see classroom tech the same way? | 7, 8, 35 and 36 | Set percent agree for students beside percent agree for teachers on help and training |
| Does learning format change the experience? | 19, 21, 22 and 23 | Split the answers by in the room, fully online and a mix |
Write findings as links, not causes
A one-time survey shows which answers go together, not what caused them. Write "students who keep phones on the desk were less likely to agree that screens rarely pull them off task", not "phones lower focus". For a causal claim you would need a comparison like the college experiment in which exam scores fell in lectures where devices were allowed, for users and non-users alike.6
Ask permission before you ask classmates
Get your teacher or supervisor to approve the questions if anyone answering is under 18. Collect no names, say at the top what the survey is for, and let anyone skip an item. Test the wording on three friends and change whatever makes them pause.
Questions educators ask about tech surveys
Short answers for teachers, coaches and school leaders planning one.
What questions should you ask students about technology?
Ask which devices they used for schoolwork in a set week, how many days they used one in lessons, whether a poor connection stopped their homework, and whether the tools help them learn. The student core 12 covers all four, plus support, distraction and privacy.
What should a technology survey for teachers include?
Training before a new tool arrives, help when tech fails mid-lesson, planning time, fit with the subject, how often students make things with devices, and the training format teachers prefer. The six teacher questions ask exactly that, so the results sit beside the student answers.
What should a remote learning technology survey ask?
How the student takes the class, where they do online work, whether they can reach the teacher, whether recordings are easy to find, and what makes online lessons hard. Send the Learning online or from home set together with the core.
How can a school tell if a digital learning tool is working?
Run the same statements before the tool arrives and again a term later, then read the change beside usage reports and grades. Ask the seller for independent studies as well, because evidence on education technology often comes from the companies that sell it.4
Should a student technology survey be anonymous?
Yes. Students are far less likely to admit checking a phone in class on a named form. Leave names off, and only share results for a group with enough students that nobody stands out.
Four school technology questions to reword
The same repairs work on any questionnaire. Browse the survey questions collection for wording examples by topic.
Do you like using technology in class?
The apps and sites we use in class help me learn.
Liking and learning are different results. A fun tool can score high on the first and low on the second.
Do you have internet access at home?
In the past month, how often did a slow connection or missing device stop you finishing homework?
Almost every student answers yes to the weak version. The better one finds those whose connection fails when homework is due.
Does your teacher use technology well and help you with it?
Teachers show us how to use a new tool first.
When tech breaks, I get help quickly.
Teaching and tech support are separate jobs. A student with a patient teacher and a broken laptop has no honest answer.
Does technology distract you?
In your last lesson, how many times did you check your phone for something else?
Classmates' screens seldom distract me.
A yes or no about distraction invites a guess. A count for one lesson and a statement about classmates give numbers you can compare after a rule change.
Find out what technology is doing for your students
Open the twelve student questions in the builder, tack on the phone, online or teacher questions if your school needs them, then share the link with each class or print copies for the lesson.
