Study shows mixed screen use patterns in NSW schools

A new NSW Department of Education‑funded study shows that students spend only about half their class time on screens, despite recent policy limits.

Survey Results

The research, carried out between August and November 2025, surveyed 1,057 students, 914 teachers and 1,686 parents or carers from public, Catholic and independent schools. Parents said digital devices help learning, but only 55 % of primary‑school parents and 71 % of high‑school parents agreed. Around 37 % opposed any time limits on learning‑related screen use, while the remainder recommended limits that matched or exceeded the actual usage reported by students.

Classroom Use

Teachers reported that screens are most often used for research, video instruction, report writing, online quizzes and organising information. They also support communication (email, discussion forums) and creation tasks such as programming or multimedia projects. In primary classes, students favour literacy and numeracy apps, Google search, YouTube and Canva; high‑school pupils shift to document and presentation tools and apps like Microsoft Teams and Gmail.

Observation Findings

Researchers observed 68 classes across 20 public schools from kindergarten to Year 12. Students were on‑task for an average of 90 % of the lesson – 96 % in the first three years, dropping to 82 % in Years 9‑10, then returning to 96 % in senior years. Screens were used for roughly 50 % of lesson time; the rest involved discussion, handwriting and worksheets. Teachers kept students focused by positioning themselves, setting time limits, offering tech support and asking devices to be closed when needed.

Recreational Use

Eighty‑four percent of parents want limits on recreational screen time, recommending 19‑33 minutes per day. Primary pupils stay below those limits, but high‑school students use screens for leisure an average of 72 minutes in Years 7‑8 and up to 85 minutes in Years 11‑12.

Context

The findings come as NSW and Victoria introduce screen‑time caps, reflecting ongoing debate between digital‑skill advocates and calls for a “digital detox” in schools.