Important points:
According to Jotform, 65% of educators are using AI to fill resource gaps, even as platform fatigue and lack of system integration threaten productivity. Edtech trends in 2026 Report.
Based on a survey of 50 K-12 and higher education professionals, this report reveals a resilient workforce looking for ways to counter the effects of deep budget cuts and burnout. Respondents were teachers, instructors, and professors, split almost evenly between higher education and K-12.
56% of educators are “very concerned” about recent cuts to U.S. education infrastructure, while 65% are currently actively leveraging AI. Of those using AI, nearly half (48%) use it for both student learning and administrative tasks such as summarizing long documents or automating feedback.
Lainey Johnson, director of enterprise marketing at Jotform, said: “We conducted this study to better understand the pain points educators have with technology.” “We were surprised by how much respondents love their technology tools. The tools themselves are great, but the inability to work together creates problems.”
Main findings from Edtech trends in 2026 The report includes:
Integration gap: 77% of educators say their current digital tools are working well, but 73% cite “lack of integration between systems” as a key challenge. “What I want most from digital tools is for them to communicate with each other,” said one respondent. “I often find myself having to move from one platform to another to get work done.”
Platform fatigue: Educators manage an average of eight different digital tools, and 50% say they feel overwhelmed by “too many platforms.”
Manual burden: Despite using many digital tools, educators still spend an average of seven hours a week doing manual work.
AI that boosts productivity: 58% of respondents use AI most often as a productivity tool for research, brainstorming, and writing.
Data security and ethics: For educators, the biggest concerns when implementing AI are ethical implications and data security.
This press release was originally published online.
eSchool Media’s staff covers all aspects of education technology, from law and litigation to best practices, lessons learned and new products. Launched in March 1998 as a monthly and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information K-20 decision makers need to leverage technology and innovation to transform their schools and universities and achieve their educational goals.
