Digital equity in EdTech research: are we studying the children who need it most?
Government AI tutoring programmes target disadvantaged pupils. Most EdTech research is conducted in schools where adoption is already high. The pupils most in need of good evidence are often the least studied.
By Wistl Editorial · · Labs
The government's Pioneer Programme for AI tutoring tools is explicitly designed around disadvantaged pupils, requiring bidders to demonstrate how tools will serve the 450,000 children on free school meals who could benefit from personalised tutoring. The programme's focus on equity is a significant departure from EdTech initiatives that have been criticised for designing around the most tech-ready schools and then extrapolating findings to the rest of the system. The research landscape for educational AI does not yet fully reflect this equity imperative. Studies of AI tools in schools are disp