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Better EdTech futures for children


How can society achieve systemic change so that EdTech products are designed for the best interests of children, in all their diversity?

To answer this question, we need robust evidence to stimulate a child rights-informed multi-stakeholder conversation on the role of technology in schools, with children’s and teachers’ voices to the fore.

This project investigates how educational technologies (EdTech) are shaping children’s learning experiences and rights in diverse contexts, with a specific focus on AI. Through multidisciplinary research and direct engagement with children, families, and educators, it explores the equity, design, and governance of EdTech systems.

The aim is to identify best practices, develop rights-based recommendations, and stimulate public debate over the best ways to achieve more inclusive, transparent, and accountable digital learning environments.

Join us on 12 February 2026 for our public lecture: ‘EdTech at the crossroads of pedagogy vs profit’.

The research agenda 

“Better EdTech futures for children” is jointly conducted by the DFC and 5Rights Foundation, with funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Rothschild Foundation. The project is currently UK-focused, and between 2025 and 2027, we will pursue three tasks:

A. Development of a shared framework and tools. The objective is to establish a standardised taxonomy (i.e., agreed definitions or measures for key concepts) and assessment framework (a structured method for evaluating progress) to facilitate consistent analysis and solution-focused discussions across sectors. (led by 5Rights) 

B. In-depth research into EdTech design and children’s experiences. This will involve targeted research into the gaps in EdTech systems and their impacts on children, with a specific focus on AI-powered technologies and their implications for children’s rights. The research will emphasise diverse geographic, socio-economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds, taking into account age, gender, and neurodiversity. (led by DFC) 

C. National awareness campaign and debate. This will seek to empower youth, parents, teachers, and policymakers through multi-media resources, campaigns, and inclusive consultations to promote equitable and rights-based EdTech practices. (led by 5Rights) 

Previous work

This research builds on our previous EdTech research, including a Blueprint for child rights-respecting data governance and A Child Rights Audit of GenAI in EdTech, which found that:

  • The collection of children's data is commonplace, and impacts children's rights.
  • Cildren’s perspectives are largely excluded from the design, governance and evaluation of EdTech
  • We are lacking evidence for EdTech's claimed benefits.

Our in-depth research into EdTech design and children’s experiences is presented below. 

Scoping review: Ongoing work

Aiming to identify gaps in evidence around the benefits of EdTech for children’s learning, we are conducting a scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses that explores the impact of EdTech on children’s learning outcomes. The search was limited to peer-reviewed systematic reviews or meta-analyses that draw mainly on empirical data with children aged 6-17, adopt causal or quasi-causal methods, and were published between 2023 and 2025.

Findings show that:

  • Various types of EdTech have measurable, beneficial outcomes for children across a range of learning outcomes.
  • The reported positive effects of EdTech are heavily moderated by four key variables: 1) age, 2) design features, 3) learning domain, and 4) pedagogy.
  • These moderating variables have implications for different aspects of the EdTech ecosystem, including design, EdTech integration, and schools’ EdTech procurement.

There remain gaps in the literature around:

  • The effectiveness of EdTech use among children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN).
  • The impacts of EdTech on non-academic performance-based outcomes.
  • The costs of EdTech to children's rights.

Better EdTech Futures for Children: Ongoing research

Our ongoing UK-wide research aims to investigate how EdTech shapes children’s learning and rights in diverse contexts and stimulate a national conversation.

To date, we have conducted consultations with over 450 6-17-year-old children and interviews with 20 teachers in 11 schools across the 4 UK nations. An EdTech Youth Advisory Board is being consulted at every stage of the research.

Emerging findings show that:

  • EdTech provision, use, and policies vary significantly across schools.
  • EdTech can benefit but also hinder children’s learning and rights.
  • Children and educators suggest a range of improvements to EdTech design and deployment to enhance their learning and advance their rights.

The next phase of research is planned to include a teacher survey, EdTech walkthroughs and observations.

Join us on 12 February 2026 for the ‘EdTech at the crossroads of pedagogy vs profit’ event. This public lecture draws on research from the Better EdTech Futures for Children project and invites experts to explore and discuss tensions between pedagogical aims and commercial drivers in EdTech’s design and use.

Funding

“Better EdTech futures for children” has received funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Rothschild Foundation.

 

Find out more about our other projects.

 

 

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