Researchers find major gaps in evidence on educational technology in schools

The evidence needed to understand the wider impact of educational technology on children has not kept pace with its rapid adoption according to a major review by the Digital Futures for Children Centre, a collaboration between the London School of Economics and 5Rights Foundation.

The study examined 56 research reviews covering more than 2,100 studies from around the world, finding that educational technology can improve learning when used well, but warned that existing research has focused overwhelmingly on academic attainment while paying far less attention to children's wellbeing, motivation, confidence and broader development.

The review also identified significant gaps in the evidence available to UK policymakers and schools. Only seven of the 56 reviews included UK studies, and much of the existing research was conducted in experimental settings rather than real-world classrooms.

The report further found that children are often treated as a single group within the evidence base. Only four reviews specifically examined children with special educational needs and disabilities, while almost none explored differences linked to gender, socio-economic background or other characteristics. As a result, researchers argue that there is limited evidence on whether current approaches benefit all children equally.

The findings come amid growing public debate about children's digital lives. While attention has largely focused on smartphones and social media, the report argues that the technologies children use in school deserve similar scrutiny. The researchers say governments need a broader understanding of what makes educational technology not only effective for learning, but also safe, rights-respecting and beneficial for children's overall development.

In response to the findings, 5Rights Foundation has written to the new Education Secretary and relevant ministers in the devolved administrations calling for stronger oversight of educational technology. The organisation is urging governments to support more research, provide clearer guidance for teachers and use public procurement to reward products that meet higher standards of quality, safety and children's rights.

Colette Collins-Walsh, Head of UK Affairs at 5Rights Foundation, commented: "School canteens aren't allowed to serve food unless it is proven to be safe and beneficial to children's healthy development, yet we've been introducing digital products into classrooms without holding them to the same standard.

"We moved on from Turkey Twizzlers because children deserve better. Government now has the chance to do the same for classroom technology by building a stronger evidence base, giving teachers clearer guidance and using its enormous buying power to reward products that are safe, effective and designed with children's rights in mind."

Professor Sonia Livingstone, Department of Media and Communications and Director of Digital Futures for Children, added: "Much of the evidence on educational technology has focused on whether it improves academic attainment. That's an important question, but it isn't the only one. Our review found that while EdTech can support learning, we still know far too little about its wider impact on children's wellbeing, development and rights.

"As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in education, we need research that reflects the realities of classrooms and considers children's wellbeing, privacy and rights alongside academic outcomes."

The research forms part of Better EdTech Futures for Children.

Read the full report, Assessing the impact of using EdTech on children's learning: a scoping review of meta-analyses, here.