Reconfiguring EdTech Evidence: Response to the open call for evidence for the EdTech Evidence Board

In response to the open call for evidence for the EdTech Evidence Board, this submission outlines emerging findings of the ESRC-funded EdTech Equity project at the University of Oxford. The submission seeks to highlight that the evidence base that schools may rely on to make decisions about EdTech, such as which technologies to purchase, or the pedagogic value of certain technologies, is lacking. We identify seven areas of consideration, all of which relate to the quality, breadth and nature of the evidence, alongside a prioritisation of school requirements, teacher needs and a privileging of teacher experience and expertise. These are: a) a higher quality evidence base; b) a broader evidence base; c) evidence requirements by teachers and schools; d) to recognise inequities in the school system; e) to centre educational values; f) to value other forms of knowledge, particularly teacher knowledge; and g) futureproofing the EdTech ecosystem.