More than knowing: toward collective, critical, and ecological approaches in educational technology research

The predominance of western paradigms and a frequent failure to consider and theorize the non-neutrality of schools and technology leaves an ontological and epistemological gap in educational technology studies. Specifically, it leads to thin research on the role of power, the collective, and the intersections with technology that can alter our interaction with the world. The current narrow approach hobbles the imagination of the field, constraining the possibilities for technology and education. We propose three research frames that are relatively new to the field of educational technology. These frames acknowledge the interdisciplinary and socially embedded nature of technology and the systems of power that exist in both schools and technology: Collective Framing, Critical Race Theory (CRT) Framing, and Ecological Framing. We synthesize the possibilities of these approaches for educational technology research, identifying how they can push the field to consider different epistemological, ontological, and axiological approaches. We identify potential areas of research and consider implications for the field of educational technology. While each frame offers its particular theoretical contribution, taken together, all three frames suggest the sociocultural, epistemological, and political limitations of the field known as educational technology. Finally, we return to the initial wonderings of our paper, imagining the possibilities for ed tech research if the field confronted the hegemonic western paradigms embedded within itself.

Automated summary

The predominance of western paradigms and failure to consider the non-neutrality of schools and technology limits educational technology studies. This narrow approach restricts research on power, collective, and technology intersections, hindering the field's imagination and potential. To address this, three new research frames – Collective Framing, Critical Race Theory (CRT) Framing, and Ecological Framing – are proposed to explore different epistemological, ontological, and axiological approaches in educational technology research. This paper emphasizes the importance of confronting hegemonic western paradigms embedded within the field.