Uncovering Edtech’s embedded values: making the case for socio-technical audits in ethnographic inquiry

Journal article

Drawing on three ethnographic studies of secondary schools in England, this article makes a case for “socio-technical audits” – a method combining technological walkthroughs with observations, workshops, and interviews – as part of ethnographic inquiry. A case example is presented to illustrate how the integration of socio-technical audits enables articulation of the underlying logics of technologies, while producing empirically grounded, contextually situated accounts of how technologies are interpreted, negotiated, and embedded within everyday educational practice.

Authors: Couceiro, L; Eynon, R; Hakimi, L

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Anthropological Association
• Journal: Anthropology & Education Quarterly
• Acceptance date: 2026-04-09
• EISSN: 1548-1492
• ISSN: 0161-7761
• Language: English
• Keywords: socio-technical; ethnography; values; digital; schools