Is it truly pedagogical innovation? Students' experiences with digital platforms in primary education

Abstract

The expansion of digital platforms in schools poses significant challenges for understanding pedagogical dynamics in digitalised contexts. This study examines how digitally mediated pedagogical practices are shaped and experienced in primary education from the students’ perspective. A qualitative methodology was employed, combining six focus groups conducted in six different schools across Catalonia with ethnographic observations over three months in one primary school in the same region. The findings identify three types of platform-related practices in schools: (1) reproductive, (2) enriching, and (3) transformative uses. While some transformative practices are described, instrumental logics generally persist, limiting students’ active participation. The study highlights the need to rethink pedagogical design in digital con texts by placing children’s voices at the centre of the analysis.