In search of the future classroom:Exploring the contribution of Estonian edtech companies as sociotechnical vanguard

This article examines how small collectives, ‘sociotechnical vanguards’, contribute to shaping visions of future classrooms, focusing on edtech companies in Estonia. Moving away from global ‘sociotechnical imaginaries’, the study focuses on the visions of the future classroom articulated by the Estonian edtech companies as a sociotechnical vanguard in the K12 education system when describing their products and services. Also, the study looks at different kinds of educational futures those visions entail. Using the expert interviews method for data collection and reflexive thematic analysis for data analysis, the process of identifying how these companies redefine traditional classroom boundaries included extensions of the classroom boundaries beyond the school building, inside the students’ inner world, into the world of future careers, through democratising the access to meaningful experiences, and across formal and informal learning activities. The study shows that the visions of edtech companies reflect geographically localised variations on a theme rather than alternative futures,aligning more with current educational priorities than crazy or speculative futures. In this sense, ‘the future’ that materialises in their designs remains a continuation and enhancement of present educational challenges and aspirations.