Reframing Educational Value in EdTech for Neuro-Inclusive Primary School Classrooms: A Scoping Review

Educational technologies (EdTech) are increasingly used to support neurodivergent learners in primary classrooms, yet their educational value remains difficult to establish across diverse learners, technologies, and contexts. We address this challenge through a scoping review of EdTech for neuro-inclusive primary classrooms, screening 3,340 records across six research databases and including 93 studies. The findings reveal an uneven evidence base, concentrated on autistic learners, individualised academic and cognitive support, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality, robotics, and artificial intelligence, while social, communicative, and peer-interaction outcomes received less attention. Design and evaluation processes were frequently researcher-led or unreported, with limited participation from children and other stakeholders. Intended goals and evaluated outcomes were often misaligned, and educational value was predominantly validated by researchers rather than by those using the technologies in classrooms. Building on these findings, we argue that educational value is constructed across three interconnected dimensions: conceptual (what counts as valuable), operational (how value is measured), and endorsed (whose judgements validate it). When these dimensions are disconnected, claims of educational value can become detached from the priorities and experiences of those the technologies are intended to serve. In response, we propose two complementary frameworks: one to guide future EdTech research and development, and another to help practitioners assess the educational value and relevance of EdTech for their classrooms.