Digital Technology and Education in India: Unequal Access and Outcomes

Abstract

This dissertation examines how technology has been integrated in education in India, especially in light of the pandemic, through three interrelated studies. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative insights from the experiences of teachers, students, EdTech professionals, and government officials, the dissertation identifies issues of equity, access, and socio-economic impacts of educational technology. Central to this dissertation is an exploration of how educational technology functions within and reproduces the broader systems of inequality. The first chapter examines how students and teachers navigated the sudden shift to digital learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in New Delhi. Applying Bourdieu's ideas of cultural and social capital shows how socio- economic differences exacerbated already existing educational inequalities: students from better-off backgrounds were able to adapt to virtual classes easily as compared to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Teachers also dealt with challenges which reflected both their individual skills with technology usage and institutional support, highlighting the uneven distribution of technological support and training. The second chapter turns to survey data from three schools in New Delhi that reflect different socio-economic contexts. Here, the analysis indicates that institutional and gender dynamics intersect with infrastructural access to technology, shaping students' technological engagement and comfort with technology. The final chapter examines government initiatives and the rise of India's EdTech boom in trying to digitize education. This chapter highlights that a range of market-driven ventures exacerbates already existing inequalities in order to increase profitability. This dissertation argues that digital education in India cannot be separated from the broader socio-economic and institutional structures. To bridge the digital divide and build a more inclusive digital learning ecosystem, there is a need to pay attention to local contexts, equitable resource distribution and allocation, and address socio-economic and gender disparities.