EdTech and philanthropy enactment in Portuguese public schools

• In Event: The Politics of EdTech: Exploring the changing conditions of educational governance in the age of technocapitalism (Part I)

Proposal

This presentation shows empirical research focused on exploring the reasons and methods in which public schools enact philanthropic initiatives. Inspired by Ball et al (2012), we use the term “philanthropy enactment” to explain how schools interpret, translate and recontextualize initiatives introduced by philanthropic foundations. It is well established that international organizations and national governments have promoted the participation of private actors in education governance, aligning with the principles of New Public Management (Ball 2007; Robertson and Verger 2012). Recently, philanthropists have increasingly emphasized EdTech solutions to address challenges from the global pandemic (Williamson and Hogan 2020; Saura et al 2023). Philanthropy has evolved into 'new philanthropy', which, while continuing to support social projects, now seeks greater influence on policy and adopts a more results-oriented approach, emphasizing returns on investments, including social returns (Ball and Olmedo 2013; Bishop and Green 2010; Menashy et al 2018). This shift involves business management strategies such as knowledge brokerage, networking, and engaging with local leaders and the media, as well as offering ready-to-use solutions and participating in new coalitions or policy networks (Avelar and Ball 2017; Rowe 2023; Viseu 2022). This reconfiguration gives philanthropy a unique role in modern education governance, allowing private foundations to influence educational policies directly, bypassing the formal negotiations and agreements typically required by national authorities, often through informal partnerships (Saltman 2010).
Our research identified that previous studies on private actor interventions in schools did not explore three critical dimensions relevant to our research: political enactment in public schools, philanthropic interventions, and digitalization of education. To fill this gap, we conducted an empirical study that examines how school actors of Portuguese public schools interpret the DigitALL program, which is sponsored by a private tech communication foundation, the Vodafone Portugal Foundation. Our study aims to understand “why” and “how” public schools adopt and enact philanthropic interventions.
We used a qualitative approach to examine the enactment of the DigitALL program in schools. The research was based on document analysis and interviews, drawing on methods from recent studies. Data was collected from online documents detailing the program's origins, goals, and participating schools, focusing on digital education projects. Twelve schools were contacted, and interviews were conducted with 15 representatives from nine schools that responded. These interviews explored the reasons for adopting DigitALL, expectations, enacting processes, and perceived impacts
Analysis data reveal a growing normalization of private actors’ involvement in these institutions. School actors are shown to increasingly welcome ready-to-use philanthropic programs, prioritizing support that helps them address their problems and achieve their objectives, irrespective of the provider’s identity. Despite this pragmatic approach, which limits critical reflection on the effects of private foundations within their institutions, the interviews reveal that philanthropy enactment is not merely passive. School actors exhibit a range of perspectives on philanthropic interventions, shaped by the specific challenges they encounter and the solutions they pursue.

Author

• Erika Moreira Martins, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa