Engaging with Bourdieu’s theory of practice: an empirical tool for exploring school students’ technology practice

ABSTRACT

This article presents Bourdieu’s theory of practice as a tool for exploring school students’ technology practice in empirical research. The authors provide educational technology researchers with an accessible introduction to the theory of practice. They then detail the conceptual, methodological and analytic application of the theory of practice in two educational technology studies. The application of the theory in the two studies highlights the potential of the sociological framing for informing a robust critical research agenda and understanding the circumstances that can contribute to digital inequalities. Practically, knowledge gained through theoretically informed research is critical for researchers, governments, schools and teachers in working to overcome digital inequalities.

KEYWORDS:

• Bourdieu’s theory of practice
• school student
• technology practice
• digital inequality
• research methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tiffani Apps

Dr Tiffani Apps is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Her current research focuses on children and young people’s digital literacy practices across early years, school and higher education settings.

Karley Beckman

Dr Karley Beckman is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Her research focuses on technology in education spanning across primary, secondary and higher education settings with an interest in how people engage with technology across their everyday lives and educational contexts.

Sue Bennett

Professor Sue Bennett is Head of the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Sue’s research investigates how students and teachers engage with technology in their everyday lives and in educational settings.