Reframing digital access, device regulation, and learner participation: A critical review grounded in a social justice framework

The rapid expansion of digital technologies in education has intensified longstanding socioeconomic inequalities globally. In schools, unequal access to digital technologies has introduced new challenges for inclusive participation. This study reports on a qualitative study conducted to critically interrogate this phenomenon. It began with a critical review of existing research on digital access, device regulation, and learner participation. Informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) principles, a systematic literature review was conducted. Thirty-two relevant peer-reviewed studies (published between 2020 and 2026) were analysed using a qualitative thematic synthesis approach. Nancy Fraser’s three-dimensional social justice framework, centered on parity of participation, guided the interpretation. From this analysis, a parity-of-digital-participation framework was developed. The findings reveal three interconnected injustices: persistent inequalities in access to digital devices and connectivity; the misrecognition of learners as deficient, risky, or passive subjects within regulatory discourses; and their exclusion from decision-making processes governing digital practices. Despite these findings, a growing body of international scholarship has begun to prioritise the social dimensions of digital inequality, whereas this focus remains limited in African research. Instead, African scholarship tends to emphasise technological solutions, often overlooking the social and relational barriers that shape digital inclusion. It can thus be argued that current South African studies on digital access and device regulation risk reinforcing, rather than alleviating, digital inequalities. Against this backdrop, this study calls for a fundamental reframing of digital access, device regulation, and participation in schools. It advocates a reorientation of educational scholarship, particularly in the Global South, towards promoting learner agency, challenging deficit constructions, and supporting meaningful participation in everyday practice. As a contribution, the study proposes a conceptual model to advance parity of digital participation in South Africa’s diverse schooling contexts.