Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakers
The modest impact of national policy efforts on school digitalisation relates to a gap between views among policy-makers and practitioners, giving rise to complexity in translating policy into action. Acknowledging changes in governing through alternative policy formation-processes, and Ward and Par...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2021-10-01
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Series: | Education Inquiry |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2021.1917487 |
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author | Ulrika Gustafsson |
author_facet | Ulrika Gustafsson |
author_sort | Ulrika Gustafsson |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The modest impact of national policy efforts on school digitalisation relates to a gap between views among policy-makers and practitioners, giving rise to complexity in translating policy into action. Acknowledging changes in governing through alternative policy formation-processes, and Ward and Parr’s (2011) arguing for the importance of strategic- and operational policy coherence, the focus of this paper is the forming of a national plan of action for the digitalisation of schools in Sweden (#skolDigiplan). Within this interview study, the views on policy work and challenges of digitalisation of schools are explored among an exclusive management group of non-traditional Swedish policy-makers appointed to produce the #skolDigiplan. Based on the findings, I conclude that national policy making regarding the digitalisation of schools may be conducted through a collective process, with several educational stakeholders contributing. Furthermore, I suggest that non-traditional national policy-makers, arguing a lack of digital competence knowledge concerning schools at the governing or authority level, may consider taking a step back in the policy-formation process as a supportive action. Teacher training programmes, despite being portrayed as important for the policy outcome, were declared distant in this policy process. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:44:36Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-d263ecd2699649f3becfd138af633ce4 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2000-4508 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:44:36Z |
publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
record_format | Article |
series | Education Inquiry |
spelling | doaj.art-d263ecd2699649f3becfd138af633ce42022-12-21T17:33:35ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEducation Inquiry2000-45082021-10-0112432934610.1080/20004508.2021.19174871917487Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakersUlrika Gustafsson0Umeå UniversityThe modest impact of national policy efforts on school digitalisation relates to a gap between views among policy-makers and practitioners, giving rise to complexity in translating policy into action. Acknowledging changes in governing through alternative policy formation-processes, and Ward and Parr’s (2011) arguing for the importance of strategic- and operational policy coherence, the focus of this paper is the forming of a national plan of action for the digitalisation of schools in Sweden (#skolDigiplan). Within this interview study, the views on policy work and challenges of digitalisation of schools are explored among an exclusive management group of non-traditional Swedish policy-makers appointed to produce the #skolDigiplan. Based on the findings, I conclude that national policy making regarding the digitalisation of schools may be conducted through a collective process, with several educational stakeholders contributing. Furthermore, I suggest that non-traditional national policy-makers, arguing a lack of digital competence knowledge concerning schools at the governing or authority level, may consider taking a step back in the policy-formation process as a supportive action. Teacher training programmes, despite being portrayed as important for the policy outcome, were declared distant in this policy process.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2021.1917487digital technologyeducational policynational action planpolicy formationsweden |
spellingShingle | Ulrika Gustafsson Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakers Education Inquiry digital technology educational policy national action plan policy formation sweden |
title | Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakers |
title_full | Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakers |
title_fullStr | Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakers |
title_full_unstemmed | Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakers |
title_short | Taking a step back for a leap forward: policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of Swedish national policymakers |
title_sort | taking a step back for a leap forward policy formation for the digitalisation of schools from the views of swedish national policymakers |
topic | digital technology educational policy national action plan policy formation sweden |
url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2021.1917487 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT ulrikagustafsson takingastepbackforaleapforwardpolicyformationforthedigitalisationofschoolsfromtheviewsofswedishnationalpolicymakers |