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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Main Author: Ulrika Gustafsson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021-10-01
Series:Education Inquiry
Subjects:
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.
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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
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