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Digitalization and Digital Competence in Educational Contexts : A Nordic Perspective from Policy to Practice
- 2024
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- This edited collection presents a Nordic perspective on intensified discussions concerning digitalization and digital competence in the current trends of educational work. Using a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, the book compares Nordic countries' attitudes towards the digitalization of education and demonstrates the Nordic region's position as digital front-runners in a European and global context. The book provides up-to-date cases and future-oriented perspectives on digitalization and digital competence in educational work. Chapters use empirical data gained from policy documents, interviews, and questionnaires to present nuanced discussions, theoretical perspectives, and implications for the future of digitalization in education. Ultimately, this book's reach far exceeds that of its Nordic contexts and will be of use to postgraduate students, researchers, and scholars across the globe involved with digital education, teacher education, and educational policy and politics more broadly . . .
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| 2. |
- Gustafsson, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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In service of school digitalisation in Sweden – a study on ICT coordinators' conditions for work in a local municipal context framed by national educational policy
- 2024
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Ingår i: Education and Information Technologies. - : Springer Nature. - 1360-2357 .- 1573-7608.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to explore, analyse, and critically discuss conditions for Swedish ICT coordinators working on school digitalisation in a local municipal school context. More specifcally, the study draws on findings from interviews with 13 Swedish information and communication technology (ICT) coordinators working in eight municipalities that have adopted two contrasting approaches to school digitalisation. One is a general approach with a strong element of individual within-school accountability in the work, and the other a specifc approach in which such work is addressed more as an organisational process with involvement of municipal governing officials. Findings show that the two approaches set different conditions in terms of how and with whom the ICT coordinators work and the foci of their efforts although both are framed by the same national educational policy. A conclusion is that the ICT coordinators' role, function, and responsibility should be considered in parity to the level of support, in-school resources, and mandate given to them, not least when organisational instability and reorganisations hamper the work in progress.
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| 3. |
- Gustafsson, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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Local translation work on national school digitalisation policy in Sweden – a challenging endeavour with signs of strong rural resilience
- 2023
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Ingår i: NERA Conference 2023. - Umeå.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research topic/aim: This abstract explores rural municipality contexts in Sweden and signs of rural resilience in local translation work on national policy on school digitalisation. The goal with this abstract is to contribute with knowledge about rural municipalities and their contextual capacity of responding and adapting to national school policy and change in a digital age. In the abstract, two research questions are addressed: (1) How do rural municipalities work with translating national school digitalisation policies into local and contextual actions? and (2) How can this work be understood from a rural resilience perspective?Theoretical framework: The abstract uses a combined theoretical framework to explore signs of rural resilience building in the municipalities. This framework builds on (a) Selwyn’s (2018) areas of policy activity of digital technology in school policy - (1) technology resources, (2) use of digital tools in the schools, (3) curriculum concerns, and, (4) issues of organisation and governance as well as 8b) Roberts’ et al. (2017a; 2017b) central forms in resilience thinking – (1) multi-scalar resilience, (2) normative resilience and (3) integrated policy conceptions of resilience.Methodology/research design: During August until December in 2021, data were in two steps collected from 36 out of 40 Swedish municipalities categorized by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions as C8 (rural, not large on tourism). First, short phone interviews with municipality key persons asking them to describe their work with three recent Swedish national school policies on digitalisation and digital competence. Second, via the key persons collecting any additional written local policy in terms of strategic and/or action-oriented plans for the work with school digitalisation and/or digital competence.Expected results/findings: The findings in the proposed abstract makes it possible to argue in favour of the adaptability in Swedish rural municipalities in terms of resilience building. That rural municipality contexts need recognition in their national school digitalisation policy work, and that increased national clarity of both the intended meaning and desirable outcome of local policy translations could provide a more solid support for the rural municipalities - including further development of a strong rural resilience.Relevance to Nordic educational research: This abstract is relevant due to the rural perspectives have been lacking in Nordic educational research concerned with aspects of local translation work on national school digitalisation policy. Moreover, and in opposite to the abstract proposed here, such research seldom highlights the contextual complexity of this policy work when addressing the various levels of policy, challenges of local mobilisation, and individual approaches to policy.References:Roberts, E., Anderson, B.A., Skerratt, S., & Farrington, J. (2017). A review of the rural-digital policy agenda from a community resilience perspective. Journal of Rural Studies, 54, 372-385.Roberts, E., Beel, D., Philip, L., & Townsend, L. (2017). Rural resilience in a digital society: Editorial. Journal of Rural Studies, 54, 355-359.Selwyn, N. (2018). Technology as a focus of education policy. In R. Papa and S. W. Armfield (Eds.), The Wiley Handbook of Educational Policy (pp. 457-477). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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| 4. |
- Gustafsson, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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'This Is How We Do It!' : rural resilience in local translation work on national school digitalization policy
- 2024. - 1
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Ingår i: Digitalization and digital competence in educational contexts. - London : Routledge. - 9781032409863 - 9781032409870 - 9781003355694 ; , s. 28-38
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This chapter explores the building of rural resilience with the influence of national school digitalization policy visible in local policy translations. Focusing on 36 Swedish rural municipalities, the chapter reflects on the ability of rural municipalities to respond and adapt to national school policy and change in a digital age. The findings show that local work on translating national school digitalization policy is a rather challenging endeavor for rural municipalities. The findings in four areas of policy activity of digital technology in school policy – (a) technology resources, (b) use of digital tools in the schools, (c) curriculum concerns, and (d) issues of organization and governance – make it possible to argue in favor of adaptability in rural municipalities in terms of resilience building. We conclude that rural municipal contexts need recognition for their national school digitalization policy work. Moreover, increased national clarity of the intended meaning and desirable outcome of local policy translations could better support the rural municipalities, including further development of strong rural resilience.
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| 5. |
- Lindfors, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Conditions for professional digital competence : the teacher educators’ view
- 2021
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Ingår i: Education Inquiry. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2000-4508. ; 12:4, s. 390-409
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores how Swedish teacher educators view individual, collegial, and organisational conditions framing the fulfilment of their dual didactical task, which is to use digital technology in a way that ensures student teachers graduate from teacher education (TE) with the professional digital competence (PDC) needed for their future working lives in a digitalised school. Using a purposive sampling approach, we used thematic coding to analyse 13 semistructured interviews with teacher educators representing 21 mandatory courses in educational science at one teacher education institution in Sweden. The findings cover aspects of the teacher educators’ PDC, how to act as a digital role model for the student teachers, support in educational policy and assignments, and the possibilities for participating in continuous professional development (CPD) in PDC. This study demonstrates an urgent need to improve conditions for successful fulfilment of teacher educators’ dual didactical task. For example, TE policy requires a strong focus on digital technology and PDC. CPD activities should be easy to access in order for teacher educators to develop their PDC. Moreover, leaders at the organisational level in TE institutions should acknowledge and place higher value on teacher educators’ work to digitalise educational practices.
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| 6. |
- Lindfors, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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The search for professional digital competence in Swedish teacher education policy : a content analysis on the prerequisites for teacher educators’ dual didactical task
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores the prerequisites in Swedish teacher education (TE) policy for teacher educators to fulfil their dual didactical task. That is, to use digital technology in a way that ensures student teachers graduate from teacher education with the professional digital competence (PDC) needed for their future working lives in a digitalised school. TE seems often to be high on the political agenda and according to, for example, Jackson and Burch (2019) this can be due to teacher quality being strongly associated to a nation’s economic status. Hanell (2018) in his turn suggests another recent reason for the political interest in TE - the large introduction and use of digital technology in K-12 schools.Building on challenges reported in Lindfors et al (2021), we will conduct a content analysis (Zhang & Wildemuth’s, 2009) of policy documents that govern Swedish TE. Data were collected from 20 primary TE institutions for grades 4-6 spread out in Sweden. Data includes: (a) National guidelines and curriculum regulations for TE in Sweden (e.g., the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), (b) Program syllabuses at the selected TE institutions, and (c) Course plans (in all 240 higher education credits, 4-year full-time studies) (including Subject courses: Swedish, English & mathematics – 90 credits; Subject courses by choice – 30 credits (e.g., social subjects, natural science subjects & practical or artistic subjects); Educational science courses – 60 credits; Practicum placement courses – 30 credits; Student thesis course(s) – 30 credits). The outcome will be problematized due to the role of teacher educators as a second-order teacher and the fulfilment of their dual didactical task in TE and thereafter related to a framework on teachers’/teacher educators’ PDC.Hanell, F. (2018). What is the ‘problem’ that digital competence in Swedish teacher education is meant to solve? Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 13(3), 137–151.Jackson, A., & Burch, J. (2019) New directions for teacher education: investigating school/ university partnership in an increasingly school-based context. Professional Development in Education, 45(1), 138-150.Lindfors, M., Pettersson, F., & Olofsson A.D. (2021, online first). Conditions for professional digital competence: the teacher educators’ view. Education Inquiry. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2021.1890936Zhang, Y., & Wildemuth, B. M. (2009). Qualitative analysis of content. In B.M., Wildemuth, (Ed), Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science (pp. 308-319). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
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| 7. |
- Lindfors, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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The search for professional digital competence in Swedish teacher education policy : a content analysis of the prerequisites for teacher educators’ dual didactic task
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cogent Education. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2331-186X. ; 10:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study is an exploration of the prerequisites in Swedish teacher education policy for teacher educators’ dual didactic task of developing student teachers’ professional digital competence to such a level that they are capable of developing K–12 pupils’ adequate digital competence. Data were collected from 20 Swedish teacher education institutions offering teacher education programs in which student teachers could earn the degree of Master of Arts in Primary Education for School Years 4–6. Overall, the data comprised national guidelines and curriculum regulations for teacher education in Sweden (e.g. the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance; N = 1), program syllabi at the selected teacher education institutions (N = 20), and course plans (for all 240 ECTS, 4-year full-time studies; N = 450), in total N = 471 policy documents. Signs of professional digital competence in policy were few, and most were found in the course plans for mathematics and natural sciences. In the discussion, findings are problematized in relation to the challenging role of teacher educators as second-order teachers seeking to fulfill their dual didactic task.
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| 8. |
- Mozelius, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Academy meets the Industry - a Study of the User Perspective on an Online Continuous Education in Banking and Insurance Companies
- 2021
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Ingår i: ICERI2021 Proceedings. - Valencia : IATED. - 9788409345496 ; , s. 455-460
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Given the ongoing digital transformation in the knowledge society, research on workforce andorganisational upskilling seems to be more important than ever. Such research can be done from aWork-Integrated Learning (WIL) perspective acknowledging the combination of work-placed practicalactivities and the university tradition of theoretical studies. The use of theories from academia combinedwith real world problems in industry can be seen as a fruitful source of collaboration. The aim of thisstudy was to explore and analyse how academia met the industry in the Swedish BUFFL-project. Thisproject was a two-year pilot project on organisational development that through online educationalcourses arranged by the academy focused on strengthening the competencies in banking and insurancecompanies. In the project, a central idea was the concept of 'Bring Your Own Data' (BOYD), meaningthat the involved organisations and companies were data providers in their employees' continuouseducation. With this short backdrop, the research question to answer was: "What are the courseparticipants' views of an online continuous education where academia meets the industry?".Data was gathered by course evaluation questionnaires from 14 course modules in the BUFFL-project.Each questionnaire consisted of the same 30 questions and was answered by a total of 69 respondents.A descriptive statistical analysis of the Likert-questions, as well as an inductive thematic analysis of freetextcomments was conducted. The thematic analysis conducted resulted in three themes whichconcerned the online continuous education: ‘pedagogical issues in courses', technical issues incourses’, and 'issues in courses concerned with the interplay between academia and the industry. Findings show that there are several pedagogical and technical challenges for adult learners with littleexperience of online technology enhanced learning. Moreover, it is important that academia offers aneasy to access and user-friendly support model, if the meeting with the industry is to be harmonic.Finally, some course participants were a bit reluctant towards the frequent use of theoretical literaturein English, and requested a stronger element of practice-based problem solving.
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| 9. |
- Mozelius, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Reinforcing Work-integrated Learning with Technology Enhancement and the Concept of Bringing Your Own Data
- 2022
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Ingår i: INTED2022 Proceedings. - : IATED. - 9788409377589 ; , s. 4238-4244
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the contemporary digitalisation, the reinforcement of professional development and organisational upskilling in a business is essential. The shift to a knowledge society requires technology enhanced and work-integrated professional development aimed at developing the staff’s domain-specific knowledge as well as profession-based digital competence. With this short backdrop, the aim of this paper is to describe and discuss how academia collaborated with companies and organisations in the Swedish BUFFL-project. This was a two-year collaborative project for professional development for insurance and bank company staff and a specific focus on organisational development. The project was carried out as a cross-disciplinary collaboration between researchers from different departments in three universities and six companies. The overall research question to answer was: "What are the course participants' attitudes towards technology enhanced, and work-integrated professional development involving 'Bringing Your Own Data' (BOYD)?". The BYOD approach was part of a course design rule in the BUFFL-project meaning that all course modules should include at least one assignment related to the course literature, and one assignment based on the involved companies' own brought data. This study used a mixed method approach combining a descriptive statistical analysis of Likert-questions with a deductive thematic analysis. The analysed data was extracted from evaluation questionnaires for 14 course modules in the BUFFL-project. Results have been grouped into the categories of 'Technology enhancement' and 'Work-integrated learning with participant brought data'. Findings indicate that the quality of technology enhancement is critical, and that the minor technical issues in some course batches have disturbed the teaching and learning activities. However, in general participants seemed to portray a general positive attitude towards the BUFFL model for technology enhanced professional development. Finally, the concept of Bringing Your Own Data appears to have a potential to reinforce work-integrated learning.
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