Swedish schools struggle to tailor teaching fairly as policy meets messy reality
A new study of how teachers adapt instruction for diverse learners reveals systemic inequities: schools with fewer resources create vastly different educational experiences, forcing educators to constantly negotiate between policy mandates and practical constraints. For policymakers and school administrators, the findings expose why one-size-fits-all education policies fail and what structural changes are needed.
Originaltitel: Utmanande anpassningar: Policyprocesser och dilemman i lärares, speciallärares och specialpedagogers arbete med att anpassa undervisningen i grundskolan
<p>The purpose of this thesis is to contribute knowledge on how the professions of teachers, special education teachers, and SENCOs interpret, form, and transform policy on adaptations in relation to the various contextual conditions of schools, to highlight how dilemmas are managed in teachers' work. The empirical material of the thesis consists of observations of teachers' work in grades 1-6, interviews with teachers, and focus group interviews with teachers, special education teachers, and SENCOs. Policy enactment is used as a theoretical framework to understand how policy documents are interpreted by various actors, adapted to the contextual conditions of practice, and subsequently recontextualised within the school environment by those working there. The results highlight the dilemmas that arise in the work and how they are managed by the professions as they attempt to meet and address the diverse needs and conditions of students in the heterogeneous student group, while all students are expected to achieve at least passing results. The differing conditions of schools create inequitable conditions that the professions balance. This includes varying access to special education teachers and SENCOs, which affects how responsibilities for different tasks are distributed, how the compensatory mission is handled, and how collaboration between professional roles is facilitated. The number of students and a challenging work situation force the professions to priorities between the needs of individual students and the collective needs of the group. In teaching, some supplemental support is transformed into group-level adaptations to reduce the need for individual special solutions. There are differing perspectives and values regarding when and how it is fair to do adaptations, particularly in relation to the assessment of students' performance. The meaning of what constitutes an equitable education is negotiated among the professions.</p>