Anna-Lena Godhe

The digitalization of schools and preschools and digital competence in practice

According to one of three goals in the Swedish national strategy for the digitalization of education, research and evaluation on the possibilities with digitalization is needed. The systematic knowledge of how efforts striving to digitalize education shape preschools and schools and how they contribute to children and student’s development and learning, are however low, both in municipalities and at the national level. There is therefore a need to enhance our understanding of the effects of the digitalization of education and how it contributes to the development of teaching practices in preschools and schools. This project includes a survey and analysis of the work done by local education authorities in the city of Malmö to evaluate and support the digitalization process, as well as case studies carried out at local preschools and schools. Based on surveys, school statistics and evaluations carried out by the municipality, a number of preschools and schools are selected as sites where case studies will be conducted during one school year. These case studies aim to elucidate how children, students and personnel at different preschools and schools, and in different subjects, use digital tools, and how these affect and shape teaching and learning. The analysis is directed towards understanding what digital competence entails and how it is developed in different educational practices.
Final report
The purpose of the project "The digitalization of schools and preschools and
digital competence in practice" is to investigate the possibilities and challenges in the digitalization processes within schools and preschools. Additionally, it aims to explore how digitalization contributes to the knowledge development of children and students in a large municipality in Sweden. The research questions are closely aligned with the third area of focus in the national strategy for the digitalization of the Swedish educational system, which was effective between 2017 and 2022. The school authorities in the municipality view this research project as a significant contribution to this focus area, particularly regarding research and follow-up on the possibilities of digitalization.
Discussions surrounding the digitalization of schools and preschools have during the project changed and a new national strategy for the digitalization of the educational system is currently not in place. The study is practice-close which means that adjustments have been made during the project based on the needs and experiences of various participants. Commencing the project amid the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated adaptations: for instance, interviews were primarily conducted online. The pandemic also sparked discussions about distance teaching, potentially increasing the relevance of the study. However, COVID restrictions sometimes prevented observations in classrooms and preschools, resulting in fewer observations than initially planned.

The study draws on data collected from interviews, primarily conducted in the autumn 2021, along with observations in preschools and schools predominantly gathered during the school year 2021-2022. It encompasses a total of 41 interviews, involving 130 individuals, including municipal school authorities, school leadership, and teachers. Approximately 50 lessons were observed, and 18 hours were spent observing groups of children at preschools. Additionally, about 30 hours of observations were recorded through audio and/or video recordings.

Concurrently, a separate study focusing on the digitalization of compulsory schools within the municipality was undertaken. The interview data from both studies were collaboratively analysed (e.g. Godhe, Ideland & Ollinen, 2023). Presentations of both studies, sometimes jointly, were delivered at research conferences and conferences tailored for school leaders and teachers throughout 2022 and 2023. Similar presentations were also made within the school authorities, targeting various stakeholders, at universities involved in the research, and other platforms fostering collaborations between municipalities and universities.

The project has significantly enhanced collaboration between universities and municipal school authorities through these presentations. It has also played a pivotal part in the universities’ endeavour related to practice-close research, notably contributing to the establishment of a shared research environment within the national initiative ULF (Education, Learning and Research, www.ulfavtal.se). Within the project, municipal school authorities’ work with the digitalization of preschools and schools has been scientifically evaluated and scrutinized. Various presentations tailored for diverse stakeholders have served as a crucial means to reach preschools and schools within the large municipality. Collaborations between the flexit-researcher and researcher working with school development in the municipality have bolstered cooperation between the municipality and the universities. These collaborations encompass analytical work and joint contributions to conferences and scientific articles, further strengthening cooperation between the municipality and the universities.

One important conclusion drawn from the study is the existence of dilemmatic spaces in the relation between digitalization, digital competence, equity., and enhanced goal achievement for students. Teachers emphasize the significance of addressing equity, yet they also highlight the challenge: while they can prioritize equity within their classrooms and preschools, addressing wider societal factors impacting students’ digital competence falls beyond their scope of influence. The teachers acknowledge their responsibility for classroom and preschool environments but recognize limitations in addressing broader societal inequities. They observe that diverse digital resources can enhance teaching flexibility in teaching and improve learning outcomes for some students. Simultaneously, these resources can also pose obstacles and negatively impact students. The teachers emphasize the overarching goal outlined in the curriculum, emphasizing the cultivation of active citizenship throughout students’ education as critical in the context of digitalizing education. They underscore the importance of working toward digital equity in schools, crucial for enabling children and students to become able to become active citizens in a digitalized society.

Another significant finding pertains to the practical implications of digital competence for both students and teachers. There is a tendency to mainly focus on technical aspects of digital competence. However, the study underscores the equal importance of attending to social, institutional, and pedagogical factors of digital competence. The study highlights organizational structures’ impact on the responsibility for fostering students’ digital competence, an aspect that lacks clarity in policy documents, necessitating the need for further clarification. The teachers express a need to develop their digital competence together with colleagues, emphasizing the importance of this development in relation to the children and students within their organization. Social factors, particularly equity considerations on a broader scale, emerge as crucial factors. The teachers stress the need to develop students’ ability to critically evaluate searches and sources in digital environments. Equity also intertwines with the pedagogical factors influencing digital competence. Digital resources can augment teaching flexibility and cater to diverse students' needs, allowing more inclusive participation and varied demonstration of knowledge. The municipality’s digitalization efforts require the inclusion of social, institutional, and pedagogical factors to effectively contribute to the enhancement of students’ and teachers’ digital competence.

That digital resources are an integral part of activities in preschools and schools is another significant finding from the study. Notably, teachers emphasize the projector as an essential tool in their teaching. Platforms function as administrative tools for communication with students and custodians. In secondary school education, these platforms serve as repositories for sharing information, and teaching materials, where students submit assignments and receive feedback across various subjects. The study notes variations in the use of digital resources in teaching across subjects. Mathematics and natural science subjects tend to use specific applications, whereas language and social science subjects rely more on general tools like word processing and digital search engines. In preschools, digital communication with custodians is prevalent, particularly in sharing images depicting children’s daily activities. This practice has gained traction during the pandemic due to restrictions and social distancing measures. When working with the children, digital resources are used to engage the children in stories of different kinds. Teachers utilize these resources to immerse children in diverse stories, leveraging animations in applications and creating movies to expand narratives, introduce new characters, and engage in aesthetic work with the children.

The project has sparked new research inquiries aimed at delving deeper into certain findings. These inquiries explore aspects such as the digitalization of preschools and the potential role of the technology subject in fostering students’ digital competence at lower secondary school level.

The project’s findings have been disseminated through various channels, including research articles published in scientific journals and participation in Nordic and International research conferences. Presentations have been made within the municipality and at universities, alongside appearances at conferences targeting teachers and preschool/school leadership at both municipal and national levels. Additionally, the research has been featured on the municipality’s and universities’ websites, in articles tailored for preschools and schools, and in blogs and podcasts (see separate list of publications and presentations of the research). Currently, there are plans to write a report that will be published by Malmö university. The report will be jointly written with researchers working at PI and will focus on the collaborative projects and their outcomes.
Grant administrator
Malmö stad, Pedagogisk inspiration
Reference number
RMP20-0024
Amount
SEK 2,622,000.00
Funding
RJ Flexit
Subject
Learning
Year
2020