Policy Transfers and Local Traditions: The Rise of Rational Techniques of Governing Education in Sweden

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 12:40 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: International Education Policy, Citizenship, and Equity (Table 7)

Abstract

Since the late 20th century, educational governance has increasingly focused on measurable outcomes and standards, impacting teacher professionalism and educational inequalities. In Sweden, the introduction of "målstyrning" (management by objectives) in the late 1980s is linked to these changes. This study explores the historical roots and use of "målstyrning" in Swedish media, revealing various uses in education well before it was formally introduced in Swedish educational policy. Analyzing newspaper discourse until 1988, the study identifies six themes reflecting how "målstyrning" evolved alongside societal changes, emphasizing the importance of understanding historical contexts to grasp the development of standards-based education.

Authors

• Magnus Hultén, Linköping University

• Johan Samuelsson, Karlstad University

• Maria K. Jarl, University of Gothenburg