Regional perspectives on remote teaching in Sweden
Publication details
| Year: | 2020 |
| DOI: | 10.26203/x7t6-fh57 |
| Issued: | 2020 |
| Language: | English |
| Volume: | 27 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Start Page: | 7 |
| End Page: | 23 |
| Editors: | |
| Authors: | Öjefors Stark K.; From J. |
| Type: | Journal article |
| Journal: | Education in the North |
| Publisher: | School of Education at the University of Aberdeen |
| Place: | Aberdeen |
| Topics: | Learning; Internet usage, practices and engagement; Access, inequalities and vulnerabilities |
| Sample: | 5 school leaders, 3 regional officials, and 3 researched in north of Sweden involved in research and development on remote teaching. |
| Implications For Educators About: | Professional development; School innovation; Other |
| Implications For Policy Makers About: | Other |
| Other PolicyMaker Implication: | Impact of remote teaching on equal access to education |
| Implications For Stakeholders About: | Researchers |
Abstract
In rural parts of Sweden, there is a growing interest in remote teaching, i.e. synchronous teaching using ICT. The Swedish National Agency for Education views remote teaching as a way to meet teacher shortage. However, there is limited research on remote teaching as an educational form. The purpose of this study was to investigate opportunities and challenges with remote teaching from three perspectives: school, region, and research. The method chosen was content analysis of qualitative interviews with school leaders, regional officials and researchers. All informants ment that remote teaching had great opportunities. Common themes were equality, meeting teacher shortages, access to qualified teachers, and increased teaching quality. However, the informants highlighted challenges related to the technological, practical and organizational issues, learning, and legal issues. Limited use by the Education Act was the foremost challenge according to regional officials and researchers, while school leader more often highlighted technology, pedagogy, and organization as challenges. In conclusion, all three perspectives saw remote teaching as a way to ensure pupils in rural areas the right to equal education and teaching quality. Despite challenges introducing a novel form of teaching, there is a consensus on remote teaching as an integral part of the future school.
Outcome
"All informants ment that remote teaching had great opportunities. Common themes were equality, meeting teacher shortages, access to qualified teachers, and increased teaching quality. However, the informants highlighted challenges related to the technological, practical and organizational issues, learning, and legal issues." (Authors, abstract)