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This paper addresses how the injunction decisions of the SwedishSchools Inspectorate (SSI) align with the legal documents thatoutline preschool principals’ accountability for systematic qualitywork. Empirically, it is based on 474 injunction decisions issued bythe SSI between 2008 and 2023, five legal documents regulatingpreschools, three educational policies and one government bill.The results reveal that foci of the SSI’s inspections align with thelegal documents’ requirements for systematic quality work, includ-ing planning, follow-up, and evaluation. However, the injunctiondecisions also highlight variations in the interpretations of somecontents of the legal documents – including passages concerningpreschool principals’ responsibilities, such as contactability, facil-itation of co-planning and co-evaluation – that impact the realisa-tion arena. Moreover, the SSI’s decisions and interpretations of thelegal documents seem to inform the formulation arena, by high-lighting preschool principals’ non-compliance with implementa-tion of developmental goals and raising these issues on thepolitical agenda. Overall, the results indicate that variations inthe SSI’s interpretations of the legal documents and detailed over-sight have influenced both the formulation and realisation arenasand that preschool principals may have struggled to consistentlyalign their interpretations with those of the SSI.

This paper focuses on ideas of preschool principals’ responsibilities for quality work expressed in Swedish local authorities’ policy documents. Empirically, it is based on a three-step analysis of 202 policy documents from 21 Swedish local authorities. This involved thematic analysis followed by application of a discursive institutionalist lens and assessment of the alignment of policies and accountability structures expressed in the documents with national policies. The result of the analysis shows that the national preschool curriculum plays a role in shaping ideas about preschool principals’ responsibilities at the local level, notably the overarching idea of ‘equivalence’, emphasizing their responsibilities for promoting social and economic equality. However, the recontextualization of the national curriculum is also influenced by socio-economic conditions, such as limitations of staff and resources available to the local authorities, highlighting a need to tailor accountability in accordance with the local authorities’ contexts. This results in varying degrees of alignment and accountability, with expressions in the local authorities’ policy documents sometimes extending beyond national guidelines and offering inconsistent support for preschool principals. The paper also illustrates that preschool principals may struggle to take responsibility for quality work due to the emphasis on local contextual needs.

The aim is to understand how Swedish municipals and preschool principals systematic quality work relate to the Swedish National curriculum for preschool (2018). This study examines two interrelated, challenges that can create dilemmas. First, a challenge related to the potential weaknesses in cooperation between the municipalities and preschool principals (cf. Håkansson, 2016, 2019; Love, 2021). Second, a challenge related to the potential difficulty for the preschool principal to position him- or herself professionally, in alignment with the governing policies (cf. Boyland et al., 2019; Rodriguez et al, 2021). Curriculum alignment (alignment theory) is used to compare how and if the principal’s responsibility for systematic quality work is interlinked between the municipalities, local preschools, and the Swedish National curriculum for preschool (cf. Pianta et al., 2009; Spjut, 2021). The study operates within a qualitative research paradigm, using document study as the chosen method. Data collection involves official documents that contains systematic quality work from twelve Swedish municipalities and twelve local preschools. The analytical approach used is a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (cf. Bingham et al, 2019).The following ethical aspects are considered: confidentiality, integrity of personal data and case numbers is used to prevent disclosure of personal information. Approved 2023 by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority. The study reveals contrasting interpretations of responsibility between the municipalities and preschool principals when evaluating the systematic quality work in preschools The findings are important for understanding how to improve policy implementation around systematic quality work on different levels.

Research topic/aim: The aim of this study is to explore, analyse, and understand, how quality inspections by the Swedish Schools Inspectorateassess and control Swedish preschool principals’ responsibility for systematic quality work.There seems to be several reasons in policy and research for studying Swedish preschool principals' responsibility whenassessed and controlled against national goal standards. For example, that the preschool principal in Sweden has a key rolefor the preschool's systematic quality work (e.g., the Swedish Education Act, 2010:800; the Swedish National Bord forEducation, 2018), or that it seems to exist a gap between how policy is interpreted and the realisation of policy in thepreschool practice (e.g., Eriksson et al., 2018; Håkansson, 2016, 2019; Öqvist & Cervantes, 2018).

Theoretical framework: The analysis uses curriculum theory. The concept of curriculum alignment is used to analyse if and how preschool rincipal’sresponsibility for systematic quality work reported in quality inspections done by the Swedish School Inspectorate is aligned with the Swedish Education Act and the Swedish Curriculum for the preschool (Lpfö 18).

Methodological design: The design includes a qualitative comparative document study, and a within-document analysis as well as a cross-documentanalysis will be performed. Data consists of 141 reports from quality inspections reports of preschools done by the SwedishSchools Inspectorate between the years 2008-2023, the Swedish Education Act and the Swedish Curriculum för preschool(Lpfö 18).

Expected conclusions/findings: The study is expected to contribute with knowledge about curriculum alignment in relation to how the Swedish SchoolsInspectorate in their inspections interpret the Swedish Education Act (2010:800:354) and the Swedish curriculum förpreschool (2018) (e.g., the formulation arena) as well as how preschool principals in the quality inspections reports areexpected to realise the governing policies in the systematic quality work (e.g., realisation arena).

Relevance to Nordic educational research: The relevance to Nordic educational research is to be found in a knowledge contribution about how quality inspections by theSwedish Schools Inspectorate may influence, or even govern, preschool principals’ actions and decisions in practice.Knowledge that can be discussed in relation to similar research in other Nordic countries.

The aim of this research project is to explore, describe and analyse challenges and possibilities in Swedish governing and educational policies, on a state authority, municipal and local preschool level, concerning preschool principals and their responsibility for systematic quality work. 

The following research questions are addressed:- How is preschool principals’ responsibility for systematic quality work transformed and accounted, within and between, governing policies and local educational policies?  - What support does the preschool principal need during his or her education to be able to take responsibility that are aligned with the governing policies for preschools?

The conceptual framework intertwines (a) internal and external frames (frame factor theory); (b) transformation and realisation arena (arenas with roots in curriculum theory); and (c) curriculum alignment and instructional alignment (alignment theory). 

With the concepts of internal and external frames (see for example Ivarsson Jansson, 2001; Lundgren, 1999, 2006), the idea is to make visible the process that is created when preschool principals' professional responsibility and accountability for systematic quality work is to be controlled and supported. Frames in the form of structural conditions outside the preschool principles’ control, i.e., frames that shape preschool principals’ responsibility, together with the internal frames, the preschool principal’s leeway, both constitute conditions analysed in the research project. 

Three arenas – formulation, transformation, and realisation – (see for example Linde, 2021; Spjut, 2021a), provide the research project with a possibility to generate an in-depth insight and understanding of the complex process of implementing the curriculum at different levels. In specific, the relationship between the transformation and realisation arena is here in focus.

Alignment – both curriculum alignment (see for example Pianta et al., 2009; Spjut, 2021b), and instructional alignment (see for example Cohen-Vogel et al., 2020; La Marca et al., 2001) – is used as an analytical tool to investigate whether the interpretations of the curriculum made by state authorities, municipalities and local preschools are connected to each other. By using alignment as a theoretical tool, the research project can analysis who interprets the curriculum and thereafter decides an approving quality of principal’s systematic work in practise. 

The data will consist of governing- and educational policies on a state level (the Swedish School Inspectorate as well as from Swedish universities); a municipality level; and a local preschool level. Data will also be collected by means of qualitative semi-structured interviews with preschool principals’ part of university-based Swedish National School Leadership Training programs as well as educators working at the programs. 

Data will be analysed using a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (see for example Bingham et al, 2019; Toots & Lauri, 2015). The analysis is planned to put emphasis on external frames given by state authorities and municipalities.

Expected Outcomes or Findings In relation to the preschool principal’s professional responsibility and accountability, the main expected outcome is to provide examples illustrating in what way(s) preschool principals in Sweden are accounted for as well as supported in their responsibility for systematic quality work. 

The conceptual framework presented above together with the empirical data have the potential to contribute with a deepened, as well as broadened, understanding of challenges and possibilities framing the Swedish preschool principals' responsibility for systematic quality work as well as the connections between state, state authorities, municipalities, and local preschools. 

Attending the Summer School would be highly beneficial to my doctoral studies because of the opportunity for academic enrichment. First, the opportunity to become acquainted with educational research projects developed by CEAD. The focus on adult education benefits my research project in terms of providing the possibility to develop a broaden perspective and understanding of challenges and opportunities connected to conducting research in the field of adult education. Second, as a junior researcher, points of departure concerning epistemology and methodology are still emergent in my research. The aim of the Summer School to provide an arena for debates around such current epistemological and methodological viewpoints in educational research will support my own work. It will be an international platform for my research project, it will be an opportunity to learn from other research contexts and to discuss my work with both senior researchers and PhD candidates sharing my educational research interest and focus. Put differently, it will in that way also be highly beneficial in terms of establishing new research networks that in a short-term perspective can provide new perspective, advice, and support and a in a long-term perspective be the foundation for future collaborative research activities after my dissertation.