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This study explores the outcome of a teacher workshop as part of a larger longitudinal study on a school designed as an innovative learning environment. All teachers were invited to participate in a workshop aimed to equip them with vocabulary for planning lessons grounded in the notion of student-centred learning (SCL) practices (Bremner, 2020). The purpose was to 1) explore teachers’ understanding of how to plan for and deliver SCL practices and 2) measure the impact of the workshop pertaining to expansive learning of SCL practices.​ 

Several theories were employed throughout the study to support various phases. The CHAT theoretical framework provided a scaffold for the workshop’s structure as a formative intervention, including double stimulation and addressing how the concept of SCL evolves within the school, thus facilitating expansive learning (Engeström & Sannino, 2010). During the workshop, Bremner’s (2020) synthesis of SCL research into six categories was used as conceptualization for the second stimuli (Engeström & Sannino, 2010) to mirror the teachers’ understanding of student-centred learning practices. The six categories are: student autonomy, formative assessment, adapting to learner needs, relevant skills, power sharing, and active participation (Bremner, 2020). Bernstein’s (2000) theory of classification and framing pertaining to distribution of power and control in the classroom formed a basis for coding the classroom practices. This theory has been further developed to categorize practices into the TTPC framework (Bergström & Wiklund-Engblom, 2022; Bergström et al., under review). 

A mixed methods research approach of exploratory sequential design was employed (Cresswell & Plano Clark, 2018), in which multiple types of qualitative data (observational data and audio recorded group discussions) and quantitative data (questionnaires and evaluations) were collected at several phases (during workshop and during and after the planned lecture). Hence, the data collection​ was carried out in two phases: 1) during the workshop on student-centred learning (SCL) practices​ and 2) during and after the delivery of the planned SCL lecture​.  

The planned lessons will be observed during November 2024. The analysis will be carried out thereafter, and results will be finalized for the conference presentation.  

This study explores teaching practices in an Innovative Learning Environment (ILE) with the attempt to examine the student-centred ideal emphasised in these kinds of postdigital classrooms. Rather than treating student-centredness as a self-evident pedagogical aim, we explore it through entanglements of human and non-human actors in one lesson analysed iteratively using explanatory sequential research design. Building on Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing, the first step of analysis investigated how power and control were negotiated within the ILE classroom, where spatial and material flexibility challenged traditional practices. Thereafter, a sociomaterial analysis targeted how humans and material intra-acted attributing agency in shaping postdigital classroom entanglements. The findings show how social, spatial, and material boundaries shape power dynamics and agency. It emphasises the complex, shifting interplay of teacher-student roles in postdigital pedagogy advocating a pragmatic rather than idealised student-centred use of ILEs. Spatial competence involves understanding how boundaries—whether physical or symbolic—can empower or exclude. Teachers play a key role in scaffolding students towards spatial co-regulation, enabling autonomy and response-ability. By extending sociomaterial and postdigital perspectives, the study reveals how agency and authority develop within ILE classrooms, including ongoing safety concerns. The study contributes to discussions on the implications of ILEs for power relations, agency, and student-centred learning in the postdigital era.

The present study explores teaching practices and how teachers navigate the transition to Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs), focusing on the interplay between the physical learning environment and teachers’ practices. The study is situated within a Swedish municipality that embarked on the construction of a new school designed as an ILE. The theoretical foundation of this study relies on the Typology of Teacher Power and Control (TTPC), an analytical tool based on Bernstein’s (2000) theory, offering perspectives on power and control dynamics in the classroom. The study integrates convergent mixed methods, combining classroom observations and retrospective teacher interviews, providing both objective and subjective insights into teachers’ practices. The analysis reveals varied teaching practices in ILEs. Classroom data show teachers clustering based on power and control distribution. Communication patterns reveal distinct teaching practices: Cluster I, identified as the authoritarian mitigator, is teacher-centred, Cluster II, the conservative explorer, exhibits mixed control, Cluster III, the empowering coach, emphasises student autonomy with teacher support, and Cluster IV, the flexible facilitator, promotes broad student empowerment. Interview insights corroborate these findings. The findings may interest researchers investigating teachers’ transition to ILEs and support professional development in teacher education and municipal ILE planning.

This paper is part of a four-year longitudinal research project on teachers played out practice in innovative learning environments (ILEs). This paper reports on findings from the first year of data collection by focusing on the analysis of classroom observation data and teacher interviews. The aim is to examine and unpack emergent and varying practices in the ILE based on two dimensions of teachers’ organisation of the classroom space and communication in practice. A convergent mixed methods study and analysis was conducted. In the ILE school, one teacher from each grade (K-9) was observed and interviewed. Observational data and interview data was analysed in different steps aiming for an integrated analysis in which conclusions are drawn based on a broader explanation of the variations found in the emergent teacher practice. A theoretical informed analysis was conducted on 10 classroom observations by using the Typology of Teacher Power and Control (TTPC). The analysis identifies six teaching practices that reflect student-centred learning, characterized by increased student power and control, and are visually represented in the TTPC-matrix to visualise teachers’ emergent practices. Through thematic analysis of interview data, anticipated findings include themes related to the physical learning environment, teacher communication, and connections between teacher beliefs and their implemented practices, allowing for an integrative understanding of these dynamics.

The substudy presented is part of a longitudinal project investigating student-centred learning practices in a new school built as an innovative learning environment (ILE). This paper describes results on teachers’ experiences based on a compiled teacher questionnaire generating both quantitative and qualitative data. The teacher questionnaire includes items on the following topics: shared values, value consonance, collective teacher efficacy, perceived collegial support, autonomy, belonging, job satisfaction, work engagement, psychological safety in teamwork, resilience, and teachers’ relational competence. All teachers (N=56) in the school subjected to study participated and data has been collected at two times at this point (2023 and 2024). Preliminary findings show, e.g., that teachers’ relational competence correlated positively with student experiences of teacher support. Further, we expect to find team differences that can explain the variation of teaching practices, which characterize each of the teaching trajectory display clusters found in Part 1 (see Bergström et al., EARLI 2025 abstract), which will further be explored in relation to students’ experiences in Part III (see Lindfors et al., EARLI 2025 abstract) in accordance with the convergent mixed methods research design of the longitudinal study. The emergent teaching practice will be scrutinised and correlated to other data sets in integrated analyses, e.g., using teacher interview and questionnaire data, student questionnaire data, teacher team workshop data and further longitudinal observational data. The different types of data and findings will be merged in several phases of analyses, in order to gain a broader understanding of student-centred learning practices in ILEs.

This substudy (Part III) is part of a longitudinal project investigating student-centred learning practices in a newly established Innovative Learning Environment (ILE) in Sweden. It is connected to two other abstracts submitted to EARLI 2025, which present different data collections and analyses as part of a mixed methods research approach. This paper focuses on students' perceptions and experiences within the ILE derived from questionnaire data regarding their transition from traditional classrooms to more student-centred learning environments. The study is expected to reveal a meaningful link between students’ perceptions of the ILE and their academic well-being, with anticipated differences across grade levels. The combined results will likely illustrate how teaching practices and student engagement interact to foster student-centred learning in ILEs. This research enhances our understanding of how ILEs can be designed to truly support student-centred learning, with practical implications for creating spaces that encourage active student involvement. Insights from this substudy will be discussed alongside findings from Parts I and II, which examine teachers' practices and perspectives, offering a holistic view of the interactions and dynamics within ILEs.

The paper outlines an ongoing longitudinal study (2018-2026) in a Swedish municipality, examining the relationship between the physical learning environment and teaching practices within an Innovative Learning Environment (ILE). Emphasizing student-centred learning, it acknowledges the complexity of translating physical design features into effective teaching practices. The study employs the Typology of Teacher Power and Control (TTPC) as a theoretical framework and a convergent mixed-method design to collect various data types, including classroom audio, teacher interviews, and questionnaires. The analysis demonstrates two distinct clusters of student-centred learning practices, differentiated by how symbolic power and control are either retained by the teacher or dislocated to the students. 

The aim of this study was to explore, analyse, and critically discuss conditions for Swedish ICT coordinators working on school digitalisation in a local municipal school context. More specifcally, the study draws on findings from interviews with 13 Swedish information and communication technology (ICT) coordinators working in eight municipalities that have adopted two contrasting approaches to school digitalisation. One is a general approach with a strong element of individual within-school accountability in the work, and the other a specifc approach in which such work is addressed more as an organisational process with involvement of municipal governing officials. Findings show that the two approaches set different conditions in terms of how and with whom the ICT coordinators work and the foci of their efforts although both are framed by the same national educational policy. A conclusion is that the ICT coordinators' role, function, and responsibility should be considered in parity to the level of support, in-school resources, and mandate given to them, not least when organisational instability and reorganisations hamper the work in progress.

This study explores practitioners’ beliefs and experiences of education, socialisation and care and their impact on the introduction of a software application for quality work in early childhood education. Based on field notes, audio recordings and follow-up semi-structured interviews in four Swedish preschools, it explores how teachers’ beliefs and experiences frame and are framed by the introduction of a software application by an EdTech company. The findings show that preschool teachers perceived the software as disruptive to their established beliefs and practices, despite efforts to align it with the preschool curriculum’s goals. It also highlights the challenges that practitioners faced in understanding and implementing the software, the importance of peer discussions and time for reflection. The study’s conclusions emphasise the importance of a thorough introduction, peer support and opportunities for reflection when introducing software in preschool settings. It also stresses the need to align software implementation with practitioners’ beliefs and experiences to facilitate a successful adoption. In addition, the study highlights the role of ongoing professional development in managing technological change in early childhood education.

Research topic: Swedish teacher education programs comprise a coherent practicum period for 12 weeks (30 ects) at local schools. Under supervision of a local experienced teacher, student teachers’ practicum involves to plan, carry through and evaluate teaching and learning with pupils. The role of the local supervisor involves support for teacher educators’ assessment of student teachers’ abilities (e.g. subject didactical skills), which has become a burden due to heavy written analogue documentation. When the documentation fails, student teachers feel the feedback as non-relevant, vague, or as low-quality supervision. The supervisors have for a long time requested a digital version of the analogue assessment document, and in parallel, the teacher education institution has sought ways to develop opportunities for equal and high-quality supervision of student teachers. Taken this background into account, this study aims to explore change regarding opportunities and challenges of digitalising student teachers’ evaluation of practicum.  

Theoretical framework: Cultural Historical Activity Theory is applied to analyse this change and the expansive learning such a change result in (Engeström & Sannino, 2016). Expansive learning is based on a 7-step cyclic process where the first four steps include the collective learning actions of 1) questioning, 2) analysing, 3) modelling a new solution, and 4) examining and testing the new model. In accordance with these four steps, the supervisors questioned the analogue assessment document, teacher education sought ways to develop equal and high-quality supervision, and the municipality asked for quality in student teachers’ practicum (1). The concept and the digital service Teaching Analytics (TA) was seen as mean to digitalising student teachers’ evaluation of practicum (2). Teacher educators held workshops in TA with supervisors and student teachers and presented a time frame (3). In practicum, student teachers and supervisors were asked to use TA (4). These four steps are further scrutinized through the concepts of stimulus, contradictions, and agency. 

Methodology: The study was based on a single case study design of 8 invited student teachers practicum at upper secondary school in a municipality and 8 supervisors. Three types of data were collected: (i) interviews with the supervisors regarding use of TA and with one school leader at municipality level, (ii) a questionnaire to student teachers, and (iii) visualisations of student teachers’ evaluation of practice.  

Expected results: The preliminary findings indicate that the digitalisation of student teachers’ evaluation of practicum provide opportunities and challenges. Municipality stakeholders indicate a vision of good and equal supervision for student teachers due to a standardised language in TA. Student teachers indicate challenges based on contradictions about the threshold for learning Teaching Analytics and limited skills about the approach and vocabulary to analyse lessons. A second challenge concern a teacher education perspective and the perception what could manifest a digital service of the analogue assessment document. Hence, contradictions emerge between the analogue assessment document and TA.  

Relevance to Nordic educational research: Few studies have used software as a service in the evaluation and analysis of student teachers’ practicum.