Mid Sweden University

This study contributes knowledge about being principals in extended education. Interviews with 12 Swedish principals have been analyzed using deductive content analysis with analytical concepts from school improvement theories. Principals generally believe challenges are found in School-Age-Educare-Centers (SAECs’) conditions, changing mission, status, and heterogeneous staff. The opportunities are described as the freer mission, the holistic perspective, and the staff’s competence. Leaders need to gain legitimacy, act as pedagogical leaders, and instill courage. In the principals’ perceptions of challenges, opportunities, and leadership roles, the school development aspects of structure, culture, and leadership interact and are prominent and essential. 

Extended education includes a variety of activities outside regular school hours forchildren of all ages, supervised by the school principal. Despite varying experiences,the principal’s role has hardly been investigated. As principals play a crucial role indriving school development and educational change, it is important to understandhow they view their leadership performance in relation to extended education. Thisstudy surveyed principals in Sweden and Switzerland using a problem-based semistructuredquestionnaire. Deductive qualitative content analysis showed that principalsin both countries faced leadership difficulties related to extended education,including translating policy papers and unclear extended education goals into guidelinesfor staff. Staff diversity and class sizes were also hindering factors, in a contextwhere the principal’s services were seen as setting the tone for the school climate.

L’éducation parascolaire comprend diverses activités organisées en dehors des heuresde cours pour les enfants de tous âges, sous la supervision d’un directeur d’école. Lerôle de ce dernier a été très peu étudié malgré la diversité de ses expériences. Ce rôleest pourtant essentiel pour assurer le développement de l’école et le progrès en éducation.À ce titre, il est utile de mieux comprendre comment les directeurs d’écoleperçoivent leur leadership en éducation parascolaire. Cette étude a recouru à un questionnaire semi-structuré pour interroger des directeurs d’école en Suède et enSuisse. Une analyse de contenu qualitative et déductive a indiqué que les directeursd’école des deux pays faisaient face à des difficultés de leadership liées à l’éducationparascolaire, notamment pour traduire les documents d’orientation et les objectifspeu clairs de l’éducation parascolaire en lignes directrices pour le personnel. La diversitédu personnel et la taille des classes constituaient également des facteurs contraignants,dans un contexte où l’on considère les services fournis par les directeursd’école comme déterminants pour le climat scolaire.

Background: 

Equity is a central policy goal in Swedish school-age educare centres (SAEC), yet how it is perceived by educators in everyday practice remains underexplored. This study examines educators’ perceptions of equity in SAEC learning environments.

Methods: 

Drawing on participatory action research, the study involved 23 educators from four SAECs in one Swedish municipality. Data were collected through an open-ended survey and group interviews and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Results: 

The findings indicate that equity is perceived as challenging to define and lacking a shared conceptual frame beyond individual interpretation, while being significantly influenced by structural conditions. At the same time, equity is shaped through everyday practices of care, relationships, and student engagement. Educators describe equity as multidimensional and marked by recurring tensions that they navigate.

Conclusion: 

They balance in daily practice, within a policy context where equity is broadly defined and conceptually contested. The findings have practical and policy implications, highlighting the importance of shared professional understandings of equity and the conditions that support sustained dialogue and conceptual clarity around equitable learning environments in SAEC.

Extended Education (EE) plays a central role in supporting pupils’ learning, wellbeing, and agency beyond regular school hours. However, little is known about how EE staff understand and enact leadership in everyday practice. This study draws on a one-year action research project involving EE staff members working with pupils aged 9–12. Data was generated through reflection dialogues, field notes, and meeting minutes, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four central dimensions of leadership were identified: relational leadership, balancing structure and freedom, reflective and learning- oriented practice, and organizational conditions. Staff employed strategies such as presence and dialogue, clarity combined with empathy, situational adaptation, and promoting pupils’ participation. Analysis of leadership positions revealed dynamic shifts between participating, observing, supporting, and structuring roles during play. Over time, staff developed from intuitive, experience-based leadership toward reflective, theoretically informed practice grounded in situational leadership and play-responsive pedagogy. Leadership in EE is highly situational, relational, and enacted moment to moment within play. Professional development requires organizational support, structured reflection, and theoretical grounding. The study contributes micro-level insights into leadership as a flexible, play-responsive practice in extended education.

Siden 2020 har forfatterne på forskellig vis arbejdet sammen om det dansk-svensk-tyske forskningsprojekt WATSup (What About Teacher Shortage). I denne artikel ser vi alene på situationen i Danmark og Sverige. Spørgsmålene, vi behandler i denne artikel er, ”hvorfor ser vi stigende pædagogmangel?” og ”hvorfor er der så mange færdiguddannede pædagoger, der ikke ønsker at arbejde i professionen?” Endelig stiller vi spørgsmålet, ”hvad kan vi gøre ved det?” På basis af en række undersøgelser i Danmark og Sverigef ormulerer vi i denne artikel nogle svar på nævnte spørgsmål.

A crucial disconnect exists in school behaviour supports, where the voices of students are often unheard. This study explores Swedish compulsory school students’ perspectives on the impacts of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) framework. While PBS is an evidence-based framework, existing research largely overlooks the subjective experiences of students, the ultimate recipients of the intervention. Data were collected through group interviews with 57 students across two schools in Sweden. A Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) revealed three themes: safety and belonging, the role of teachers, and the elements of a social environment conducive to learning. Findings indicate that a student’s sense of security is deeply rooted in strong social relationships with peers and teachers. However, students identified hot spots (e.g. bathrooms, corridors) as areas of insecurity and expressed a desire for teachers to set clearer boundaries and be less lenient toward disruptive behaviour. Furthermore, students linked academic engagement and a social environment conducive to learning to active, hands-on learning, suggesting that the educational approach has a significant influence on the classroom climate. The study concludes that for PBS to be effective, implementation must prioritise student–teacher relationships, consistent classroom management, and engaging pedagogy, moving from an adult-centric focus toward a truly student-centred approach.