The purpose of the paper: Is to share findings from the first phase of a qualitative study to understand how municipalities can successfully implement a systematic approach to ensure student focus in education at all levels of the value chain from policy documents to classroom planning and management; one in which the core values are used to guide development over time.
Methodology: This paper is based on an interactive research design in which a qualitative multi-site case study of an educational system in a Swedish municipality was conducted to explore the following questions:
1. How is the municipality’s quality steering model described, communicated, and visualized in the schools?
2. How is the quality steering model used at all levels of the municipality to ensure “student in focus 100%”?
Findings: Initial findings show that the municipality’s systematic quality model provides an important framework for communicating planning and follow-up through clarity of purpose, goals, roles, and responsibilities. Moreover, the student is the focus throughout the daily work of the school, but this is not visible in the documentation and written reports. Among the factors that were found to contribute to this include a lack of shared terminology, and a lack of connection between goals at different levels. Further, the school’s culture is not communicated in standard reporting, which hides a part of the quality puzzle. Among the questions that remain to explore are: what role does language play in the communication of quality at different levels of the educational system? In what ways does the language in policy documents match and support the work of educators in the classroom?
Research limitations/implications: This study is conducted in a Swedish municipality therefore findings are not generalizable. The site was chosen based on the depth of development of their systematic quality assurance system and steering model, which provided an important research opportunity to learn more about the challenges and opportunities for schools and municipalities to implement systemic quality improvement models.
Originality/Value: This paper has significance to support municipalities in their work with systematic quality systems in education.
2025.
educational systems, public sector, quality improvement, student focus, quality culture
28th Excellence In Services International Conference (EISIC), University of Belgrade, Serbia, August 28-29, 2025