Research project Teachers in Sweden today face increasing demands to assist students who need additional help or opportunities to excel in order to reach the goals of education, often encountering challenges that go beyond what is formally included in their professional role. This project investigates how teachers interpret, navigate, and describe the boundaries of their professional responsibility within a school system shaped by national requirements and local conditions.
This project examines how Swedish teachers navigate and describe the boundaries of their professional role in working with students who require extensive support to meet the goals of education, as well as with those who need support and opportunities to excel. Through interviews with teachers, the study sheds light on how they make professional judgments, adapt their work, and manage both formal expectations and informal demands. The study aims to make visible the often-invisible aspects of the teaching profession and their significance for inclusive education.
Umeå School of Education, Umeå University
Teachers in Swedish compulsory schools are expected to promote learning and development among a heterogeneous student group, including students who require extensive support to achieve the minimum goals of education, as well as those in need of support and opportunities to excel in their knowledge development. Although national policy documents provide some guidance, the daily work of identifying needs, adapting instruction, and providing support often falls outside the formal teacher role. This project investigates how teachers describe or make visible the boundaries of their professional responsibility in working with these students.
The study examines how teachers interpret their assignment in relation to both national policy documents and local school contexts. It also highlights how teachers adapt their instruction based on students' needs and how they manage situations where their professional values are challenged. Many decisions are made in the moment and are shaped by a combination of experience, ethical considerations, and the realities of everyday school life. Particular attention is given to the tension between formal requirements and practical conditions, and how this affects teachers’ professional judgments.
By focusing on teachers’ own descriptions of their work, the project aims to reveal the often-invisible and overlooked aspects of their professional practice. This includes the emotional and ethical burden of determining how far one can and should go to support a student, especially when clear guidelines or resources are lacking. In this way, the project contributes to a broader understanding of inclusive education and the evolving role of the teacher in the Swedish school system.
