How Teachers and Principals Enact the Policy of Building Education in Sweden on a Scientific Foundation and Proven Experience: Challenges and Opportunities

In 2010, Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce a legal requirement that education should be research-based, placing huge demands on schools. The study's aim is to explore how, through sensemaking, teachers and principals enact this policy in schools. In total, 272 teachers and 23 principals from pre-schools, leisure-time centers, compulsory schools, and upper secondary schools completed a questionnaire. The findings show the need for understanding central policy concepts, alignment with previous experiences, and a social context within which the policy can be understood, negotiated, and enacted. Policy enactment was dependent on the support given - professional development, time, and financial resources. Teachers and principals have so far experienced challenges and opportunities - a rewarding if complex process.