Understanding Widening Participation: Teacher Perceptions and Policy Implications at Lund University

Lecturer Perceptions and Policy Implications at a Swedish university

Abstract

Since 2002, Swedish higher education institutions have been mandated by the Higher Education Act to actively promote widening participation. However, there is no national definition of widening participation, leaving each institution to define its own objectives. This article investigates how teachers at Lund University in Sweden understand and implement widening participation, examining their perceptions in relation to the university’s policy documents. The analysis shows a tension between Lund University’s policies of widening participation and teachers’ possibilities to work with inclusive education. Individual teachers are given key roles, but they lack resources to handle this responsibility. At the same time, both policies and teachers’ perceptions hold different notions of widening participation, including both a meritocratic perspective focusing on fair access, and a transformative perspective emphasizing social justice and challenging power structures.