En politisk vilja att förändra – men vad är problemet? En kritisk läsning av kommittédirektivet om att förbättra lärarutbildningen

Abstract

This text aims to problematize the ongoing reform of teacher education in Sweden through a critical reading of the government’s directive to the investigator, where the intention to improve the quality of teacher education and the status of the teaching profession is formulated. Using Miller and Rose’s concept of problematization, the analysis explores how problems with the current teacher education are constructed and what solutions and changes are subsequently presented as natural and necessary. The study shows that the directive doesn't depict the current teacher education as deficient but links quality problems to student shortcomings, poor institutional collaboration, and societal changes. The discussion suggests that changing the scientific foundation of teacher education may lead to deprofessionalization. Furthermore, the risk is raised that increased admission requirements and the introduction of aptitude tests could lead to the exclusion of certain student groups, and the potential consequences of such a change are discussed.