(Micro)soft power in Dutch public education

Making classrooms platform-ready through partner work

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12906206
AutoresNiels Kerssens (0000-0002-8564-8118, Utrecht University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2024
Volumen67
Número1
Páginas58-77
Fecha de publicación2024-11-15
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCritical Studies in Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1750-8487 • E-ISSN: 1750-8495
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17508487.2024.2428808
OpenAlexW4404418674
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas27

This article explores how the global technology company Microsoft, supported by local partners, makes Dutch classrooms platform-ready by influencing how schools approach three key public governance responsibilities in their digital transformation: developing a vision for digital education, creating strategies for educational innovation, and fostering digital literacy. Using the concept of soft power and extensive empirical research, the study shows how Microsoft aligns these responsibilities with its own corporate interests. As a result, the company gains control over schools’ digital infrastructure — not only in terms of hardware and software, but also in terms of its pedagogical design. The conclusion emphasises the importance of collective and collaborative national efforts to resist the global influence of platforms like Microsoft on local digital education

Pedagogy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Public education · Sociology · Soft power · Work (physics · Engineering · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Law · Public Administration · Social Media and Politics · Mechanical Engineering

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