Subject traditions and the role of digital platforms in upper secondary education

A comparative study

Bibliographic Data

ID21725974
AuthorsMarie Nilsberth (0000-0002-7691-2490, Karlstad University, corresponding author), Birgit Gustafsson (0000-0002-3651-0956, Karlstad University), Joakim Wendell (0000-0002-3103-9229, Karlstad University), Yvonne Liljekvist (0000-0002-7956-8795, Karlstad University), Christina Olin‐Scheller (0000-0002-2872-4102, Karlstad University), Johan Samuelsson (0000-0002-5716-2372, Karlstad University)
Year2026
Publication date2026-06-02
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Educational Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1474-9041 • E-ISSN: 2165-8714
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14749041261450659
OpenAlexW7163149155
LanguageEN
References cited35

This article examines, from a comparative subject didactic perspective, the use of digital platforms in Swedish upper secondary schools, focusing on the significance in three school subjects: Swedish, mathematics, and history. Based on video recordings from 47 lessons, the analysis compares recontextualization of subject knowledge across the three subjects. Departing from Bernstein’s concepts of the pedagogic device and horizontal versus vertical knowledge structures, the analysis focus on how dimensions of textualization and templatization play out differently in the three subjects. The analysis reveals that the learning platforms become integrated into the established subject practices of Swedish, mathematics and history respectively and is thereby shaped by the different subject traditions. At the same time, the platform structure in itself also influences how knowledge can become organized, accessed, and presented. Findings point at similarities and differences in relation to planning and expectations of school performance, classroom interaction, text practices, and the broader digital context in relation to the learning platform. The results emphasize the importance of teacher agency in platform-based subject teaching, where platforms seem to push toward increased individualization of school work that might constrain deeper explanations and support for students’ critical thinking

Context effect · Structure and agency · Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Literacy, Media, and Education

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