Demokratisk kompetens i det digitala klassrummet: En undersökning om distansutbildningens påverkan på fostran av demokratisk kompetens i bildämnet i grund- och gymnasieskolan

Abstract

During the spring of 2020 upper secondary school of Sweden was affected by regulations to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, also known as the Corona-virus. Upper secondary school was recommended to start using of distance learning on the 17 of March 2020. Swedish schools were urged to use it for the reminder of the school year. Some nine-year compulsory schools used distance learning for two weeks or more. Both upper secondary and compulsory schools in Sweden have the obligation to foster democratic citizens and the competencies and skills which are ascribed to be a democratic citizen. The purpose of this inquiry is to examine the influence distance education has on citizenship education in the art subject in compulsory and upper secondary school in Sweden. Thing inquiry was carried out using qualitative intrerview and a hermeneutic approach. With the help of three art teachers in the Swedish school system, the interviews could be accomplished. Driven by the questions: can citizenship education in the art subject be taught through distance education and how? Which properties in citizenship education can be affected by distance education and why? What is it in distance education that potentially affects the citizenship education? Previous research combined with the interview subjects’ answers, made a pattern emerge. The results of the study indicate that there are several factors affecting citizenship education in the art subject taught through distance education in compulsory and upper secondary school. The most interesting ones are: a lack of communication due to the absence of the physical classroom. Secondly, a shortcoming of computer knowledge and the digital world among teachers. Finally, a shortage of digital tools designed for teaching compulsory and upper secondary school. These findings are of importance to art teachers because it highlights issues which could be corrected and improved, to ensure citizenship education.