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Teacher-led issue networks in Swedish ed-tech policymaking – the case of generative AI

Selwyn, Neil LU orcid ; Ljungqvist, Marita LU and Sonesson, Anders LU orcid (2025) In Journal of Education Policy
Abstract
Policymaking around educational technology (ed-tech) is increasingly influenced by networks of public and private actors ranging from Big Tech corporations and international organisations through to ed-tech evidence brokers and consultants. This paper considers a relatively unexplored facet of contemporary ed-tech policy work – public-facing (ex)teachers advocating for technological change through various publicity, lobbying and market-building activities. In particular, the paper considers how such actors have recently been promoting the take-up of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within Swedish schools as a policy issue. Drawing on interviews with 13 prominent ‘AI advocates’, we detail how these actors are centrally... (More)
Policymaking around educational technology (ed-tech) is increasingly influenced by networks of public and private actors ranging from Big Tech corporations and international organisations through to ed-tech evidence brokers and consultants. This paper considers a relatively unexplored facet of contemporary ed-tech policy work – public-facing (ex)teachers advocating for technological change through various publicity, lobbying and market-building activities. In particular, the paper considers how such actors have recently been promoting the take-up of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within Swedish schools as a policy issue. Drawing on interviews with 13 prominent ‘AI advocates’, we detail how these actors are centrally involved in an issue network looking to shape policy imperatives around school AI in the absence of clear leadership from national government, state agencies and local ed-tech industry. Despite being motivated by ideas of AI-driven pedagogical
and societal change, the paper examines how this issue network
is largely reproducing conservative forms of onto-epistemic governance
by replicating valuations of generative AI in familiar corporatised
terms of efficiency, utility and solutionism. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Policy, artificial intelligence, generative AI, Sweden, issue networks, brokerage
in
Journal of Education Policy
pages
19 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
ISSN
0268-0939
DOI
10.1080/02680939.2025.2600328
project
Teachers and teaching in the age of AI and digital automation
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2a0de3c2-e57a-4288-a6e3-ab1e450ef8e7
date added to LUP
2025-12-08 13:27:25
date last changed
2025-12-11 15:49:52
@article{2a0de3c2-e57a-4288-a6e3-ab1e450ef8e7,
  abstract     = {{Policymaking around educational technology (ed-tech) is increasingly influenced by networks of public and private actors ranging from Big Tech corporations and international organisations through to ed-tech evidence brokers and consultants. This paper considers a relatively unexplored facet of contemporary ed-tech policy work – public-facing (ex)teachers advocating for technological change through various publicity, lobbying and market-building activities. In particular, the paper considers how such actors have recently been promoting the take-up of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within Swedish schools as a policy issue. Drawing on interviews with 13 prominent ‘AI advocates’, we detail how these actors are centrally involved in an issue network looking to shape policy imperatives around school AI in the absence of clear leadership from national government, state agencies and local ed-tech industry. Despite being motivated by ideas of AI-driven pedagogical<br/>and societal change, the paper examines how this issue network<br/>is largely reproducing conservative forms of onto-epistemic governance<br/>by replicating valuations of generative AI in familiar corporatised<br/>terms of efficiency, utility and solutionism.}},
  author       = {{Selwyn, Neil and Ljungqvist, Marita and Sonesson, Anders}},
  issn         = {{0268-0939}},
  keywords     = {{Policy; artificial intelligence; generative AI; Sweden; issue networks; brokerage}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Journal of Education Policy}},
  title        = {{Teacher-led issue networks in Swedish ed-tech policymaking – the case of generative AI}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2025.2600328}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02680939.2025.2600328}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}