TY - JOUR
T1 - ‘Steering at a distance’, Australian school principals’ understandings of digital technologies policies during the Digital Education Revolution
AU - Brown, Bernard
N1 - Funding Information:
The initial idea for this paper was suggested by Professor Kathryn Moyle. I would also like to acknowledge the critical feedback I received from colleagues at the University of Canberra.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - This paper presents findings from qualitative research which examines school principals’ understandings of digital technologies policies for Australian schools during the period of the Digital Education Revolution (2008–2013). The concepts of ‘steering at a distance’ and policy enactment are used as a conceptual lens from which to position and analyse the principals’ interpretations of digital technologies policies designed for schools. The research involved semi-structured interviews with school principals, and an assistant principal, which revealed a range of themes including compliance and latitude in policy responses, policy accountability, policy language, accountability and symbolism, and the purpose of ‘acceptable use’ policies. This paper contributes to a theoretical and historical understanding of school principals’ agency as policy actors which can inform an analysis of the contemporary federalist school policy trajectories and how principals are positioned in relation to them.
AB - This paper presents findings from qualitative research which examines school principals’ understandings of digital technologies policies for Australian schools during the period of the Digital Education Revolution (2008–2013). The concepts of ‘steering at a distance’ and policy enactment are used as a conceptual lens from which to position and analyse the principals’ interpretations of digital technologies policies designed for schools. The research involved semi-structured interviews with school principals, and an assistant principal, which revealed a range of themes including compliance and latitude in policy responses, policy accountability, policy language, accountability and symbolism, and the purpose of ‘acceptable use’ policies. This paper contributes to a theoretical and historical understanding of school principals’ agency as policy actors which can inform an analysis of the contemporary federalist school policy trajectories and how principals are positioned in relation to them.
KW - Australian education
KW - digital technologies
KW - Policy
KW - school principals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097161944&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00220620.2020.1856796
DO - 10.1080/00220620.2020.1856796
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85097161944
SN - 1478-7431
VL - 53
SP - 50
EP - 66
JO - Journal of Educational Administration and History
JF - Journal of Educational Administration and History
IS - 1
ER -