Leisure-time teachers’ reflections on systematic quality work: approaches and challenges

Abstract

In times of global tendencies on governance of the public sector, ‘quality’ has become a keyword, an ideal. In Sweden, all municipalities, school heads and teachers are required to carry out systematic quality work to meet the demand on goal attainment. Working with documentation is a crucial aspect of this process. The Swedish leisure-time centre aimed for younger school children has goals to strive towards but not goals to attain. This study aims to gain knowledge of leisure-time teachers’ reflections on their work with documentation. Based on written reflections from 22 groups of leisure-time teachers engaged in a continuing professional development course, the article call for a discussion on meanings of ‘quality’ and what effect systematic quality work has on views of valued activities, content and professional skills, and on the holistic notion of pupil’s learning and development.