Principals in Sweden face significant challenges. While there is a national professional training program for principals, they may find themselves working in vastly different contexts, ranging from preschools to specialized schools and adult education (Portfelt, 2021). Sweden’s 290 municipalities vary greatly in size, population, and economic resources, all of which impact the conditions under which principals work to achieve educational goals (Mufic & Fejes, 2022). This variability is particularly evident in municipal adult education (MAE), where the municipality retains overarching responsibility for education, regardless of whether it is outsourced or managed in-house (Mufic, 2023). Previous research highlights that principals’ perceptions of their roles are influenced by how adult education is organized in their specific municipality (Bjursell, et al., 2015; Portfelt, 2021). Studies have also shown that principals in MAE emphasize its complexity, particularly in understanding the intricate regulatory framework, which - due to its general guidelines - can be implemented in different ways across municipalities (Bjursell, et al., 2015; Holmqvist, Andersson & Muhrman, 2024; Mufic, 2024).  To improve quality and equity in MAE, the Swedish National Agency for Education (SNAE) has established networks across the country specifically targeting principals (Mufic, unpublished). These networks focus on systematic quality work (SQW) and aim to provide principals with opportunities to meet, exchange experiences, and develop their approaches to the improvement of quality assurance processes, thereby developing principals’ professional learning. Despite the fact that MAE enrolls almost as many students as upper secondary school (SNAE, 2024), there is a notable lack of research and knowledge about this kind of education – especially in the light of the new network initiative from SNAE. Earlier studies have highlighted that teacher education does not adequately prepare teachers to work with adult learners (Fejes, 2019); similarly, one might question how well the national professional training program for principals equips principals to manage adult education (Portfelt, 2024).   Given the demand for insights into the professional learning of MAE principals from both researchers and practitioners, this study aims to investigate how principals’ professional learning manifests during network meetings and to identify what enables or constrains their learning within the specific network context. The study takes its point of departure from the following questions: How do principals’ professional learning practices manifest during network meetings? What enable or constrain their learning within the specific network context? How can these arrangements be reconfigured to better enable and support their professional learning? The site of the network is seen as a practice that is focused within a specific time and space. Given this focus, the study employs the framework of theory of practice architecture (Kemmis et al. 2014).  By focusing on the professional learning of principals within the decentralized, market-oriented, and fragmented context of Swedish adult education, the study situates itself within a case of international relevance. The expected outcome is a deeper understanding of how professional learning is manifested during the network meetings, how arrangements enable as well as constrain principals’ professional learning, as well as how these arrangements can be improved to support professional learning.

 The empirical material for this study comprises observations of a series of network meetings organized by the SNAE between 2022 and 2023. This data includes observations of ten network meetings focused on SQW  and the needs of newly arrived students. Attendees included in totalt 15 principals. Besides from one in person meeting, the rest of the sessions took place online, facilitating accessibility for participants across diverse geographic locations. The structure of the meetings varied, incorporating guest lectures, updates on recent policy changes, and open discussion time where participants engaged with one another, raised questions, and shared perspectives on key topics. This flexible structure encouraged active dialogue, enabling participants to share practical experiences and strategies relevant to their own contexts.  The observational approach was non-participatory (Cooper & Schindler, 2001), with the researcher acting as a passive observer to capture a detailed account of the meetings without influencing their content. Detailed observational notes were taken during the meeting. The methodological choice provided an opportunity to observe network meetings as they unfolded, offering valuable ‘in situ’ insights into both the verbal and non-verbal dynamics of discussion and decision-making in a collaborative educational setting (Wellington, 2015). The participants were aware of the researchers precense, a fact that may have affected what was said and done during the network meetings. All participants were informed of the study’s purpose, and written consent was obtained from each attendee. As no sensitive personal data was collected, ethical approval was not required, in line with regulations from the Swedish Research Council (2024).  Data have been analyzed through the framework of theory of practice architecture (Kemmis et al. 2014), with a particular focus on revealing the surrounding arrangements that enable as well as constrain the principals’ professional learning within the networking context, arrangement by the Swedish National Agency for Education (SNAE). This analysis does not only reveal the practice architecture of the network and how it influences principals’ professional learning, it also enables the identification of how the network arrangements can be improved to support professional learning.

 The expected outcome is a deeper understanding of how professional learning is manifested during the network meetings, how arrangements enable as well as constrain principals’ professional learning, as well as how these arrangements can be improved to support professional learning. The network meetings emerge as a crucial platform for professional learning, enabling principals to share experiences, reflect on policy obligations, and navigate competing demands. This collaborative space fosters the development of locally tailored strategies while addressing the ambiguities of policy frameworks.   The study also highlights evaluation and review practices, showing how principals adapt these processes to their municipalities’ unique conditions. The findings reveal that vague policies allow for local innovation but also introduce inconsistencies and "messy" practices.

By focusing on MAE, the study contributes to the understanding of leadership in adult education, addressing a significant gap in both research and practice. It emphasizes the importance of professional networks and SQW in navigating the complexities of decentralized education systems, offering actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners.

References

 Bjursell, C., Chaib, C., Falkner, C., & Ludvigsson, A. (2015). Kvalitetsarbete i vuxenutbildning. Nomen.  

Cooper, D. C., & Schindler, P. S. (2001). Business Research Methods(7th Ed.). McGraw-Hill. Fejes, A. (2019). Redo för komvux? Hur förbereder ämneslärarprogrammen och yrkeslärarprogrammen studenter för arbete i kommunal vuxenutbildning? https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1320505/FULLTEXT01.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj1ndbO9O2JAxXXKRAIHeLaLmQQFnoECBsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0vo2TWOAeg7jkofNfGqykw 

Holmqvist, D., Andersson, P., & Muhrman, K. (2024). Fast delivery, on demand: how flexibility and individualization policy are enacted in Swedish municipal adult education. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 10(1), 60-72. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2024.2339402 

Mufic, J. (2023). How the concept of the “chain of command” is construed through problematizations in Swedish adult education policy. International Journal of Leadership in Education. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2023.2272138 

Mufic, J. (2024). Skolchef i komvux - mellan politik och rekror i styrkedjan. Utbildning & Demokrati, 33(1), 111-134. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.48059/uod.v33i1.2282 

Mufic, J. (unpublished). School leaders’ perspectives on managing systematic quality work in a decentralised and market-oriented adult education system.  

Mufic, J., & Fejes, A. (2022). 'Lack of quality' in Swedish adult education: a policy study. Journal of Education Policy,37(2), 269-284. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2020.1817567  

Portfelt, I. (2021). Komvuxrektorers autonomi - frivillig eller påtvingad? In B. Ahlström, G. Berg, M. Håkansson Lindqvist, & F. Sundh (Eds.), Att jobba som rektor - om rektorer som profesionella yrkesutövare (pp. 137-151). Studentlitteratur. 

Portfelt, I. (2024). Att leda lokal skolutveckling i komvux med aktionsforskande ansats. I Ove Johansson och Lars Svedberg (Eds.), Att leda mot skolans mål (pp. 133-145). Gleerups. 

SNAE. (2024). Elever och studieresultat i kommunal vuxenutbildning 2023. https://www.skolverket.se/skolutveckling/statistik/fler-statistiknyheter/statistik/2024-06-11-elever-och-studieresultat-i-kommunal-vuxenutbildning-2023 

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Wellington, J. (2015). Educational Research (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.