How stakeholders see the implementation of language education policy: a Q-study

ABSTRACT

This study examines how different stakeholders perceive the implementation of language education policy. Even though policies often prioritize a certain solution to the policy problem, the different stakeholders that are involved in the process of policy design and implementation may interpret them differently (Spillane et al., 2002). This, in turn, may hamper policy implementation. Q-methodology was used to make the implicit beliefs of stakeholders regarding the language education policy in Flanders (Belgium) explicit. 43 stakeholders operating at different levels of the policy process in education sorted 52 statements relating language education policy implementation and were interviewed. The analyses revealed that four different viewpoints exist, distinguishing school-internal from school-external stakeholders: ‘We need to engage teachers to collectively improve their practices’ (Viewpoint 1), ‘It’s a different mindset – but we/they would welcome support’ (Viewpoint 2), ‘Just know what you are doing and show it’ (Viewpoint 3), and ‘Don’t ask too much’ (Viewpoint 4). As such, this study provides additional evidence that all stakeholders involved in the implementation process contest, reframe and adjust official policies according to their own interpretation. By showing in which ways differing stakeholders interpret the policy, this study helps to determine how future policies could respond to local needs.

KEYWORDS:

• Language education policy
• policy implementation
• primary education

Acknowledgements

I am particularly grateful to all respondents, who shared their experience with language education policies with me. I would also like to thank Joseph Lo Bianco and Bart Deygers for inspiring and encouraging me to conduct this study. Special thanks go to Liam De Grande for transcribing the interviews, and to two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

SONO (Department of Education and Training), ZKD1468. Flemish Department of Education and Training.

Notes on contributors

Marieke Vanbuel

Marieke Vanbuel is as postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven, research group 'Language, education and society'. Her research focuses on the effectiveness of language education, language policy, reading literacy and LESLLA learners.