Exploring teachers' strategies for navigating compulsory digital transformations in Danish primary and lower secondary schools

Abstract

This study employs Bourdieu's theory of practice to analyse 31 interviews with teachers, principals and administrators. I explore the strategies teachers use to handle the mandatory enactment of a Learning Management System (LMS) in Danish primary and lower secondary schools. Teachers are categorised into three groups: those mainly focused on teaching, those with digital responsibilities and those representing the Danish Teachers' Union. The findings reveal three distinct strategies adopted by these groups of teachers. Firstly, teachers solely focused on teaching developed a strategy of resistance, avoiding the use of the LMS in their daily teaching. In contrast, the other two groups of teachers responded to the changes by accumulating either digital or managerial capital to enhance their skills. This latter strategy positioned them as key figures in the eyes of local management, preparing them for advancement. Furthermore, since enhancing skills entails collaborating closely with management, it naturally leads these teachers to support the enactment of the LMS through their actions in the schools. The findings contribute to theoretical development and provide insights into teachers' practices when required to enact change in school.