| Summary: | Since 2006 there have been two major changes to the Swedish Education Act. In January 2006, the first change, concerning nine-year compulsory school, took effect. The Act now requires that Personal Development Plans (i.e. individuella utvecklingsplaner – IUP) be introduced for students in elementary school, special schools for disabled children, Sami schools and special schools. The second change came into effect in July 2008. The content of the personal development plan was expanded to contain not only plans for future development, but also teachers’ written assessments of students’ knowledge and learning process. To implement the new regulations and support teachers’ work, many schools have turned to digital tools. The combination of new regulations and digital tools has generated new, unexplored circumstances for teachers, students and parents. The aim of this thesis is to provide a greater understanding of the work process with students ́ personal development planning and the role of digital documentation in this process. The aim is also to investigate students’, teachers’ and guardians’ experiences and participation. The main focus is on experience of the work processes associated with the recent reform of methods for communicating students’ knowledge and learning processes. To better understand this new educational situation, students’, parents’ and teachers’ experience of working according to the new regulations has been analysed and problematized. The research questions address how the use of digital tools influences the process, in what ways the process affects students’ and parents’ participation and in what ways the students’ identity work is affected by the communication and work process. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews, a survey study and a document analysis. The material was analysed through an inductive thematic analysis. The analysis draws on activity theory and theories focusing on participation at higher and lower levels, and on social relationships through concepts ...
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