Technology-supported storytelling for engaged student learning
This research project investigated how digital technology can support and engage students in storytelling, while also contributing to the development of their digital competence. Through a collaboration between KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the Berättarministeriet Foundation, the project examined how teachers in primary education experience and envision the digital transformation of schools. The project contributed new knowledge about teachers’ professional practices, challenges, and long-term perspectives on digitalization in education.
Background
The research focused on understanding teachers' current practices and their visions for the future of digital education in primary schools. In parallel, the Berättarministeriet Foundation contributed through the development of digital school programs informed by the research findings.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the educational landscape during the course of the project. The team adjusted its design to capture how schools adapted to digital challenges, extending the research to include perspectives before, during, and after the pandemic’s peak periods.
Aim and Objectives
The aim is to explore how digital technology can be used to support student storytelling and digital competence in primary education, and to understand the conditions that shape schools' digital transformation over time.
Objectives:
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Investigate how digital environments can support storytelling as a learning activity
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Understand how storytelling contributes to students’ digital competence
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Examine teachers’ current experiences and long-term visions of digital education
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Contribute research-based insights to practice-oriented initiatives
Outcomes
The project provided new insights into how teachers perceive and work with digitalization in schools. Findings highlighted both the opportunities and constraints they face—such as uneven access to resources, varying levels of support from school leadership, and differing understandings of what digital competence entails in practice. Teachers expressed a vision of future education as more student-centered, supported by integrated physical and digital learning environments. The research has informed ongoing professional discussions and program development related to digital education.
Publications / Dissemination
Journal article:
Stenbom, S., & Geijer, L. (2024). Primary school teachers’ perception of digital transformation. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2024.2394395
Conference presentation:
Stenbom, S., & Geijer, L. (2023). Teachers’ Perceptions of School Digitalization: Insights from Swedish Primary Education. 28th ICDE World Conference on Online Learning.
Project team
Project Lead:
Researcher:
Dr. Lena Geijer, Senior Lecturer
From collaborating partner:
Dilsa Demirbag-Sten and Reza Saleh, Berättarministeriet Foundation