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

Abstract

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.