Whatever happened to the male teacher? Gendered discourses and progressive education in Sweden 1945‐2000

Abstract

In Sweden, as in most western countries, progressive pedagogy has influenced the rhetoric of education policy and national curricula. In the early twentieth century, ideas about learning by doing and pupil centred education came to Sweden from countries such as Germany, Austria and the US. These ideas were primarily influenced by people interested in preschool education, a few persons who started progressive private schools and those who wanted to introduce a more equal and democratic compulsory school system for all children. However, sixty years and two World Wars elapsed before nine‐year co‐educational compulsory schooling, inspired by progressive ideas, was introduced in 1962 in Sweden.