Do they have a choice?: pupils’ choices at LTCs in the intersection between tradition, values and new demands

Abstract

This article investigates the question of making choices at Swedish LTCs. The theoretical framework draws on symbolic interactionism and the concept of inhabited institutions analysing teachers’ meaning-making and interactions between teachers and pupils at the LTCs. Because of changing policies, a tension between new demands and an LTC tradition of activities being voluntary has emerged. When teachers try to make sense of the tension between demands and tradition, choice becomes an important issue and teachers try to balance pupils’ free choices with teacher-led activities. The results show that pupils are often given the opportunity to choose, but even though teachers value pupils’ possibilities to choose, pupils’ choices are limited rather than free. When the teachers try to make sense, of pupils’ choices they oriented towards both traditions and values (choice is important), and towards new demands (choice should be visible). Choices are thus highlighted and made measurable in specific ways in LTC practice.

Keywords

• leisure time centre
• pupils’ choices
• policy demands
• inhabited institutions
• grounded theory