Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Technology as the language of schooling: utopian visions of technology in Swedish general education in the 1960s

  • Published:
International Journal of Technology and Design Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the state-of-the-art Glass Project run by the Swedish National Agency for Education during the second half of the 1960s, a new type of comprehensive technology education was developed. The project had little impact on school practice and was soon forgotten about. However, the project is interesting from several points of view. First, it elaborated an interesting curricular idea where school activities were to centre around technology, thus creating a meaningful whole for the pupils, a sort of “language of schooling”. Second, the Glass Project illustrates a utopian logic of educational reform. The school had become an important area of reform in the mid-twentieth century, and in this the pedagogy of the “old school” was heavily criticised. Technology education clearly became a tool for progressive ideas in Sweden in the 1960s.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Gösta Skoglund, the main actor in this study, has saved 38 newspaper articles from the period of interest here, articles reporting his work. These clips have been verified by studies of Barometern, the newspaper in which most of the articles were published, for the most crucial years 1965–1967. Through this verification, a couple of new articles were found. Skoglund also wrote five texts about both vocational subjects and Technological orientation during this time, texts published in educational journals.

  2. The interviewees were Sten Bülow (the national authority on the subject before Skoglund. After Skoglund took over, he became a local authority on the subject in Stockholm), Bertil Forsberg (an engineer who wrote one of the first textbooks on the subject of Technological orientation in the mid-1960s), Barbro Granlind (a teacher who participated in one of the development projects of the 1960s), Bertil Lydén (a teacher who worked together with Skoglund to develop technology education during the 1960s), Ulf Sellergren (who was deeply involved in the curriculum reform studied, mostly engaged in the science subjects), and Gösta Skoglund (national authority for technology education in Sweden in the mid-1960s and the individual who headed the work with the new technology syllabus). These interviews were conducted with Skoglund several times, Lydén a couple of times, and the rest once. Most interviews lasted about half an hour, but the ones with Skoglund up to 2 h.

  3. Such as the making of educational programs for the radio in the areas of laundry, aviation, and mass production in late 1960s. In the area of laundry, the pupils were introduced to the history of laundry, some basic principles of laundry, how these principles had been transformed by new technology, and some basics about modern washing machines, including safety (Granlind et al. 1967). Skoglund was responsible for the educational programs for the radio on the subjects of laundry and aviation, these were made in 1968; that is, after the project and the syllabus. Regarding mass production, a Christmas Goat was to be produced from iron plate and the idea was that this would illustrate some principles of mass production. It became widely used in schools. Interview with Lydén on 20th October, 2008 and 13th October, 2010 (telephone). Interview with Sten Bülow, 4th February, 2009 (telephone). There were also efforts from employers’ associations such as Svensk Verkstadsförening (Swedish Engineering Employers’ Association) who suggested the construction of a plummet, which at the same time would illustrate principles of rationalization and cost effectiveness. Interview with Lydén on 13th October, 2010 (telephone).

  4. At least 10 articles were published about the project in Barometern, most of them in 1966.

  5. Interview with Skoglund on 17th January 2009. According to Skoglund, the glass industry provided the school with a glass oven suited for work in the classroom.

  6. One can read about the making of the film in the local newspaper Barometern (See Skolfilm… 1966). The film was released in March, 1967, according to the newspaper Barometern (Emmabodafilm… 1967).

  7. Interview with Lydén on 20th October, 2008 (telephone).

  8. See footnote 7.

  9. The first appearance of the word in a book title was in 1877. After that it appears 12 times in book titles before 1965, and only one of these, namely, the book above from 1958, uses it in a pedagogical context. The others are related to work and gender issues, such as spheres of work suitable for women. After 1965, the word appears in more than 800 titles. The vast majority of these were published during the 1970s and in a pedagogical context according to the Swedish database Libris.

  10. As Genmarker and Forsberg’s textbooks were phased out and only approach the idea of spheres of work from a very narrow and engineering-focused perspective, I focus on the idea as developed by Skoglund and Lydén.

  11. Interview with Lydén on 20th October, 2008 (telephone); Interview with Forsberg on 29th January, 2009 (telephone).

  12. Interview with Lydén on 4th December, 2008 (telephone).

  13. Interview with Skoglund on 3rd December, 2008 (telephone).

  14. All other main actors of that time that I managed to contact and that are still alive all stressed in some way the utopian character of Skoglund’s ideas independent of each other: Interview with Bert Forsberg on 29th January, 2009 (telephone); Interview with Sten Bülow on 4th February, 2009 (telephone); Interview with Bertil Lydén on 20th October 2008 (telephone); Interview with Barbro Granlind on 12th February, 2009 (telephone).

  15. Interview with Bertil Lydén on 20th October, 2008 (telephone).

  16. Interview with Skoglund on 28th November 2008.

  17. Interview with Bertil Lydén on 13th October 2010 (telephone).

References

  • Ang revision av läroplan för grundskolan. (1965, December 1). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 2.

  • Bonser, F. G., & Mossman, L. C. (1924). Industrial arts for the elementary school. New York: MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bosson-Nordbö, M. (1988). Om reformarbetet. In K. Thorsén (Ed.), Grundskolan 25 år: En jubileumsbok : Skola i utveckling : dokumentation från konferens anordnad av SÖ och Utbildningsförlaget i december 1987. Stockholm: Skolöverstyrelsen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bria. (1967, March 16). Blickfång för skolan. Dagens Nyheter, p. 17.

  • Carlgren, I. (1995). National curriculum as social compromise or discursive politics? Some reflections on a curriculum-making process. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 27(4), 411–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cullert, B. (1986). Med folkskolans pedagogik som riktmärke: Minnesanteckningar från grundskolans tillkomst och första årtionde. Stockholm: Skolöverstyrelsen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cullert, B. (1988). Den pedagogiska debatten. In K. Thorsén (Ed.), Grundskolan 25 år: En jubileumsbok: Skola i utveckling: Dokumentation från konferens anordnad av SÖ och Utbildningsförlaget i december 1987. Stockholm: Skolöverstyrelsen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eggelstone, J. (1994). What is design and technology education? In F. Banks (Ed.), Teaching technology. London & New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eke, M., & Gardner, P. L. (1991). Evaluation of a technology unit in a girls’ primary school. Research in Science Education, 21(1), 65–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elgström, O., & Riis, U. (1990). Läroplansprocesser och förhandlingsdynamik: Exemplet med obligatorisk teknik i grundskolan. Linköping: Linköping University.

    Google Scholar 

  • En exemplifierande förteckning över arbetsområden vid undervisning i orienteringsämnen och tillvalsämnen på grundskolans högstadium. (1967, September 18). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 2.

  • Emmabodafilm visas i Europa. (1967, March 23). Barometern, p. 1.

  • Emmabodapremiär på onsdagen för märklig film på temat glas. (1967, March 23). Barometern.

  • Foster, P. N. (1995). The founders of industrial arts in the US. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1), 6–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Förslag till kursplan med anvisningar och kommentarer i tillvalsämnet teknik. (1968, December 12). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 6.

  • Förslag till kursplanemodell m m för samhällsorienterande och naturorienterande undervisning på grundskolans högstadium. (1966, June 17). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 5.

  • Förteckning över sakkunniga i ämnesgrupper med uppgift att biträda vid en översyn av grundskolans läroplan. (1966, March 1). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 2.

  • Genmarker, K., & Forsberg, B. (1966). Teknisk orientering: Arbetsområde: M. 003: Damsugaren. Stockholm: Tekno’s skolboksförlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginestié, J. (2006). Analysing technology education through curricular evolution and investigation themes. In M. J. de Vries & I. Mottier (Eds.), International handbook of technology education: Reviewing the past twenty years. Rotterdam/Taipei: Sense Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaset i grundskolan. (1965, December 13). Barometern, p. 2.

  • Granlind, B., Lydén, B., & Skoglund, G. (Eds.). (1967). Teknik idag: Vi tvättar: Teknisk orientering åk 9: Skolradio. Stockholm: Sveriges radio, skolmaterial.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halldin Norberg, V. (1977). Swedes in Haile Selassie’s Ethiopia, 1924–1952: A study in early development co-operation. Dissertation.

  • Hedlin, M. (2009). Konstruktionen av kön i skolpolitiska texter 1948–1994, med särskilt fokus på naturvetenskap och teknik. Dissertation.

  • Herschbach, D. R. (1996). “What is past is prologue”: Industrial arts and technology education. Journal of Technology Studies, 22(1), 28–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herschbach, D. R. (1997). From industrial arts to technology education: The eclipse of purpose. Journal of Technology Studies, 23(2), 20–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoepken, G. (2006). Stages of 30 years of technology education in Germany. In M. J. de Vries & I. Mottier (Eds.), International handbook of technology education: Reviewing the past twenty years. Rotterdam/Taipei: Sense Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hultén, M. (2008). Naturens kanon: Formering och förändring av innehållet i folkskolans och grundskolans naturvetenskap 1842–2007. Dissertation.

  • Inbjudan till konferens mellan LÖ-gruppen SPA 6 och 7. (1967, January 19). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 6.

  • ITEA. (2000/2002/2007). Standards for technological literacy: Content for the study of technology. Reston, VA: Author.

  • Jones, A. (2009). The development of technology education internationally. In A. Jones & M. J. de Vries (Eds.), International handbook of research and development in technology education. Rotterdam/Boston/Taipei: Sense Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, A., Buntting, C., & de Vries, M. J. (2011). The developing field of technology education: A review to look forward. International Journal of Technology and Design Education. doi:10.1007/s10798-011-9174-4.

  • “Journalistiskt” arbetssätt prövas i skolundervisningen. (1966, September 15). Barometern, p. 4.

  • Layton, D. (1994). A school subject in the making? The search for fundamentals. In D. Layton (Ed.), Innovations in science and technology education (Vol. V). Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, T. (1999). Research in technology education: Some areas of need. Journal of Technology Education, 10(2), 41–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lövheim, D. (2010). An epistemology of one’s own: Curricular (re-)construction of school technology and non-technology in Sweden, 1975–1995. History of Education, 39(4), 525–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marklund, S. (1982). Skolsverige 1950–1975: Del 2: Försöksverksamheten. Stockholm: Liber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marklund, S. (1987). Skolsverige 1950–1975: Del 5: Läroplaner. Stockholm: Liber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marx, L. (2010). Technology: The emergence of a hazardous concept. Technology and Culture, 51(3), 561–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mirel, J. (2003). Old educational ideas, new american schools: Progressivism and the rhetoric of educational revolution. Paedagogica Historica, 39(4), 477–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nordsjö, B. (Director), Lydén, B. (Writer), & Skoglund, G. (Writer). (1967). Teknisk orientering [Motion picture]. Sweden: National Agency for Education. Available from Swedish national media archive. Archive number in Swedish Media Database (SMDB): Swedish version FI99-0498; English version T98-0577.

  • PM från sakkunniga i ämnesgruppen för hemkunskap och barnavård i samband med översyn av grundskolans läroplan. (1966, August 15). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 2.

  • Premiärvisning i Emmaboda på expertfilm för skolorna. (1967, unknown date). Unknown Daily newspaper (a clip from that time saved by Skoglund).

  • Raizen, S. A. (1997). Making way for technology education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 6(1), 59–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, G. (1983). Drömmen om en ny skola: Idéer och realiteter i svensk skolpolitik 1945–1950. Stockholm: Liber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothstein, B. (1986). Den socialdemokratiska staten—Reformer och förvaltning inom svensk arbetsmarknads—Och skolpolitik. Lund: Arkiv.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schatzberg, E. (2006). Technik comes to America: Changing meanings of technology before 1930. Technology and Culture, 47(3), 486–512.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sellergren, U. (1970). Arbetsområdet—En introduktion. Stockholm: Skolvärldens förlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • SOU 1961:30. (Swedish Government Official Reports).

  • Skoglund, G. (1966). Teknisk orientering. Pedagogiska meddelanden från Skolöverstyrelsen (PM), 3(4), 2–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skolfilm om glas spelas in i Emmaboda grundskola. (1966, December 8). Barometern.

  • Skolöverstyrelsen. (1962). Läroplan för grundskolan. Stockholm: Skolöverstyrelsen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skolöverstyrelsen. (1967). Läroplansöversyn grundskolan. Stockholm: Skolöverstyrelsen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thor, M. (2006a). Inledning. In L. Hansson & M. Thor (Eds.), Muntlig historia. Stockholm: Studentlitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thor, M. (2006b). Muntliga källor och källkritik. In L. Hansson & M. Thor (Eds.), Muntlig historia. Stockholm: Studentlitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Till undervisningsråd och avdelningsdirektörer samt vissa byrådirektörer och skolkonsulenter. (1966, February 03). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 2.

  • Utkast till kursplan i tillvalsämnet teknisk orientering. (1966, June 16). Available from The National Archives (Riksarkivet). Archive: Läroplansarbete för grundskolan, Lgr 69. Archive number: SE/RA/420262/29/F I a, Vol. 6.

  • Vries, M. J. (2006). Two decades of technology education in retrospect. In M. J. de Vries & I. Mottier (Eds.), International handbook of technology education: Reviewing the past twenty years. Rotterdam/Taipei: Sense Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walås, D., & Green, S. (1958). Handledning i hembygdskunskap: Arbetsområden för klass 1. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuga, K. F. (1997). An analysis of technology education in the united states based upon an historical overview and review of contemporary curriculum research. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 7(3), 203–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was financed by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), to which the author is grateful for support. The author would also like to thank Thomas Ginner, Jan-Erik Hagberg, Jonas Hallström and Daniel Lövheim for commenting on earlier versions of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education and Communication in Engineering Science, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    Magnus Hultén

Authors
  1. Magnus Hultén
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Magnus Hultén.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hultén, M. Technology as the language of schooling: utopian visions of technology in Swedish general education in the 1960s. Int J Technol Des Educ 23, 581–595 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-012-9205-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-012-9205-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation