Scientific basis and teaching of values: a survey of politicians’, central bureaucrats’, and teachers’ interpretations

The study examined how legislators, central bureaucrats, and teachers interpret the Swedish School Act's formulation that education should be based on science. A special focus was on education about values. The study was conducted using informant interviews with representatives of the political, central bureaucratic, and teacher level. The results show that there are conflicting conclusions both within and between representatives as to whether the legal requirement, that education should be based on science, is relevant to value education. The lack of clarity about how the legal requirement should be interpreted in relation to value education is problematic for at least two reasons. Firstly, it is problematic if the meaning of a law, which is the state's strongest form of regulation, is unclear. Secondly, the unclarity can threaten the legitimacy of the state's exercise of power.