ICT-use, educational policy and changes in pedagogical paradigms in compulsory education in Denmark: from a lifelong learning paradigm to a traditional paradigm?

For years, increased use of ICT in education and training has been part of the Danish education policy, and the number of computers in schools and the actual use of ICT have grown. At the same time, school leaders' and teachers' pedagogical paradigm in primary and lower secondary schools seems to be changing from a lifelong learning paradigm (focussed on student-centred, active, and autonomous leaning) to a more traditional paradigm (focussed on curriculum-centred teaching and instructions). The aim of this paper is to describe this development in relation to the way ICT is used as well as to changes in educational policy. Beck and Beck-Gernsheim's (2002) theory about ‘institutionalized individualization' as characteristic of the reflexive society serves as a theoretical framework for better understanding the observed changes.