Principals in Sweden face significant challenges. While a national professional training program for principals exists, they operate in vastly different contexts, ranging from preschools to specialized schools and adult education (Portfelt, 2021). Sweden’s 290 municipalities vary significantly in size, population, and economic resources, all of which influence the conditions under which principals work to achieve educational goals (Mufic & Fejes, 2022). This variability is particularly evident in municipal adult education (MAE), where municipalities retain overarching responsibility for education, whether outsourced or managed in-house (Mufic, 2023). Previous research highlights that principals’ perceptions of their roles are shaped by how adult education is organized within their municipality (Bjursell et al., 2015; Portfelt, 2021). Studies have also shown that principals in MAE emphasize its complexity, particularly in navigating the intricate regulatory framework, which—due to its broad guidelines - can be interpreted and implemented differently across municipalities (Bjursell et al., 2015; Holmqvist, Andersson & Muhrman, 2024; Mufic, 2024).  

To improve quality and equity in MAE, the Swedish National Agency for Education (SNAE) has established nationwide networks specifically targeting principals. These networks focus on systematic quality work (SQW) and aim to provide principals with opportunities to meet, exchange experiences, and develop their approaches to quality assurance processes, thereby fostering professional learning. Despite MAE enrolling almost as many students as upper secondary schools (SNAE, 2024), research on this educational sector remains scarce, particularly concerning the new network initiative. Previous studies have highlighted that teacher education does not adequately prepare educators for working with adult learners (Fejes, 2019). Similarly, questions arise regarding the extent to which the national professional training program for principals equips them to lead adult education effectively (Portfelt, 2024).  

Given the demand for insights into the professional learning of MAE principals from both researchers and practitioners, this study investigates how principals’ professional learning manifests during network meetings and identifies the enabling and constraining factors within the network context. The study is guided by the following research questions:  

 1. How do principals’ professional learning practices manifest during network meetings?  

2. What enables or constrains their learning within the network context?  

3. How can these arrangements be reconfigured to better support professional learning?  

The network meetings are conceptualized as a professional practice occurring within a specific time and space. Accordingly, this study employs the theory of practice architectures (TPA) (Kemmis et al., 2014), with a particular focus on how cultural-discursive, material-economic, and social-political arrangements shape principals' professional learning practices. By examining professional learning within the decentralized, market-oriented, and fragmented context of Swedish adult education, this study offers insights of international relevance. 

The expected outcome is a deeper understanding of how professional learning unfolds in network meetings, how structural arrangements enable and constrain principals’ learning, and how these arrangements can be optimized to better support professional development.  

The empirical material for this study comprises observations of a series of network meetings organized by SNAE between 2022 and 2023. Data collection includes observations of ten network meetings focused on systematic quality work (SQW) and the needs of newly arrived students. In total, 15 principals participated in these meetings. Apart from one in-person meeting, all sessions were conducted online, ensuring accessibility for participants across diverse geographic locations. The structure of the meetings varied, incorporating guest lectures, updates on recent policy changes, and open discussions where participants engaged with one another, raised questions, and shared perspectives on key topics. This flexible structure fostered active dialogue, enabling participants to exchange practical experiences and strategies relevant to their local contexts. A non-participatory observational approach (Cooper & Schindler, 2001) was employed, with the researcher acting as a passive observer to document the meetings without influencing their content. Detailed observational notes were taken during each session. This methodological choice allowed for the capture of ‘in situ’ insights into both verbal and non-verbal dynamics of discussion and decision-making within a collaborative educational setting (Wellington, 2015). However, participants were aware of the researcher's presence, which may have influenced their interactions and discussions. All participants were informed about the study’s purpose, and written consent was obtained. Since no sensitive personal data was collected, ethical approval was not required, in accordance with the guidelines of the Swedish Research Council (2024). Data were analyzed using the theory of practice architectures (Kemmis et al., 2014). The analysis involved coding data into TPA’s sayings, doings, and relatings to identify the surrounding arrangements that shape principals’ professional learning within the network context. Particular attention was given to how these arrangements enable and constrain learning, addressing the first and second research questions. Building on these findings, further analysis examines how the arrangements could be reconfigured to enhance and better support professional learning in the network context, addressing the third research question.

This study aims to deepen the understanding of how professional learning unfolds in network meetings, how structural arrangements both enable and constrain principals’ professional learning, and how these arrangements can be optimized to better support professional development. Network meetings emerge as critical platforms for professional learning, providing principals with opportunities to share experiences, reflect on policy obligations, and navigate competing demands. These collaborative spaces foster the development of locally adapted strategies while addressing the ambiguities inherent in policy frameworks. Through collective discussions, principals engage in meaning-making processes that shape their leadership practices. However, while network meetings facilitate experience-sharing and policy reflection, they may also impose constraints on deeper learning. In some cases, discussions may lack critical engagement with practice, systematic analysis of professional challenges, and structured experimentation with new approaches – which may affect the professional learning. To enhance the effectiveness of network meetings, their design could be refined to better support systematic learning and leadership development. This may involve strengthening the sociopolitical arrangements that define the networks’ purpose and fostering a shared professional language by adjusting cultural-discursive arrangements. Furthermore, this study highlights how principals adapt evaluation and review practices to the unique conditions of their municipalities. By focusing on municipal adult education (MAE), the study contributes to a broader understanding of leadership in adult education, addressing a significant gap in both research and practice.

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