Science in School-Age Educare: Teachers’ Experiences in the Mangling of a Didactic Model

The present study examines teachers’ experiences of using a didactic model for teaching science content in the Extended Education setting of Swedish school-age educare (SAEC). The model was developed based on previous studies of what science education can entail in this context. Eight teachers from two SAECs participated in a mangling process. In this study, mangling refers to the iterative testing, accommodation, and refinement of a didactic model in practice. The process was carried out through workshops, focus group discussions, and teaching activities during the 2023/2024 academic year. The empirical material consisted of audio recordings from focus group discussions with the teachers, which were analysed thematically in relation to Pickering’s theory, the mangle of practice, and the concepts of what works, resistance, and accommodation. The results show themes related to what teachers experienced as supportive, what forms of resistance they encountered, and the accommodations they suggested to further develop the model. The findings contribute to knowledge about how the model functions and how it can be further developed. They also contribute to an understanding of how teachers’ contributions can play a central role in the mangling of didactic models.