Between Innovation and Regulation: Stakeholder Misalignment in Technology-Based Self-Directed Learning Policy in the Lithuanian

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to examine the attitudes among key policy stakeholders regarding technology-based self-directed learning in Lithuania as a learning innovation, with a focus on how tensions between innovation and policy regulation hinder the creation of a common understanding. b) design/methodology/approach Methodology. This study employed a qualitative research design to explore the key factors shaping TSDL in Lithuanian high schools and to inform educational policymaking. Data were collected through 14 semi-structured interviews conducted with representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, school leaders, teachers, and parents, ensuring a multistakeholder perspective. The semi-structured interview were organised into six core thematic blocks: 1.) current pedagogical practices; 2.) the use of digital technologies in the learning process; 3.) TBSDL as a pedagogical approach, investigating whether and how TBSDL is encouraged in schools, how it is implemented in practice; 4.) challenges and barriers to implementation; 5.) educational policy and governance; 6.) school autonomy and future development.