Collaboration at the intersection of policy, practice, and professional identity: Governance and degree learning outcomes in four Swedish professional higher education programmes

Abstract

This article examines how collaboration-related degree learning outcomes are inter­preted, implemented, and assessed within four Swedish professional education pro­grammes: the social work programme, the subject teacher programme, the special needs education programme, and the health care counselling programme. Drawing on neo-institutional theory and a governance perspective, the study analyses 30 semi-structured interviews with programme directors from 21 universities using qualitative content analysis. The findings show that collaboration is framed as a self-evident core compe­tence but is translated differently across programmes. Three cross-cutting patterns emerge: (1) professional logics shape local interpretations, giving divergent meanings to similar outcomes; (2) organisational structures, such as timetables, course architecture, and placements, indirectly govern opportunities for collaboration; and (3) assessment practices often privilege reflection over action, shifting responsibility to supervisors in placement and field-based learning contexts. These patterns reveal how governance and professional logics jointly shape opportunities for students to develop collaborative competence. The study concludes that authentic, practice-based learning and assessment designs supported by coherent organisational and policy conditions are crucial for achie­ving functional equivalence across institutions. The results underline the need for policies and resource support that bridge the gap between formal outcomes and educa­tional practice, creating equitable conditions for students’ development of collaborative competence.