Policy Enactment from the Inside. How School Leaders and Teachers Enact and Navigate German Language Policy in Austrian Schools

Austria introduced a policy of segregated language support for students with insufficient proficiency in German in 2018/2019. This study examines how school leaders and teachers enact this policy and the moral conflicts they experience. Based on 11 qualitative interviews, thematic analysis identified three key themes: systemic failures affecting students, moral conflicts and acts of resistance, and systemic pressure on participants. The findings highlight tensions between the necessity to enact policy, even when professional values do not correspond. The study participants demonstrate reparative agency, but nevertheless require stronger systemic support to manage the challenges associated with enacting language policies.