Abstract
This paper shows the results of a research study whose objective was to analyze the way in which public policies produce, or not, changes in the social environment they are aimed at. The normative change that has regulated the implementation of the competences pedagogical approach in Spain is specifically addressed. A procedural vision is adopted and the policies are analyzed from the views of several actors involved at the micro level. A qualitative method was used, and multiples case studies were carried out in primary and secondary education schools in three different autonomous communities. The results show a considerable gap between the normative intentions and what really has taken place within the classrooms of the educational schools. Conclusions suggest the need for reflecting on the way in which public policies are conceived and developed.
Education policy; Education change; Basic competences; Education reforms; Case study