Academic success among high school students in focus for her research

Carina Carlhed Ydhag, professor at the Department of Education. Photo: Simon Ydhag

”In the past, I have done research on how knowledge and expertise are organised in larger fields in society, especially how new professional fields can emerge at the intersection between, for example, the medical, educational and social fields. In recent years, I have become interested in how we understand academic success and study interruption, both as something that education policy is interested in but also in how it is measured. In a recently completed project, we had the opportunity to follow 52 successful high school students with different social and cultural backgrounds over time. What was in focus were their own stories about why they succeed well at school and what support they had from their social networks and whether the networks also work in the transition to further studies or to working life. We have been able to analyze what served as their driving forces and how it can be related to their social and cultural background. This year I have started a project that deals with school culture, about how it can contribute to academic success for schools in vulnerable areas.”

How did you get into this?

”Basically, I have always been interested in how different kinds of ‘we’ versus ‘them’ are created. When it comes to school culture that can promote academic success, it is influenced by things like how students create meaning in making an effort in school. How is belonging created, for example, as part of a ‘we’ in school and also as part of belonging to society? Or you can express it as how the students’ ’I’ relates to a ‘we’ in the school and in the society”.

How does your research contribute to society?

”I think it is interesting for many people to learn how groups of experts and professionals ‘compete’ for areas of expertise and the relationship between knowledge and power. As for my other research interest, there are probably many people who are interested in learning how students themselves create motivation and what role other people have in it. In my research on young people’s academic success, I was surprised by how much fear and negative emotions drive them to perform well in school, this is something that is rarely talked about.”

This year's Inauguration and conferment ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall will take place on 29 September. Photo: Ingmarie Andersson

Inauguration and Conferment ceremony in the City Hall

Carina Carlhed Ydhag is one of the new professors who were employed during 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023. All new professors who took office during this period are invited to the Inauguration and conferment ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall 29 September 2023. The professorial installation is the occasion when the new professors are welcomed to the university and their different subject areas are brought to attention.

Read more about Carina Carlhed Ydhag’s research.