Research projects

Impact of State Funding on Education, 1990–2025: An Analysis of Academic Outcomes and Student Well-being, Focusing on Students With and Without ADHD

We investigate how state resources to schools have been allocated over time and how this has affected students' results and well-being. Financed by the Swedish Research Council: SEK 5.2 million for four years. Keywords: government grants, school funding, ADHD, history of education, social medicine.

Description

This project investigates the impact of state financial contributions to Swedish primary education from 1990 to 2025, focusing on student academic performance and well-being, with a comparative analysis of those diagnosed with ADHD and their non-ADHD peers. Despite increased state funding aimed at improving equity, Swedish student equity has declined.

This study examines: a) state financial and strategic measures, b) municipal and independent school finances and operations, and c) academic performance and well-being of students with ADHD compared to their peers. Utilizing empirical data from Statistiska centralbyrån (Statistics Sweden), Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education), Kammarkollegiet (the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency), kommunala arkiv (municipal archives), and Socialstyrelsens patient- och läkemedelsregister (the National Board of Health and Welfare’s patient and drug registers), the project employs time-series regression, instrument variable analysis, and qualitative analyses.

The research questions address the variation in state funding and resources over time, the relationship between resource form and school operations, and the academic and well-being outcomes for students with ADHD. The findings aim to provide insights into resource utilization and inform improved educational practices, contributing to a better understanding of how state funding affects student outcomes, especially for vulnerable groups.

Financiers

Selected publications

Samuelsson, Johan och Michaëlsson, Madeleine (2022) “Financement de l´éducation progressiste (1891–1954): un cas suédois”, Histoire de l’éducation, vol 157, no 1.

Michaëlsson, Madeleine, Yuan, Shuai, Melhus, Håkan, Baron, John A, Byberg, Liisa, Larsson, Susanna C. & Michaëlsson, Karl (2022) “The impact and causal directions for the associations between diagnosis of ADHD, socioeconomic status and intelligence by use of a bi-directional two-sample Mendelian randomization design”, BMC Medicine 20:106.

Samuelsson, Johan, Michaëlsson, Madeleine. “Funding of Progressive Education, 1891–1954: A Swedish Case”, Nordic Journal of Educational History, 2022, Vol. 8, No. 2.

Michaëlsson, Madeleine (2021) “Introduktion”, Utbildning & Lärande / Education & Learning, vol. 15, No. 3, 5–7.

Michaëlsson, Madeleine (2021) ”John i bruksskolan”, Ingår i: Utbildningshistoriska meddelanden, Uppsala universitet.

Yuan, Shuai, Xiong, Ying, Michaëlsson, Madeleine, Michaëlsson, Karl, Larsson, Susanna (2021) “Genetically predicted education attainment in relation to somatic and mental health”, i Scientific Reports, vol 11, nr 1.

Michaëlsson, Madeleine (2013), ”Kritiska rön om ADHD-diagnostisering. Rapport från ESSHC- konferensen i Glasgow 2012”, Socialmedicinsk Tidskrift, Vol. 90:3, s. 336–338.

Project overview
Project period
2026-01-01 — 2029-12-31
Project status
Planned
Members
  • Bodil Svennblad, Uppsala University