Karin Larsson-Hult

Briefly about me

I hold a PhD in Sociology and work as a Lecturer in Education at Mid Sweden University's campus in Sundsvall. Currently, I am involved in two research projects and primarily teach in the preschool teacher and behavioral science programs. My research interests include norms, power, and values within the education system, and I am increasingly focusing on children's living conditions and preschool research.

Background

I hold a Master's degree in "Education: Leadership, Management and Change" from Middlesex University in London, England, and a Bachelor's degree with a major in Gender Studies from the University of Gothenburg.

My Master's program focused on action research as a method, and for my Master's thesis, I conducted my own action research project. In this project, I developed support materials for women in psychiatric clinics to aid in their personal and professional development.

Area of interest

My research areas combine questions from both education and sociology, currently addressing topics such as "a school for all," justice, inclusion, power, discourses, special education, student health, and youth marginalization. At present, I am interested in research on preschool, young children, special education, and children's own voices.

Research

My ongoing research focuses on school health work and youth marginalization in relation to the labor market and higher education. My previous research primarily consists of my dissertation, which addresses the area of "a school for all," discourses, justice, and inclusion. Additionally, I am currently interested in research within preschool and early childhood, particularly in relation to special education and children's own voices about their lives.

Ongoing Research on School Health
From January 2024 to December 2025, I am participating in the two-year project "Conditions for School Health Teams' Work with Students in Need of Special Support – Two Schools' Organization in Relation to Students' Conditions and Life Situations." The project leader is Jonny Bergman, senior lecturer in social work at Mid Sweden University. The project is conducted in collaboration with Sundsvall Municipality. In this project, we study the school health work at two elementary schools to examine their conditions. We attend meetings with the school health teams and interview the team members. Part of the project involves an interactive approach where we have recurring reflection meetings with the school health teams to present and discuss our preliminary results. Results will be presented in an end report, scientific articles and at scientific conferences.

Ongoing Research on Youth Marginalization
I am participating in the three-year project "Create Your Future," which runs from the fall of 2023 to spring 2026. The project is funded by the European Social Fund. The aim is to increase youth employment in central Norrland through higher education and entry into the labor market. This is achieved by creating network models for collaboration in working with young people and promoting the digital tool Skilloon, which is used with young people for personal and professional development. Results will be presented in an end report, scientific articles and at scientific conferences.

Future Research Interests
I am increasingly drawn to research related to preschool activities and early childhood. I am interested in research that highlights children's own voices, for example, in relation to special education and what children themselves perceive as important in their lives. I am currently in the process of starting a Nordic network for special education in preschool.

My Previous Research on the Idea of "A School for All"
In the fall of 2023, I defended my PhD in Sociology with the dissertation "A School for All, is it? On Discursive Dilemmas in an (Im)possible Value Project." The dissertation is based on an ethnographic case study focusing on how the idea of "a school for all" is translated through a project at a secondary school. I followed a four-year project where the school's health team was responsible for planning and implementing a project to become "a school for all." In this, I examined how the idea of "a school for all" is translated from global to national policy documents and further into local practice, as well as various discursive dilemmas that arose in this work.

In summary, I argue that different ways of understanding the world shape the idea of what "a school for all" is and how this work should be carried out. This means that dilemmas arise, where there are different ways to handle the work, each of which risks having negative consequences. I conclude that it is impossible for schools today to be "for all." Instead, I propose the concept of "a school for everyone's learning" and a model with three dimensions to understand what shapes schools' opportunities to be "for all."

Together with the artist Henric Wallmark, I have created an illustrated summary of my study, which can be read via the link below.

Teaching and tutoring

My teaching primarily takes place in the preschool teacher program and the behavioral science program. A significant part of my teaching involves supervising thesis at the C-level and reports at the B-level. Additionally, I teach about norms, norm critique, and intersectionality, as well as power and the education system. I also conduct seminars related to literature and the thesis work.

Previously, I have experience teaching in the social science program on issues of class, gender, and ethnicity, as well as in the subject of gender studies.

An important aspect of my teaching is building relationships, creating safe spaces, and providing clear instruction where students are actively engaged in their own learning.

Other information

I am involved in the interdisciplinary research forum Forum for Gender Studies at Mid Sweden University.

I am also part of an interdisciplinary team that has developed an app against suppression techniques. The app is called Power Up and is available in the App Store and (soon) on Google Play. More information can be found on our Facebook page.

Conference contributions

Larsson Hult, K. (2025). Researching Special Education in Preschools in the Nordic Countries: a Literature Review. Presented at NERA (Nordic Educational Research Association), Helsinki, Finland, March 7-9, 2025.

Larsson Hult, K. (2022). Akademisk gemenskap. Presented at the g22: Att forma en hoppfull framtid i osäkra tider: Genusforskningens utmaningar och möjligheter, Karlstad, Sverige 25-28 oktober, 2022.

Larsson Hult, K. (2021). Grades Or Wellbeing? Translating Policy On Inclusive Education In Sweden. Presented at the ESA 2021: Sociological Knowledges for Alternative Futures.

Larsson Hult, K. (2017). Fundamental values in Swedish schools - following the work around. Presented at the 13th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Athens, Greece, 2017.

Other

Link to the illustrated summary of my dissertation

Research projects

Current

Conditions for student health teams’ work with pupils in need of special support