Pontus Bäckström

Research

Pontus' research interests focus on what is happening in the classroom when teachers teach their classes, bur also the conditions surrounding teachers’ instruction. Why do teachers do what they do? The research hereby also connects to areas such as school segregation, peer effects and teachers’ instructional practices.

In his doctoral thesis, Pontus studied the mechanisms behind peer effects. The study revealed that peer affects amongst other arises through the steering and limiting effect class composition has upon the teachers’ instruction.

Awards

European Educational Research Association (EERA), ERC Best Paper Award 2020, for the paper “The Mechanisms of Peer-Effects in Education: A Frame-factor Analysis of Instruction”.

Background

Pontus is a certified teacher in social sciences and philosophy. A part of a career as a secondary school teacher, he has worked for the Swedish School Inspectorate and the Swedish Ministry of Education. Parallel to being affiliated to HLK, he works for Swedish Teachers’ Union. Pontus also leads a governmental inquiry.