The field of educational science displays some specific features that are closely intertwined with temporal and spatial contexts, historical and educational knowledge, the need for reform, and scientific self-reflection. This paper investigates the impact of various contextual factors on the history of educational science in Sweden, covering the period from the 1910s to the 2020s. In the early 20th century, the first education professors primarily came from backgrounds in psychology and philosophy. Their scholarly work focused on exploring the historical evolution of educational thought, delving into influential figures such as Descartes, Rousseau, The Jesuits, and various teaching and learning practices. This early historical discourse played a key role in legitimising education as a structured domain of knowledge with a rich tradition.
Another notable aspect of historiography in education arose concurrently with the comprehensive school reforms of the mid-20th century. The story that enveloped these reforms, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, was closely tied to the idea of ‘social engineering’ in education. This branch of historiography aimed to corroborate the reforms and the ever-growing nexus between educational science and policy. Over the subsequent decades, there was a rising interest in education within the History faculty, with a focus on micro and social aspects. However, there was little attention paid to the role and development of educational science. Currently, there is a new approach to the history of educational science that can be seen, encompassing its knowledge production from both a global, transnational perspective and a social constructivist viewpoint and thus introducing a self-reflection both in educational science and historiography.