Working in Education | HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

The Research Group on Working in Education contributes to strengthening the profession of professionals who work in education on a broad scale. We examine how (future) educational professionals can continue their professional development within school organizations that function as both learning environments and workplaces that function as workplaces that potentially facilitate learning, for the realization of an attractive profession and good education.

Our research is practice-oriented and, where possible, conducted in collaboration with educational professionals. We examine educational professionals’ learning and acting at various levels within the school organization, paying attention to the interconnections between these levels.

This research line examines the professional development of educational professionals and teams. Within this research line, we aim to gain a better understanding of how ongoing professional development can be promoted and supported.

This research line focuses on the school organization as a workplace with learning potential. We view the school organization as a place where educational professionals work and ideally learn on the job for the benefit of an attractive profession and good education. We examine whether and how schools can organize work in education differently or more efficiently so that working, learning, and development benefits all levels of the school, including pupils/students.

The research group will collaborate with teacher education programmes, HR, and Higher Vocational Education teachers, and will work on the focus point Education at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. Our research is a collaboration between education professionals (teachers, managers, supporting roles), researchers and students, and is carried out on the basis of questions from the field.

In the context of “Samen Lerend”, one of the areas of expertise at HU, the research group collaborates with a large number of partners, educational programs, and knowledge institutions. These include the HU Institute for Education and Orthopedagogy (IvOO), Instituut Archimedes, Teaching & Learning Network (TLN), regional schools and school boards, as well as Utrecht University and the Marnix Academy.