Research projects
Lifelong learning concerns us all. In a rapidly changing world, learning is our starting point. The complexity and interdependence of government, civil society, and the business sector calls for an integrated approach. In this context, Academica is shaping a new segment of educational offerings: robust, accredited, blended, modular training at higher vocational (HBO) level for outstanding professionals, aimed at creating added value.
Academica is an accredited institute of higher education. “Knowledge precedes skills” is the design principle guiding all our educational activities. We provide high-quality, evidence-informed education and professional development programs.
- 65 educational programs
- 1 MBA, 2 Masters
- More than 2000 students per year
- 12 researchers in total
Research project office team
Laurence Guérin & Javid Jafarov
To reach or contact us for research collaboration, please send a mail to Laurence Guérin or Javid Jafarov.
Research for Impact
Research for Impact’s vision is to achieve sustainable school development in which research is closely intertwined with educational practice. Through research, Academica University of Applied Sciences will contribute to the further professionalization and improvement of educational quality. Research for Impact’s unique strength is that it not only focuses on effectiveness (evidence-informed and research-informed across various domains, including cognitive psychology), but also on what is just (ethics and law). This combination ensures a special interpretation of sustainability, which is a fundamental value and driving force behind our work.
With our practice-based research, guided by leading professors, we collaborate with school boards, principals, teachers, and communities to achieve sustainable improvements in educational practice—from the boardroom to the classroom.
We always start from a specific question arising from the educational field. Together with schools, educational and research institutions, we conduct research in which we develop evidence-informed interventions that perfectly match the specific context of each school or program. We do this in collaboration with primary schools, secondary schools, and vocational secondary schools), focusing on a wide range of topics, such as effective learning, didactics, educational ethics, pedagogical issues (e.g., labeling), professional learning communities, school culture, educational leadership, parent engagement, citizenship education, democratic culture, behavior, and more.
Ongoing research projects
YOUROPE (Horizon Grant)
Research leaders: Professor Laurence Guérin and Javid Jafarov
Visionary Roadmaps: Crafting an Inclusive and Participatory European Democracy with Youth and Communities – Youth for Europe / YOUROPE
Main objectives:
This project aims to demonstrate the efficacy of the 'Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA)' methodology to foster democratic spaces and engender concomitant roadmaps to inclusive European policymaking with especially underrepresented young citizens and their communities. This is crucial for crafting robust and resilient future scenarios, enabling Europe to effectively respond to rapidly evolving societal contexts, a multitude of internal and global challenges, and shifting power dynamics. This action develops these roadmaps through a progressive, large-scale engagement with especially underrepresented young citizens and their communities, recognizing that youth-led participation is a strategic objective for the European Union. To achieve this goal, this action sets out to examine the effectiveness of the innovative 'Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA)' methodology in creating and nurturing democratic spaces within educational settings. It will also examine how these efforts can contribute to the development of sustainable and inclusive democratic roadmaps, extending from local democratic spaces to the level of European policymaking. This initiative is designed to bolster the long-term inclusive participation of young people and their communities, especially those from underrepresented groups, in efforts to create a more inclusive, resilient and representative European democracy.
Website YOUROPE
Parental involvement
Research leader: Professor Peter de Vries
Research Project 1: Effective School Leadership in Collaborating with ParentsThis project aims to investigate how school leaders can best foster collaboration between schools and parents. In close consultation with the principal, it explores what the existing body of scientific literature reveals about effective leadership in parent-school collaboration, how colleagues and parents perceive the principal’s current leadership approach, and what specific measures the principal can take to reduce stress and improve job satisfaction—even in challenging situations. Through this research, the project seeks to generate insights that empower school leaders to develop and sustain constructive partnerships with parents, ultimately contributing to a more supportive and engaged educational environment.
Research Project 2: Efficient Collaboration with ParentsFocusing on strategies for efficient parent-school collaboration, this project examines both home-based and school-based forms of parental involvement. It investigates which approaches are already in use at the school, how these are perceived by students, teachers, and parents, which activities may be overly burdensome or unproductive for teachers, and what new collaborative practices could be implemented to maximize perceived benefits. By exploring these questions, the project helps schools refine their approach to engaging parents, reduce unnecessary strain on teachers, and enhance overall educational outcomes.
Buurtmavo
Research leader: Professor Laurence Guérin in collaboration with The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Progresso, a secondary school and Foundation Saaam have joined forces to pursue community wealth building in order to give the students of Lumion and Calandlyceum a stronger starting position in society. We are convinced that the mothers of the students represent a source of (undiscovered) potential and talent. That is why we have formed a micro-alliance that draws on the involvement of mothers to help increase prosperity and well-being in and around both schools. This research project focusses on the Buurtmavo project, for which Academica has developed a homework support program. This research project investigates how the homework support program contributes to expanding social networks and improving the economic position of the mothers participating.
Behavior in Crisis in Education: Scope of the Problem and Consequences for Educational Quality
Research leaders: Professor Tom Bennett and Professor Orhan Agirdag
Visionary This exploratory study investigates the significance of classroom behavior, focusing on how disruptive conduct impacts learning outcomes, school belonging, and the teacher shortage in Dutch secondary education. Although these aspects have received limited attention in the Netherlands, recent PISA and TIMSS findings highlight the need to address them more thoroughly. Large-scale data indicate that behavioral issues exert considerable influence not only on students’ academic performance but also on the broader educational climate. By comparing the Dutch context with data from England, the research underscores the urgency of tackling these challenges. In addition, it offers practical, evidence-based approaches to mitigate the negative effects of disruptive behavior. These findings aim to inform educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders about strategies to foster higher educational quality and a more positive school environment.
Starting research projects
PhD Research on High Expectation
With researcher Sonja Broerse.
PhD Research on Citizenship Education in Vocational Education
With researcher Ward van der Meiden.
Upcoming research projects
Accessibility of Higher Education
Research leader for Academica: Professor Laurence Guérin in collaboration with the Foundation VISIO, The Hague University of Applied Sciences and The University of Utrecht of Applied Sciences
Despite progress in assistive technology for people with visual impairments, their labor force participation remains significantly lower than the general population. This gap contributes to high societal costs, mostly due to reduced productivity. Beyond difficulties in finding or keeping a job, many visually impaired people work fewer hours or in positions for which they are overqualified. Education level is a key predictor of employment, yet even with existing legal frameworks (e.g., the UN Convention, EAA, Marrakesh Treaty), institutions and organizations often fail to meet accessibility requirements, leaving these individuals’ theoretical right to study and work unmet in practice. The primary objective of this research project is to improve access to higher education for partially sighted and blind students. This particularly applies to (vocational) programs that, due to the nature of the profession—such as physical therapy or teacher training (PABO)—are not automatically accessible to partially sighted and blind students.
Erasmus plus
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