Education research at Maastricht University

Source: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/node/38946/education-research-maastricht-university Parent: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/

In collaboration with the faculties, EDLAB-Maastricht University Centre for Teaching & Learning aims to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning at UM by enhancing visibility, vitality and sustainability of UM's existing culture and practice of education research and innovation.

We achieve this via:

Expertise: We communicate about UM education research internally and externally, and we conduct meta-research on UM education innovation and education research.\ Support: We fund and facilitate research projects, and we offer professional development workshops to foster understanding of and engagement in education research.\ Community: We organise events and communities of practice to connect education researchers and strengthen the UM education research network.

We are guided in our work by the EDLAB Education Research Sounding Board (ERSB), a group of representatives from all UM faculties who share passion and vision for cultivating UM education research.

Please contact Alice Pan, EDLAB Coordinator for Education Research for more information.

Go directly to:

UM education research news\ Education research in collaboration: video series\ EDLAB education research programmes & events\ Photo gallery from education research events\ EDLAB's education research vision & mission\ UM education research overview & resources

EDLAB invites Maastricht University staff to apply for an EDLAB education research grant of up to €10,000,-. Application deadline: 17 April 2026.

Read the Call for Proposals 2026

Download the proposal template 2026

UM education research news

Call for proposals open: turn your education research idea into reality!

EDLAB invites Maastricht University staff to apply for an EDLAB education research grant of up to €10,000.

You’re human too! Making tutorial sessions at UM more inclusive

How can tutors make small-group learning at UM genuinely inclusive? In this article, Boukje Compen highlights small, practical steps tutors can take to help students connect, create a safe learning environment, and learn from each other’s perspectives.

New video series: Education research in collaboration

EDLAB has released a new three-part video series, Education research in collaboration, highlighting how researchers and teaching staff work together to strengthen education through evidence-based innovation.

Opening Academic Year: Ellen Bastiaens on PBL and the Future of Learning

The academic year 2025/26 opened on 1 September with a programme at Theater aan het Vrijthof themed UM Innovates – today’s education, tomorrow’s skills . Ellen Bastiaens, Director of EDLAB, spoke about the enduring role of PBL and how it can guide us in shaping education in a world where AI is becoming...

UM Education Days 2025 recap: "Learning never stops"

From inspiring keynotes to bold classroom experiments, this year’s edition reminded us all: Learning never stops.

Education research in collaboration: video series

This three-part video series explores how research and practice go hand in hand to improve teaching and learning. Each episode follows a different project showing how researchers and teaching staff work together to strengthen education through evidence-based innovation.

By documenting these projects, the series illustrates why collaboration is essential in education research. It demonstrates how combining expertise, research methods and practical experience leads to insights that directly enhance Maastricht University’s distinctive Problem-Based Learning model.

Carla Haelermans & Patrick Bijsmans

Understanding the international classroom

Therese Grohnert & Laurie Delnoij

Guiding the thesis journey: Research-based tools for students and supervisors

Guiding the thesis journey: Research-based tools for students and supervisors

Therese Grohnert & Laurie Delnoij

Boukje Compen & Diana Dolmans

Moving beyond intuition: Education research in practice

Moving beyond intuition: Education research in practice

Boukje Compen & Diana Dolmans

• [Carla Haelermans & Patrick Bijsmans

Understanding the international classroom](#section-f17a5da2-c6cd-4cd8-8ed5-fd95f27ebb17-1 "Understanding the international classroom") - [Therese Grohnert & Laurie Delnoij

Guiding the thesis journey: Research-based tools for students and supervisors](#section-f17a5da2-c6cd-4cd8-8ed5-fd95f27ebb17-2 "Guiding the thesis journey: Research-based tools for students and supervisors") - [Boukje Compen & Diana Dolmans

Moving beyond intuition: Education research in practice](#section-f17a5da2-c6cd-4cd8-8ed5-fd95f27ebb17-3 "Moving beyond intuition: Education research in practice")

EDLAB education research programmes & events

EDLAB education research grants

EDLAB annually invites Maastricht University staff to apply for an EDLAB education research grant à €10,000. The aim of this grant is to stimulate both academic and support staff to conduct short-term education research on a topic related to teaching & learning at UM.

More about the grants

EDLAB education research training trajectory

In the academic year 2025-2026, EDLAB will offer a series of professional development workshops for:\ \ EDLAB education research grant applicants/recipients\ Anyone interested in engaging further in conducting education research\ Anyone interested in learning how to connect education research with practice

EDLAB education research fellowship programme

EDLAB supports six up-and-coming education researchers in 12-18 month projects investigating topics relevant for Maastricht University education innovation.

Meet the 2023-25 fellows...

Education research at the UM Education Days

Education research is thoroughly integrated into the UM Education Days, an annual celebration of teaching and learning at Maastricht University, hosted by EDLAB. It is a magnificent two days of being inspired and inspiring others as part of the research ↔︎ teaching continuum.

Photo gallery from education research events

More than 60 UM staff gathered on 26 March 2025 at the StayOkay Hostel to participate in the first UM Education Research Day, hosted by EDLAB.

EDLAB Education Research Fellows presented their research projects, invited input on key questions, and engaged participants in thought provoking discussion in a 'gallery walk' workshop during the UM Education Days 2024.

Prof. Anique de Bruin facilited a workshop during the UM Education Days 2023 based on her research on self-regulated learning.

Prof. Emilie Sitzia and Assoc. Prof. Anna Harris facilitated a workshop during the UM Education Days 2023 inspired by their Comenius leadership project on Senses-Based Learning.

UM Education Days 2023 participants discovered meaningful connections between educational research, educational design, and teaching practice.

PhD candidate René Bräuer presented his research on creativity coaching during the 2022 Learning & Innovation conference at EDLAB.

Prof. Trudie Schils facilitated a workshop on challenges faced by first-generation university students during the 2022 Learning & Innovation Conference at EDLAB.

EDLAB's education research vision & mission

"Education research and innovation go hand-in-hand"

-Ellen Bastiaens, EDLAB Director

EDLAB’s centralised position within UM makes it uniquely capable of building UM's education research network and connecting it with education research at other institutions, as well as nationally and internationally.

EDLAB's activities in the domain of education research contribute to its overall mission of fostering a vibrant teaching and learning community at UM, through its focus on developing infrastructure and activities serving the needs of UM’s education researchers and their work. 

EDLAB’s dedication to sustainable quality of education at UM makes developing timely solutions for education challenges one of its core activities. The education research domain supports this by initiating timely and relevant research projects, and overseeing the translation of research findings into meaningful and actionable content for UM’s teaching staff.

UM education research overview & resources

UM's culture & practice of education research

edUMap: an interactive map of UM education research

edUMap: an interactive map of UM education research

Taking an integrated top-down and bottom-up approach, we are in the process of creating a visual and interactive map of UM education research and researchers to strengthen this network and facilitate interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Links to education research in UM faculties

Links to education research in UM faculties

• UM's culture & practice of education research
• edUMap: an interactive map of UM education research
• Links to education research in UM faculties