Research of the Education and Learning Sciences Group

Research approach

Research of ELS focuses on the interfaces and transitions between education and work, and between academia and society by means of co-creation, learning and collaboration between different stakeholders or partners in learning: a wide variety of partners is included in the design, implementation, and evaluation of learning (teachers, learners, professionals, management, etc.). Rather than focusing on either learning scenarios, learning environments, learning processes or learning outcomes, ELS research focuses always on a combination of these elements, and on their interplay. ELS is interested in learning scenarios and environments that contribute to and support the development of the aforementioned competencies or qualities. Important topics and areas of ELS expertise are boundary crossing, collaborative learning, hybrid learning contexts or learning ecosystems, learning infused or enriched with ICT, and learning in authentic, rich, and complex contexts. ELS aims to understand how learning processes can be designed and understood in terms of continuing learning pathways or scenarios, and how they can be supported by materials, tools, artefacts, ICT or other sources, such as teachers, supervisors, coaches or peers and colleagues.

Research context

The context of ELS research is formed by the worlds of education and society (including the labour market and civic organizations). As far as education is concerned, ELS particularly focuses on higher education (with a specific lens on Wageningen University and the 4TU, the cooperation of Dutch technical universities), secondary education and vocational education. Often, multiple of these contexts, and in particular transitions or interfaces between contexts are the focal point. ELS research has an international orientation: not only the national context is being studied, but also international contexts, including emergent economies.

Research methods

Although research questions are leading for the choice of methods employed in ELS studies, certain theoretical foundations, designs and methods of research are more common than others. Most research uses socio-constructivism, dynamic systems theory, activity theory or self-determination as their starting point and is conducted ‘in situ’, in the authentic context, and phenomena are studied as they occur in practice. This means that much of the research can be typified as action-based or participatory, as design-based, as intervention studies or as monitoring and evaluation research. ELS research uses traditional as well as more innovative and participatory data collection methods. Research often collects data at different levels or across different time frames. More contemporary methods of data collection may include the use of apps, phones or data and analytics from Learning Management Systems (LMSes). Often, mixed methods are being used. In data analysis, traditional methods are used next to more contemporary approaches, such as multilevel modelling, agent-based modelling, dynamic systems approaches, network analyses and so on.

Short-term ambitions

There is a strong connection between ELS research and practice. Findings of ELS research are used in and contribute to the content of own and others’ educational practices, and own educational practices form the starting point for many research projects. This holds for all types of ELS education. Wherever possible, learners, students, and teachers and practitioners are partners in research, with roles in problem articulation, design, data collection and interpretation and analysis. One of the aims of ELS is to understand the innovative and unique educational ecosystem of WUR. Within and outside the WUR context, leaders, front-runners and specialists in educational innovation are often partners in research. Next, ELS research contributes to higher and secondary education, vocational and workplace practices in both the Netherlands and abroad. Because of the focus on societal challenges and the life sciences, ELS aims to conduct research with societal impact. Insights from research are not only translated into scientific publications, but also into tools, materials, procedures and other practical products that are of use to learners and practitioners.

With respect to the future of its research, ELS strives:

• To maintain its leading position in ELS mission related themes, such as learning in cross-boundary settings, learning ecosystems, ICT infused learning, (assessing) learning competencies and qualities for sustainability, responsibility and agency, and leadership for learning.
• To make an even stronger connection between its research, education and activities with societal impact, visible in the focus of its research topics, using its education as one of the contexts of research, the collaboration of both educational staff as well as researchers in research projects and ELS staff being competent in a variety of tasks and roles.
• To increase its visibility and engagement in local WUR developments in education and learning.
• To become stronger embedded within its section, and to increase collaboration with different WUR chair groups and WUR educational support.