Dr Chiel van der Veen
In 2022, Dr. Chiel van der Veen started his role as the new professor of Urban Care & Education at the Knowledge Center for Social Innovations Flevoland in Almere. As a professor, he aims to use scientific knowledge to work with educational practice in finding solutions to challenges in (regional) education. These challenges include issues such as declining education quality and equal opportunities due to staff shortages, the complex collaboration between education and (youth) care, and the fact that many children in Almere struggle with basic skills.
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Research Focus
In his research, Chiel van der Veen focuses on classroom dialogue in primary and higher education, learning through play, and the development of children's social competencies, including oral communication, theory of mind, and social status. As a professor, he concentrates on themes such as learning and social interaction, play as a context for learning, and translating research findings into educational practice. In his research projects, he works closely with teachers, teacher educators, and educational developers.
Education
Chiel van der Veen graduated as a primary school teacher from the Christian University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. He then studied at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), where he earned his PhD in 2017 with his dissertation: Dialogic Classroom Talk in Early Childhood Education.
Research Experience
After completing his PhD research, Chiel van der Veen worked as an associate professor of educational pedagogy in the Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences at VU. He also served as head of the education sciences section. In addition to his role as a professor, he remains affiliated with VU as an associate professor. Furthermore, he has been involved with various organizations, such as the NVO (Dutch Association of Pedagogues and Educational Scientists), childandfamilyblog.com and professional journals like De wereld van het jonge kind, Pedagogiek, and the International Journal of Educational Research Open.