Education research at Maastricht University
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 Grants: congratulations to the 2026-27 winners!
Pre-registration open for Education Research Day 2026
Helping students find their place at university
Call for proposals open: turn your education research idea into reality!
You’re human too! Making tutorial sessions at UM more inclusive
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.
Guiding the thesis journey: Research-based tools for students and supervisors
Moving beyond intuition: Education research in practice
EDLAB education research programmes & events
Education Research Day
The UM Education Research Day welcomes UM staff and colleagues from other educational institutions to share their passion and curiosity regarding education research and its relevance for education practice, and for society.
You can also read the recap of the 2025 edition to get an impression of the event.
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.
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.
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
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
| Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML) | Department of Educational Development and Research (O&O) School of Health Professions Education (SHE) |
| School of Business and Economics (SBE) | Department of Educational Research and Development (ERD) Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) |
| Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) | FASoS Teaching & Learning Blog |
| Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) | Computing Sciences Education Research Group |
| Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) | contact: Anke Sambeth |
| Faculty of Law (LAW) | contact: Jennifer Sellin |
