PhD program “Teaching and Learning in the STEM domain”

The research program of the Eindhoven School of Education is entitled "Teaching and Learning in the STEM domain." STEM is the abbreviation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The program consists of two main research strands:

1. Innovative pedagogies and students’ learning in STEM education.
In this strand we help design innovative learning environments and study the impact of those environments on students’ learning, thinking and motivation.

2. Teachers’ teaching and professional learning in STEM education.
Research in this strand aims to understand and improve teacher professional learning, both in teacher education and in the context of educational innovations.

The research program is both practice-oriented and scientifically rigorous. It focuses on secondary and higher education, and on the transition between these two. The PhD candidate learns to do social-scientific research by using a mixed method approach, present about their research at scientific conferences, and publish about the results in scientific journals. Through the PhD trajectory the candidate will become a researcher who can do research of high quality.

Program structure
The PhD program is part of the Dutch Interuniversity Center of Educational Sciences (abbreviated as ICO). All ICO PhD students take an introduction course in year 1. In later years a variety of other courses are offered, for example methodological and thematic courses. Some aer mandatory, some others are free to choose. See a complete overview of the ICO courses, the structure and organization here.

Admission and application
Candidates who enter the program must have completed a relevant master program and developed a research plan. For further information about admission and application candidates can contact the ESoE’s research coordinator.

After finishing your PhD
Most of our PhD students get jobs in teacher education institutes, institutes for curriculum development and educational testing, institutes that offer schools support with their innovations through guiding and consultancy, and departments in higher education institutes that offer expertise with educational development and teacher professional development. Others continue doing scientific work at universities.