Workshop 1: Introduction to the world of education research

Workshop 1: Introduction to the world of education research
EDLAB education research professional development workshop series

Date:  Thursday 12 February 2026
Start Time: 13:30 pm
End Time: 15:30 pm
Location: EDLAB, Tapijnkazerne 23, Building X

If you are curious and passionate about how your students learn and how you can improve your teaching through systematic inquiry, join EDLAB’s upcoming workshop, “Introduction to the world of education research,” on 12 February from 13:30-15:30.

In this workshop led by resident experts Alexandra Mihai and Johan Adriaensen, you’ll gain an overview of what it’s like to conduct an education research study from start to finish, and you’ll learn tips and tricks that can save you time, energy and headaches by knowing them in advance.

In addition, you’ll be supported in taking concrete steps toward developing your own ideas into a feasible research plan, which you can use to apply for an EDLAB education research seed money grant.

By combining your scholarly mindset and existing research knowledge with interdisciplinary expertise, you can generate valuable insights about teaching and learning that will benefit not only you and your students but also colleagues both at UM and around the world.

To learn more about the benefits of engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, check out Alexandra’s recent blog, “Be curious about your teaching!”

Meet the workshop facilitators

Dr. Alexandra Mihai is Assistant Professor of Innovation in Higher Education in the Department of Educational Research and Development, School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University. She is part of the Learning Academy, where she focuses on technology-enhanced course and curriculum design as well as innovation projects to enrich students’ learning experience.

Dr. Johan Adriaensen is Associate professor European Public Policy in the Politics Department at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASoS), Maastricht University. He is the faculty coordinator for the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) and member of the ECPR Standing Group on Teaching and Learning Politics. He is currently implementing a NRO SoTL grant on GenAI in education.

This workshop is the first in a professional development series dedicated to supporting Maastricht University staff who want to learn to conduct research on their own education practice. The series covers a variety of topics including but not limited to education research design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and research communication. It will be supplemented by the launch of a UM-wide community of practice on education research later this spring, as well as the UM Education Research Day conference coming up in November.

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