Fanny de Swart is a developmental psychologist and a registered healthcare psychologist. She is an Assistant Professor of psychology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam). She teaches Groupdynamics in the postacademic education for schoolpsychologist. Together with Tim Mainhard she is author of the book Groupdynamics in the classroom (Groepsdynamiek in de klas)
Her current research focusses on social classroom dynamics, and how teachers can manage the social dynamics in their classroom actively (e.g., via classroom management strategies) and passively (e.g., via teacher-child relationships). Her main aim is to unravel how classroom dynamics fluctuate across time from the start of the school year onward. In the “golden weeks” study (NWO - open competitie SSH-L), together with Tim Mainhard she developes an emergence and constraint model of classroom group dynamics, which we test with novel time sensitive measures (MAPS). This is innovative and groundbreaking research because to date, research into social dynamics focusses on stable processes, and available measures are not suited to capture changes. Teachers, however, assume that social dynamics fluctuate greatly within the school year, based on unsubstantiated theory, such as Tuckman’s phase model.
Second, because currently research on social relations and dynamics is scattered and does not reach teachers, Fanny aims to accumulate what is already known about protective social relationships and youth flourishing into the CARES framework, an ecological framework (S2G consortium; PI workpackage). Furthermore, in the S2G consortium she aims to translate current knowledge as well as interventions into social relations and group dynamics together with and for youths in underrepresented populations (VMBO, MBO, VSO) to fit their needs and daily experiences.
To reach these aims she works in consortia with youth, schools, teachers, schoolpsychologists, researchers (e.g., Leiden University, Radboud University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Tilburg University), (inter)national experts, societal partners (e.g., stichting school en veiligheid), and teacher training institutions.
Other studies that she works on are the SCCILLS-study (PI and PhD supervisor): an intervention that fosters positive teacher-child relationships to enhance SEL competencies; Perspective taking of teachers for responsive teaching (BeGRP; co-applicant); Classroom Shuffles (co-applicant) a study into changes of classroom composition and social dynamics; developing SPARC: an observation instrument for teachers for social dynamics (PI).
Alltogether, with these studies the goal is to support students social relationships and positive classroom group dynamics by building up knowledge and providing tools for teachers and other educational professionals.
