Chiel van der Veen is Professor (lector) of Urban Care and Education at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Almere, and guest researcher Educational Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His work spans a broad developmental range—from early childhood to adolescence—always driven by the same question: how can education be accessible and meaningful for every child?
His research career began with dialogic classroom talk and language development in young children, and has since expanded to include play-based learning, social relationships in early childhood classrooms, and dialogic writing in upper primary education. He currently leads stronger2gether, a six-year NWO/NWA-funded project investigating social relationships, flourishing and mental well-being among adolescents in pre-vocational, vocational, and special education.
Chiel holds a PhD in Educational Sciences (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 2017), an MSc in Theory and Research in Education (cum laude), and a BSc in Primary Teacher Education. He was a visiting scholar at Clark University, Department of Education (Worcester, MA) with prof. Sarah Michaels. He supervises multiple PhD projects (Eline van Rossum, Iris Bogaers, Maaike Radix, Kilian Geryszweski, Frytskje Simonis, Rianne de Wit, Annelies Robben, Deniz Seyhan, and MoPryia Somai) and serves on the editorial boards of De Wereld van het Jonge Kind, Pedagogiek, and the International Journal of Educational Research Open.
Specialties: dialogic classroom talk · play-based learning · language development · social relationships · mental well-being · early childhood education · adolescence · urban education · equal opportunities · teacher professional development · cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT; Vygotskij)
dr. Chiel van der Veen
2019 - My former PhD-student Femke van der Wilt was awarded the EARLI mentoring grant.
2018 - My BSc student Nienke Bakker was awarded the FGB thesis price for best bachelor's thesis in the faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
2017 - Nominated for the the FGB Junior Career Award for best dissertation in the faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Runner-Up.
2016 - Teacher talent award (DocenTalentprijs) for best junior lecturer (<10 year experience) in the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Runner-Up.
2016 - Best junior lecturer in the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
2015 - My MSc student and intern Femke van der Wilt was awarded the NVO thesis price for best master’s thesis in the field of educational sciences in the Netherlands and Flanders (supervision together with dr. Claudia van Kruistum).
2015 - Best teacher in the Faculty of Psychology and Education, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Runner-Up.
2014 - My BSc student Femke van der Wilt was awarded the second price (honorable mention) for her bachelor’s thesis during the Student Research Conference 2014 (supervision together with dr. Claudia van Kruistum).
2011 - Best master’s thesis in the Faculty of Psychology and Education, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Runner-Up.
2008 - Nominated for the OnderwijsTopTalentPrijs for the best national bachelor’s thesis in the field of teacher education
Total grants received: € 12.899.879,-
2025 - NWA open competition grant (PI) for our project ‘STRONG2GETHER: Strengthening social relationships for students’ flourishing and mental well-being’ from the Dutch Research Council (NWO/NWA): € 6.900.000,-
2025-Doctoral grant for teachers awarded to Kilian Geryszewski, MSc. for his PhD-project ‘ A Path to Play: supporting teachers' play-assessment with Artificial Intelligence in Early Childhood Education’ from the Dutch Research Council (NWO)(together with prof.dr. Inge Molenaar & dr. Oane Costache): € 204.000,-
2025-Open competition grant (co-PI, with dr. Edith Roefs, dr. Nicolette van Halem, & prof.dr. Frank Cornelissen) for research on educational innovation in Flevoland from the Dutch Research Counsil (NRO/NWO): € 585.000,-
2025-Contract research (PI) from the municipality of Almere for research on prevention of criminal behavior in youth: € 90.000,-
2024-Open competition grant (PI, with dr. Elise Peters) for an evaluation study of the Harbor Academy Almere, an afterschool program from the Dutch Research Counsil (NRO/NWO): € 200.000,-
2024-SPUK-grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to set up an early childhood expertise center in Lelystad-Oost: € 610.000,-
2023-Contract research from the municipality of Almere to develop and evaluate a program for preventive speech therapy: € 100.000,-
2023-Contract research from the municipality of Almere for the second year of ‘Stedelijke Taalaanpak Almere’: € 400.000,-
2023-Structural funding from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences for setting up a line of practice oriented research focused on teacher shortages in Flevoland: € 1.200.000,- (€ 300.000,- a year)
2023-Contract research from the municipality of Almere for research to support equal chances for children and adolescents aged 0-27: €145.000,-
2023-Small additional grant from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences to make a documentary on a city-based program to support children’s language development: € 10.000,-
2023-Contract research from the municipality of Almere to develop and evaluate a program to support second language learners (and there teachers) in daycare and special education: € 105.000,-
2023-Doctoral grant for teachers awarded to Maaike Radix MSc. for her PhD-project ‘Effectief feedback geven aan leerlingen met special educational needs’ from the Dutch Research Council (NWO)(together with prof.dr. Nienke van Atteveldt): € 179.500,-
2023-Contract research from the Almeerse Scholen Groep to develop multiple e-learning modules on language awareness for extracurricular teachers (arts, sports, nature): € 75.000,-
2022-Open competition grant (co-PI; with dr. Femke van der Wilt, dr. Anne de Bruijn, and prof. Martijn Meeter) for an evaluation study on the effects of a tutor program (Sjakie!) for young children with delays in language development from the Dutch Research Council (NWO): € 353.610,-
2022-Open competition grant (co-PI; with dr. Anne de Bruijn, dr. Femke van der Wilt, and prof. Martijn Meeter) for an evaluation study on the effects of a program (BeweegWijs) focused on physical education from the Dutch Research Council (NWO): € 352.321,-
2021-Doctoral grant for teachers awarded to drs. Iris Bogaers for her PhD-project ‘Stilte in de klas. Op weg naar een didactiek van stilte in het voorgezet onderwijs’ from the Dutch Research Council (NWO)(together with dr. Anne de la Croix and prof. Maartje Raijmakers): € 125.000,-
2021-Project leader (PI) for a small project on how conversations about art can support the quality of young children’s artworks. Funded by the Frea Janssen-Vos Foundation: € 10.000,-
2020-Open competition grant (co-PI; PI: dr. Femke van der Wilt) for practice oriented educational research (phase 2) on the effects of dialogic book reading on young children’s language abilities from the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (NRO/NWO): € 100.000,-
2020-Open competition grant (co-PI; PI: dr. Renske Bouwer) for practice oriented educational research (phase 2) on dialogic writing in the upper grades of primary schools from the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (NRO/NWO): € 100.000,-
2020-Co-promotor on a RAAK-PRO project on ‘Language learning during outdoor play in ECEC settings’ awarded to dr. Dieuwke Hovinga. Total budget: € 700.000,- (€ 76.000,- for Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
2020-Doctoral grant for teachers awarded to Mireille van der Nat, MSc., for her PhD-project on role play as a context for the development of young children’s social competencies from the Dutch Research Council (NWO)(together with prof. Martijn Meeter and dr. Femke van der Wilt): € 150.250,-
2019-Open competition grant (co-PI; PI: dr. Renske Bouwer) for practice oriented educational research (phase 1) on dialogic writing in the upper grades of primary schools from the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (NRO/NWO): € 20.000,-
2019-Open competition grant (co-PI; PI: dr. Femke van der Wilt) for practice oriented educational research (phase 1) on the effects of dialogic book reading on young children’s language abilities from the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (NRO/NWO): € 20.000,-
2019-Contract research for the municipality of Amsterdam to conduct a qualitative evaluation of a team learning grant that can be applied for by schools in Amsterdam: € 3000,-
2019-Our research group (dr. Renske Bouwer, dr. Femke van der Wilt, & dr. Marjolein Dobber) has received some internal funding to appoint two-student-assistants for a pilot project titled ‘Write, read, talk: An integrative approach to meaningful education’: € 17.500,-
2019-Project leader (PI) for a collaboration between the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (De Kennisrotonde; NRO/NWO) and the department of Educational and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: € 12.500,-
2018-Research consultant on a Taiwanese project titled 'Investigating curriculum knot-working and practices by border crossing networked learning communities' financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan (collaboration between national Taiwan Normal University, University of Helsinki, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; total budget: NT$ 12.186.500,- (€ 342.146,-; € 15.000,- consultancy costs for Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam))
2018-Open competition grant (PI) for practice oriented educational research on the effects of dialogic classroom talk on young children’s social competencies from the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (NRO/NWO): € 100.000,-
2018-Comenius Teaching Fellow (PI) for small-scale innovation in higher education from the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)(together with dr. Anne de la Croix and dr. Agnes Willemen): € 50.000,-
2018-Project leader (PI) for piloting a new initiative within De Kennisrotonde (NRO/NOW): € 16.667
2017-Co-applicant (co-PI) for a research project on teacher-child interaction in play based activities in early childhood education from ZonMw: € 337.000,-
2017-Project leader (PI) for piloting a new initiative of the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (De Kennisrotonde; NRO/NWO) within the department of Educational and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: € 12.500,-
2017-Open competition grant (PI) for practice oriented educational research (phase 1) on the effects of dialogic classroom talk on young children’s social competences from the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (NRO/NOW): € 20.000,-
2016-Open competition grant (PI) for practice oriented educational research on mind mapping in early childhood education from the Dutch Organization for Educational Research (NRO/NWO): € 96.829,-
2015-Talent Fund of the Faculty of Psychology and Education for a 2-month visiting scholarship at Clark University, Worcester, MA: € 3550,-
2013-Equipment Fund of the Faculty of Psychology and Education for purchasing cameras and microphones for educational research: € 3652,-
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