Researcher as teacher

A new scheme at the University of Twente is now available to provide an avenue for young researchers to earn a secondary education teaching qualification. Researcher Jan-Willem van ’t Klooster has been teaching at a secondary school two days a week since September. He enjoys the combination of research and teaching. “You’re still working in the same field, just in a completely different way.”

Jan-Willem van 't Klooster, who is in his mid-20s, has been a PhD researcher at the University of Twente since last year. His research focuses on ways to use IT resources to assist older people in their home environment. Examples include developing methods for taking blood pressure readings remotely while sending individually programmable reminders for the measurements to the patients. In addition to his research at the university, Jan-Willem is at the Bonhoeffer College school in Enschede two mornings per week. He is currently teaching computer science to 16 and 17-year-olds, and at the end of this school year he will have earned his secondary education teaching qualification.

This unique certification programme has been made possible thanks to a new scheme at the University of Twente. The scheme allows researchers to complete their PhD while also earning a secondary education teaching qualification in computer science, physics, chemistry or mathematics. PhD researchers who choose this option receive a contract extension of six to nine months. The extra time is intended for taking discipline-specific courses and didactics training, and for independent teaching activities at a secondary school. Individual training programmes are developed for each PhD researcher.

Teaching qualification

The scheme was only recently launched at the University of Twente, but Van 't Klooster started his teacher training last September, prior to the official introduction. "As soon as I heard about the plans for this new scheme I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I already had some experience in education. While studying telematics, I had taken a minor in didactics. I taught a few classes during my orientation placement and later during my work placement, but I was ready for more. I hadn't yet earned my teaching qualification. I'll be adding that to my CV at the end of this school year."

Van 't Klooster says that it is difficult to decide if he prefers teaching or research. "I really enjoy both. "You're still working in the same field, just in a completely different way." The combination of research and teaching is really ideal in my opinion. They truly complement each other. You're not teaching just from theory, but from hands-on experience. That means you can provide lots of real-world examples. And you also improve your public speaking skills through teaching. Didactic skills are always useful, whether you're speaking to kids or adults. Starting next year I'll also be teacher Master's students at the university."

Teacher shortage

The University of Twente has introduced this scheme in order to enhance the link between secondary and higher education, to stimulate pupils' interest in science subjects, to help combat the shortage of science teachers (and teachers in general) and to create a new career prospects for researchers. The new scheme is part of the 'β-XLinX' exchange programme (pronunciation hint: better-crosslinks) of the ELAN institute of the University of Twente (in cooperation with a number of technical faculties). Funding is available for the next three years to allow 15 PhD researchers to earn their teaching qualification.

Here you can find more information in the scheme.

For more information you can contact one of the following persons: