SCO-Kohnstamm Institute for Educational Research

SCO-Kohnstamm Institute is a research institute attached to the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Amsterdam. It is among the largest institutes of its kind in the Netherlands. Its expertise is widely recognized, both in its home country and abroad. Its research aims are:

Research strengths

The institute's research focus is both fundamental and applied. Contracts for applied research (over 100 running each year) are made with a diversity of funding bodies: the Dutch national research council; central, provincial and local authorities; the Directorates of the EC, etc.. Research is organized within seven research units:
Educational Policy and Organization. Understanding and explaining, as well as improving, educational administration.
Language Learning and Teaching. Research into the instructional process, nationwide assessment of the quality of language education, and the construction of tools for measurement of effects.
Higher Education. System-, institutional-, and individual-level research on policy evaluation and assessment; the structuring of the educational process and access; student progression (multilevel approach).
Basic Care in Learning and Development. Topics include: content and teaching of the core curriculum, psychosocial aspects of pupil behaviour and the effectiveness of policies for pupils with problematic behaviour.
Culture, Inequality, Profession and Education. Relationships between ethnicity, gender and socio-economic class and educational attainment. The interrelations between the educational system and the labour system are studied in a multilevel perspective.
Quality of Orthopedagogical Provisions. The assessment of the quality of orthopedagocical provision and its improvement.
Early Childhood Education and Family Support. Research includes theories and methods of educational support, the social context and the quality of the provision.