From Research to Impact: how Education Lab and Dutch schools are working together to improve education
The two co-creation labs of Ontwikkelkracht (Teacher Lab and Language Lab) have been awarded an additional €4.3 million in funding through the Dutch National Growth Fund. The investment will enable schools and researchers to continue working together on some of education’s most pressing challenges. For Inge de Wolf, Professor of Co-Creation and Evaluation in Education at Maastricht University and Director of Education Lab, the funding represents more than financial support. It is the recognition of an approach that brings educational research and classroom practice closer together.
That belief has been the common thread throughout De Wolf’s career. She has spent years working at the intersection of research, policy and educational practice, combining academic work with roles focused on improving the education system. As a co-initiator of Ontwikkelkracht and a key figure in the development of the Dutch National Knowledge Institute for Education (NKO), she has consistently pursued the same goal: ensuring that knowledge generated through research actually reaches the classroom.
Her expertise and independent perspective have now also earned her a place on the Education Council. The Dutch Cabinet recently appointed De Wolf as a member of the Council for the 2027–2030 term. As an independent advisory body to the government and parliament, the Council advises on key issues in education. De Wolf will bring her expertise in education research, educational practice and policy to these important discussions.
“Far too often, valuable research findings are not used in schools, while schools themselves are searching for solutions to complex challenges. There is a huge opportunity to bridge that gap.”
Working together as equals
At Education Lab, initiated by professor De Wolf and associate professor Prokic-Breuer, that bridge is built through the co-creation labs established within Ontwikkelkracht. These partnerships bring together researchers, teachers and school leaders to tackle real-world educational challenges, ranging from teacher shortages and language development to inclusive education and support for disadvantaged pupils.
According to De Wolf, successful collaboration begins with recognising the expertise that already exists within schools. “The aim is not to turn teachers into researchers. Teachers are experts in their own field. They understand their pupils, their classrooms and their schools. Researchers bring knowledge from scientific literature. When those forms of expertise come together, the result is far more powerful than either could achieve alone.”
In practice, however, building that partnership takes time. Researchers and practitioners do not always speak the same language, and genuine collaboration requires mutual understanding and trust. De Wolf believes that researchers need to be conscious of the traditional image of an arrogant academic working in an ivory tower. “Small things matter. Listening carefully, responding promptly, showing genuine interest in the questions schools are facing. Collaboration only works when it is based on mutual respect and equality.” It is often during the co-creation sessions and our joint meetings or Lab days that barriers begin to disappear. Initial assumptions give way to curiosity and participants start to appreciate each other’s expertise.
“That is when the magic happens. People begin to discover what the other brings to the table and realise how much stronger their work can become when they learn from one another.”
Understanding before acting
One of the most important lessons De Wolf has learned is that educational improvement often starts with slowing down. Schools are accustomed to responding quickly when problems arise, and that ability to act is one of the sector’s strengths. Yet the urge to move straight to solutions can sometimes prevent schools from fully understanding the underlying issue.
“If a school notices pupils falling behind in mathematics, the instinct may be to introduce a new programme or intervention immediately. Research encourages us to pause and ask a different question first: what exactly is causing the problem?”
That diagnostic approach helps schools avoid investing time, energy and resources in initiatives that may have limited impact. As an example, De Wolf points to the growing popularity of movement-based learning. While such approaches often attract considerable enthusiasm, research suggests that learning outcomes are influenced far more by effective instruction combined with short movement breaks than by incorporating movement into every learning activity itself.
“Without access to research knowledge, schools can end up investing significant effort in approaches that sound promising but ultimately make little difference.”
The strength of the co-creation model lies precisely in combining practical expertise with research evidence. Teachers contribute their understanding of pupils, classrooms and local contexts. Researchers contribute insights from existing evidence and rigorous evaluation methods. Together, they develop approaches that are both feasible in practice and more likely to produce meaningful results.
A growing movement
What has surprised De Wolf most positively is the enthusiasm schools often develop once they begin working in an evidence-informed way. Schools that participate in a co-creation lab frequently want to take the approach further and embed it more broadly within their organisation. She mentions De Regenboog primary school in Zoetermeer as an example. What started with participation in a project grew into a broader interest in making use of scientific knowledge within the organisation. The need to bring research and practice closer together is clearly strong. “The appetite is there. Once schools experience the value of combining research and practice, they often want to do more.”
Anna Vreugdenhil, director of De Regenboog primary school in Zoetermeer, says:
“The collaboration with LerarenLab gives me a great deal of energy as a school leader. Being able to focus on the bigger picture, make a difference for many more schools than just my own, and the positive collaboration are what make me enjoy being part of it so much. Working with scientists broadens my perspective. It is great to be able to bring our worlds together in this way and use the best of both to help others move forward. The best part is that I am encouraged to think broadly, ambitiously and creatively. In other situations, I can sometimes feel held back in this respect – which can be frustrating – whereas here, it is actively encouraged!”
The additional funding will allow existing partnerships to deepen and new schools to become involved. It will also support the further development and dissemination of effective approaches across the Netherlands. Interest in this model is growing internationally as well, particularly because it combines scientific rigour with practical relevance and impact.
For De Wolf, that combination lies at the heart of Education Lab’s mission. The goal is not to produce research from a distance, nor to rely solely on local experience. Instead, it is about bringing different forms of knowledge together to improve educational outcomes for pupils, teachers and schools.
“Good education requires the head, the heart and the hands. Schools already have the heart and the hands. Researchers strengthen the head. When all three come together, that is when we have the greatest impact.”