Training for Early Years Education and Childcare in Europe
Partners
University van Amsterdam
Netherlands
Mission
The SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut is one of the top-ranking research and reference centres in Europe specializing in commissioned research on education, child rearing and child welfare.
The Institute operates independently in the market for research and consultancy projects and, as an institute within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, is part of the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA).
The research programmes in the Institute are in the field of child rearing, education and child welfare. The need for research in this field ensues from the importance of these institutions and their influence on the functioning of society at large. The Institute endeavours to be an active participant in the development and dissemination of knowledge in this field.
Basic research as well as applied research
Research is carried out in two divisions, a Division
for Basic Research (FO) and a Division
for Applied Research (TO). FO’s main task is to design and conduct
research programmes that result, or will result, in the development and
testing of relevant theories, and in methodological contributions. TO’s
main task is to contract and carry out commissioned research making use
of advanced and efficient techniques and, in so doing, contribute to improving
and implementing existing practical knowledge and instruments.
Interaction and co-operation
The SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut has a somewhat unique position in the Netherlands,
since it is able to combine the work of both its divisions. This combination
is used on the one hand to translate the need for information and research
instruments in society into relevant research questions to be answered by
basic research. On the other hand the combination of basic and applied research
is used to put newly developed knowledge into direct use and thus widen
the impact of the results of research.
The Institute supports the work of a centre of expertise in the field of
adult education: the Max Goote Kenniscentrum. It also supports the work
of the Amsterdam Research Centre on Drugs Use and Drug policy: CEDRO.
Staff
The interdisciplinary basis and the fundamental research activities enable
the Institute to contribute towards the improvement and actualization of
existing, practical knowledge. More than fifty experienced researchers are
employed by the Institute who carry out applied research in a range of topics
in the field of education, child rearing and child welfare. In addition
to specialists in the field of education and child rearing, these include
economists, sociologists, language specialists and psychologists. This qualifies
the Institute to tackle social issues and policy matters and its expertise
is regularly called upon to provide knowledge and information
Research policy
A relatively large part of the budget for the programme of the SCO-Kohnstamm
Instituut comprises revenue from commissioned research. Apart from aspiring
to academic excellence in the field of child rearing, education and child
care, the Institute aims to achieve outstanding performance in the market
for commissioned research. This aim is realized by consolidating and strengthening
our relations with clients. Furthermore, action is taken to broaden the
scope of our work within the field of research, for instance, by actively
looking for projects and programmes in the field of higher education and
its reform, the opening of the Expertise Centre for Electronic Learning
Environments, and the growth of research activities in the field of preschool
education and of management and labour in the education system.
NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research)
The management team of the Division for Basic Research (FO) co-ordinates
the greater part of the research carried out for the Netherlands Organization
for Scientific Research (NWO) by the Institute and encourages the research
staff to obtain research grants. In the case of the NWO, the SCO-Kohnstamm
Instituut is not only awarded grants for basic research, but also grants
for research which can be classified as more policy oriented. The SCO-Kohnstamm
Instituut receives grants from NWO/MAGW (Open Procedures), NWO/Scholar,
and NWO/Kennis Verrijkt (Increasing Knowledge), and from specific programmes
within NWO/MAGW, such as the PROO Programme (Education Research Council
Programme), PRIMA (Primary Education Cohort research) and BOPO (Primary
Education Policy research). The total annual turnover from grants for NWO
projects conducted by the SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut continues to exceed 1
million euro.
Research schools
Participation in research schools is considered to be of vital importance
for the future development of the Institute’s research programmes and
strengths and for the training of our young researchers. We like to stress
that most of the research mentioned here is closely linked to research carried
out in the two research schools we are involved in. Our researchers currently
participate in ICO (a research school for the educational sciences) and
in ISED (a school for pedagogical research).
Internationalization
Participation and co-operation in international networks is encouraged and
stimulated. The Institute as a whole actively participates in a number of
international networks such as the ESF (European Schools Network) on Transitions
in Youth (with 23 other European universities) and the IEA (International
Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement). Commissioned
research has been and is being carried out in the context of EU programmes
like LEONARDO, SOCRATES and Tacis, and at the request of organizations like
Cedefop and Nuffic (Netherlands Universities’ Foundation for International
Co-operation). Research results are presented at international forums, such
as conferences and symposia, and published in international journals. Currently
there are plans to seek participation in the sixth Framework Programme of
the European Communities.
See also: http://www.sco-kohnstamminstituut.uva.nl (includes English information)
Mission Statement of the Universiteit van Amsterdam
The Universiteit van Amsterdam is a comprehensive university which:
- holds and wishes to retain a strong disciplinary base in academic research and education. On this basis the Universiteit van Amsterdam intends to actively stimulate interdisciplinary co-operation in research and education, and to contribute to solving multi-disciplinary issues;
- to make an independent contribution to the broad social and cultural development at regional and international level on the basis of both its research and teaching function
- is strongly committed to high-quality education on the basis of its social responsibility towards new generations of degree and non-degree students and young researchers; it aims to provide an inspiring academic learning environment and efficient study programmes for a challenging and heterogeneous student population;
- considers itself one of the leading research universities in Europe and the world, not only on the basis of its nature and history, but also of its current qualities and ambitions;
- has historical and actual links with the city of Amsterdam as a multi-cultural society and a centre of culture and knowledge.
See also: http://www.english.uva.nl