R.M.J.P. Rikers

Professor R.M.J.P. Rikers is a full Professor of Learning and Instruction in the Department of Psychology at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. His academic home is in Middelburg at Lange Noordstraat 12, where he conducts research bridging cognitive psychology with educational practice. With appointments across multiple editorial boards and committee memberships, Rikers maintains an active presence in both European and international academic communities.

• Master's degree in Cognitive Science from Radboud University
• Ph.D. in Medical Education from Maastricht University

Rikers' research spans educational psychology with particular emphasis on problem-based learning, instructional design, and expertise development. His work explores how cognitive load theory can be applied to optimize learning environments, how metacognitive awareness develops in students across educational levels, and how expertise forms in medical professionals. A significant portion of his recent work examines student-teacher relationships in higher education and their impact on motivation and engagement. His research often employs experimental methodologies to investigate cognitive processes in learning and teaching contexts, with applications spanning both medical education and general higher education settings.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent focus on metacognition, calibration accuracy, and relationship quality in educational contexts. His work demonstrates how theoretical cognitive psychology concepts translate into practical educational applications, particularly in medical and higher education settings. Rikers frequently collaborates with international researchers, producing work that bridges Dutch educational contexts with global scholarship.

As a senior academic, Rikers serves as Senior Editor of Health Professions Education, Associate Editor of Advances in Health Sciences Education, and sits on the editorial boards of Contemporary Educational Psychology and Education Sciences. He has also contributed to national research evaluation as a member of the VENI/VIDI committee of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and NWO Top Grants, and has served the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Rikers has supervised numerous doctoral students and collaborated extensively on research projects examining cognitive aspects of learning and instruction. His laboratory work often involves experimental studies of memory, metacognition, and expertise development, with particular attention to how these processes manifest in educational settings. His research program demonstrates sustained productivity with over 100 publications and more than 100 conference presentations throughout his career.