Daniela Niesta Kayser

Daniela Niesta Kayser is a Visiting Professor of Special Education at the Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin. Her career spans multiple institutions, including University of Potsdam (Social Psychology Chair), Technische Universität Dresden (Social Psychology Chair), and Stanford University (CASBS visiting scholar). She focuses on social and emotional development in childhood/adolescence, educational equity, prosocial behavior, and teacher education in migration contexts.

• 2023–present: Visiting Professor, Freie Universität Berlin
• 2019–2022: Researcher and Leader, Teacher Training Quality Initiative (ZeLB), University of Potsdam
• 2014–2017: DFG-funded Researcher, Social Psychology Chair, University of Potsdam

Her research integrates social psychology with educational frameworks, emphasizing cooperative learning, civil courage, and teacher well-being. Recent publications explore complex instruction implementation, equitable participation in heterogeneous classrooms, and teacher resilience during the pandemic. She leads the PSI-ZeLB teacher training program and contributes to intercultural education development.

Her scientific work spans prosocial motivation, social exchange processes, reactance theory, and existential threats, with applications to humanitarian aid, peace processes, and environmental norms. She has supervised PhD students and mentored refugee teacher requalification programs.