معرفی
Iris Uffen is a Researcher and PhD Candidate at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, specifically within the Teacher Education department. She works at the Expertisecentrum Vakdidactiek Noord, focusing on Lesson Study research in the Dutch educational context and examining how this approach enhances professional dialogue between teachers and improves lesson quality.
Uffen earned her MSc in Pedagogical Sciences at the University of Groningen (2011-2012), specializing in learning difficulties, with research on school-based consultation within EBD schools. She previously completed her BSc in Pedagogical Sciences at the same institution (2006-2011) and began her academic journey with journalism studies at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences (2005-2006).
Her research primarily investigates three critical aspects of Lesson Study in the Netherlands: how it contributes to teacher work quality, how teachers learn during LS processes, and how facilitation influences these processes. Uffen employs detailed multi-perspective analysis of LS participants including team members, facilitators, and students to optimize LS for both teacher and student learning outcomes. Her work bridges educational theory with practical classroom applications, particularly through cultural-historical activity theory frameworks and facilitation techniques that stimulate in-depth professional dialogue among teachers.
Uffen's publication record demonstrates a clear evolution from practical implementation studies to deeper theoretical explorations of teacher learning processes. Her recent work (2025) focuses on how facilitators influence teacher talk during post-research lesson discussions and how to facilitate meaningful conversations about teachers' understanding and attitudes toward Lesson Study. This research trajectory shows increasing sophistication in analyzing the nuanced mechanisms of teacher professional development.
As a member of the PhD committee for WALS (2019), Uffen contributes to academic governance while continuing her research on teacher development in the north of the Netherlands. Her work with the Expertisecentrum Vakdidactiek Noord positions her at the intersection of educational research and practical school improvement initiatives, developing training programs for LS facilitators to enhance collaboration and inquiry-oriented teaching across Dutch educational institutions.
