Prof. M.L.L. Volman (1960) has been named professor of Educational Sciences at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

Monique Volman is investigating ways in which schools can contribute to meaningful learning. Many schools have difficulty motivating their pupils, and the education sector is unable to give each child and young person what he or she needs to achieve their full potential, go on to further education or enter the job market. The result is that talent is wasted? and young people no longer feel engaged with school. It is for this reason that the question of how education can enhance learning processes that are meaningful for both the individual and society as a whole is not only a fascinating research problem, but also an issue of immense social relevance. Volman's recent work has included studies exploring how teachers can fulfil their dual role of specialist in a given field and of supervisor (known as ‘scaffolding'), as well as what ICT may be able to contribute. Further research themes concern teaching methods for citizenship education in pre-vocational education (VMBO), and issues relating to diversity such as: How do we ensure that pupils from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds profit equally from education and teaching innovations? In her research at the UvA, Volman plans to study innovative methods in education and evaluate their effects, working in close cooperation with teachers, schools and administrators, with the aim of building bridges between educational theory and educational practice.

From 2005 until 2010, Volman was professor by special appointment of Educational Sciences at VU University Amsterdam, where she had also served since 1997 as university and senior university lecturer in the department of Theory and Research in Education. Between 2003 and 2005, Volman was a reader in Identity Development at the HAN University of Applied Sciences. Previously, she worked at the Kohnstamm Institute and the Graduate School of Teaching and Learning at the UvA. She holds various advisory positions, among which as a member of the CITO testing and assessment company's Adviesraad Voortgezet Onderwijs (advisory council on secondary education) and of the Dutch Programme Council for Educational Research (PROO) within the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). In addition, Volman is Chair of the journal Pedagogische Studiën (Pedagogical Studies) and has authored and co-authored a large number of scientific and practice-oriented articles and books. Her research has appeared in a range of leading education science journals, including Review of Educational Research, Computers and Education and Teaching and Teacher Education.