Pomme van de Weerd
Utrecht University
| Introduction: My name is Pomme van de Weerd. I work in the department of Development and Education of Youth in Diverse Societies (DEEDS) at Utrecht University. I live in Arnhem (the Netherlands) with my partner and son. |
| Research topics: The disciplines that I identify with are anthropology, education, pedagogy and sociolinguistics. My areas of interest are educational tracking, inequality, identity, social relations and social hierarchies. I obtained my PhD at Maastricht University with a dissertation entitled ‘Nederlanders and buitenlanders: A sociolinguistic-ethnographic study of ethnic categorization among secondary school pupils.’ This dissertation builds on methods and frameworks from sociolinguistics, anthropology, and interactional analysis to analyse expressions of diversity among youth in Venlo, the Netherlands. |
| Current research interest: I am currently conducting research on mixed-ability classrooms (in the Netherlands known as ‘brede brugklas’) in which students with different assigned tracks learn in classrooms together. I conduct ethnographic research in a school with mixed-ability classrooms, in which students who are assigned to different tracks (vmbo, havo, vwo) learn together. Using qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, I examine the day-to-day dynamics within this school, offering insights into how this approach may reshape social hierarchies and foster more equitable educational environments. I am also involved in a research project on schools that aim to become more equitable through delaying selection and/or implementing mixed-ability learning. I study the challenges associated with such change, the concerns that students, parents, staff, and school leaders might have in such systemic change, and ways to overcome such challenges and concerns. |
| Tips & tricks: Your PhD is a great time to look beyond your common research interests and disciplinary boundaries. Take the opportunity to learn new things and get inspired by others, even if they seem far away from your own (research) focus. |