prof. dr. R. (Ridwan) Maulana

Professor of Educational Sciences
Chair of Comparative Learning Environments
Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
University of Groningen, The Netherlands

I am Professor of Educational Sciences and hold the Chair of Comparative Learning Environments at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.

I received my Bachelor's degree in Biology Education from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (2003), and my Master’s (2007) and PhD (2012) degrees in Educational Sciences from the University of Groningen.

My professorship focuses on comparative learning environments, with particular attention to effective teaching and learning in secondary and higher education from international perspectives. Core themes include diversity-, equity-, and inclusion-focused learning environments. My research areas span academic achievement, motivation, engagement, wellbeing, as well as personal and contextual background of both students and teachers. My methodological expertise include cross-cultural comparative, cross-sectional, longitudinal research designs, pyschometric, classical test theory, item response theory, and the use of digital technology—including machine learning and artificial intelligence—in supporting teaching and learning.

I have been involved in several national research projects in the Netherlands, including the Teacher Preparation Route (OIDS, 2012–2014), the National Teacher Induction Program (LONIE, 2014–2019), Startsterk (from 2025), and the Growing Opportunity in the North of the Netherlands (2025 - 2030) . Since 2014, I have led an international project on effective teaching and differentiation (NRO, 2015–2021), involving over 20 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

In addition, I have led several international collaborations, including:

• Summer School Effective Teaching for the Future (SumSET, from 2024)

• Double-doctorate with international partner universities (from 2023)

• Erasmus Mundus Design Measure (2023–2025) with four European and four Korean universities

• Preservice Teacher Reflective Dialogues (with the Education University of Hong Kong, 2018–2020)

• Research Joint-Cooperation on Effective Teaching (with UNJ and UNY Indonesia, 2015 – present)

My work has been published in a range of peer-reviewed international journals and books, both as author and editor.

I currently serve as:

• Chair of the Ethics Committee, Department of Teacher Education, University of Groningen (since 2017)

• Member of the Faculty Ethics Board, University of Groningen (since 2019)

• International Faculty Promotion Committee (since 2018)

• Internal Faculty Promotion Committee (since 2024)

• Member of the Nieuwenhuis Council, University of Groningen (since 2024)

I have served on assessment committees for competitive national (NWO) and international research grants since 2016. I have also been active in the international research community as:

• SIG Leader for Learning Environments, American Educational Research Association (AERA) (Currently the Program Director)

• Member of the International Congress on School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI)

• OECD-TALIS Questionnaire Group Member (2021–2025)

Editorially, I serve as Europe Editor of the journal Learning Environments Research, Editor of the Behavioral Sciences journal (Educational Psychology section), editorial board member of several international journals, and have co-edited books and journals' special issues.

I welcome collaboration with academic colleagues and prospective PhD or postdoctoral candidates—both in the Netherlands and internationally—who are interested in exploring empirical and theoretical questions related to effective (inter)national learning and working environments. I am particularly interested in projects employing quantitative and/or mixed-methods approaches to advance the field.