Van der Zee's research focuses on ways in which educational administrators, school directors, and teachers are able to make choices and do the right thing amid the changeability and hectic pace of everyday life. He involves this group in his design-oriented research on practical sensible action in schools and the pupils’ personal development, with as goal the broad development of the child. The key in this context is ethical virtue, which is interpreted on the basis of religious narratives.
"Schools are a building site for society. To do justice to every child and build a more humane society, we need a different approach than the one we have today. We have to look differently, speak differently, make different choices, and act differently. Practice-oriented scientific research is a catalyst for innovation."
About Theo van der Zee
Theo van der Zee (Nijmegen, 1966) studied History at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Via a foray into teaching at a secondary school and the teacher training study programme, Van der Zee obtained his PhD (also from Radboud University) in 2007 with an empirical practical-theological study on realistic learning tasks about religious narratives for primary-school pupils.
Since 2016, he has been working as a consultant at Verus (Association for Catholic and Christian Education) in the field of good education, identity, sustainable quality culture, and leadership in education. He is also an academic staff member at the Titus Brandsma Institute, with a focus on practical common sense among educational administrators, school directors, and teachers.