R.P.E. van Haaren (Rens) MSc

PhD Research
Rens is currently a PhD candidate at Radboud University. His research, “Immer(sed) in Reading: Boosting Reading Engagement and Comprehension in Pre-Vocational Secondary School Students with a Smartphone-Based Reading App,” focuses on improving reading engagement and comprehension among pre-vocational secondary school (VMBO) students through digital tools.

LeesEvolutie Research Project
This research is part of the LeesEvolutie project funded by NWO and carried out within the Dutch National Science Agenda (NWA). The project aims to enhance reading motivation, behavior, and comprehension among VMBO students by developing and implementing innovative interventions in a reading app.

Supervision
Rens’s research is supervised by:
• Prof. Dr. Eliane Segers (Learning and Technology, Radboud University)
• Prof. Dr. Tijs Kleemans (Orthopedagogy in Educational Contexts, Radboud University)
• Dr. Kelly Beekman (Lecturer in Technology-Enhanced Assessment, Fontys Teacher Training College Tilburg).

Education and Career
Rens obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Education at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Tilburg. After graduating, he worked for two years as a Chemistry teacher at a Waldorf school, where he further developed his passion for education.

Master’s Degree and Specialization
After his teaching experience, Rens pursued a Pre-Master’s program and a Research Master’s in Educational Sciences at Utrecht University (EdSci; MSc), specializing in Learning in Interaction. During this program, he focused on innovative research methods, including applying eye-tracking technology in educational research.

Expertise and Areas of Interest
• Digital technologies in education
• Research on reading motivation and reading proficiency
• Application of eye-tracking in educational research
• Innovative interventions for pre-vocational secondary school students