{"id":2640,"date":"2026-04-07T08:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/?post_type=verhalen_vlogs&p=2640"},"modified":"2026-04-07T08:10:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:10:03","slug":"denise-teeuwen-wins-research-prize-2025-with-research-into-inclusive-and-safe-classrooms","status":"publish","type":"verhalen_vlogs","link":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/verhalen-vlogs\/denise-teeuwen-wint-onderzoeksprijs-2025-met-onderzoek-naar-inclusieve-en-veilige-klas\/","title":{"rendered":"Denise Teeuwen wins Research Prize 2025 for research into inclusive and safe classrooms"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Research Prize of Education Region Hollands Noorden provides a platform for educational professionals to showcase research. Teachers, students, and educational support staff can submit their research and demonstrate how they contribute to better education. In this way, the prize stimulates knowledge exchange, inspiration, and innovation within the region.<\/strong> Denise Teeuwen has won the 2025 Research Prize for her research into an inclusive and safe classroom. For her graduation research, she developed a conversation game that helps pupils and teachers to discuss sensitive topics.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressing values<\/strong>
Denise's research originated during her teacher training at Windesheim, where she studied PIE (Producing, Installing and Energy). For her graduation, she had to develop a vocational product, based on research into her own development as a teacher. In doing so, she worked with the theory of living educational theory, which focuses on the values a teacher wants to convey in their teaching. For Denise, it quickly became clear which value was most important to her. \u2018For me, one core value kept emerging, and that was safety. I wanted to investigate how, as a teacher, you can create a classroom in which everyone feels safe and can be themselves.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her research, she noticed that safety (and inclusivity in particular) sometimes starts with small things, such as language used in the classroom. \u2018I found that I automatically often Boys and girls<\/em> \"Hey! That's a traditional way of addressing someone, but actually, it excludes people too. At the same time, it sometimes felt awkward to use an alternative. We all know the discussions about phrases like\" Dear travellers <\/em>at the NS. That made me think about how I could deal with that in a classroom.\u2019 So she consciously started experimenting with other ways of addressing pupils. \u2018For example, I'd say Dear people, listen for a moment.<\/em> or Alright everyone, can I have your attention for a moment<\/em>. What struck me is that the students don't react strangely to it at all. Often, they don't even notice that you're making a different choice. But it really is a step towards more inclusive language.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digging our heels in during discussions about LGBTQ+<\/strong>
In conversations with colleagues and students, Denise noticed that the topic of LGBTQ+ can sometimes be sensitive. \u2018As soon as you talk explicitly about LGBTQ+, some people immediately dig their heels in. That was an extra reason for me to make this topic discussable.\u2019 With that in mind, Denise developed a conversation game that touches on various themes surrounding social safety and diversity. Gender diversity and sexuality are part of this, but are not the only subject. \u2018The game consists of cards with questions and situations that students discuss in small groups. The cards are designed so that students don't have to tell their own story straight away. For example, with a card about suicide, the question is asked if the participant knows someone with dark thoughts. Then you talk about a situation or about someone else. Of course, it can be about yourself, but it doesn't have to be, and you certainly don't have to make it known. That makes the conversation safer.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denise tested the game with third and fourth-year pupils. She deliberately chose a moment later in the school year, when pupils already know each other better. The reactions were positive. \u2018What particularly struck me was that pupils who don't normally say much, spoke up now. Because you talk about situations via a card and not directly about yourself, it creates space for everyone to participate.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impressive confession from a pupil<\/strong>
Denise recounts a moment during her research that left a deep impression: \u2018I was approached by a pupil who had participated in the survey as part of the research. He had indicated that he sometimes wears women\u2019s clothing. After completing the survey, he came up to me to talk about it further. He told me that he considered himself a femboy<\/em> names and that his parents fully accept it, but guide him in expressing his preference. I found that a very special moment. Apparently he felt safe enough to share this with me. That was exactly what I had hoped for with my research.\u2019

The research also provided new insights for colleagues. \u2018In the beginning, some colleagues thought I was a bit too woke when I brought up the topic of LGBTQ+,\u2019 says Denise with a smile. \u2018But when I broadened the scope of the game, that changed. They then saw that it's actually about social safety in the classroom and about how to have difficult conversations.\u2019 During her research, she discovered that many concepts surrounding gender and diversity are not widely known. This is how the concept of intersex also came up. \u2018Approximately one in ninety people are intersex. So that's more people than you might think. That's why the game also includes cards that explain such concepts. The great thing is that, as a teacher, you don't have to know everything beforehand. You can read the card together and start a conversation.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Game can go into production<\/strong>
Following the award of the Research Prize, Denise was asked by various schools when the game would be available for other teachers. For the time being, the game only exists in the form she developed for her research. \u2018I would very much like to make it more widely available, so if readers of this article have any ideas, they are more than welcome!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the winner, Denise will be able to participate in an international study trip, where she will visit educational professionals from the region and their research initiatives. \u2018How does research get a place in education there, and what can we learn from it? That exchange seems incredibly valuable to me.\u2019<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

De Onderzoeksprijs van Onderwijsregio Hollands Noorden geeft onderwijsprofessionals een podium voor het zichtbaar maken van onderzoek. Docenten, studenten en onderwijsondersteunend personeel kunnen hun onderzoek aanmelden en laten zien hoe zij bijdragen aan beter onderwijs. Zo stimuleert de prijs kennisuitwisseling, inspiratie en innovatie binnen de regio. Denise Teeuwen heeft met haar onderzoek naar een inclusieve en... Read more \u00bb<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2641,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[],"class_list":["post-2640","verhalen_vlogs","type-verhalen_vlogs","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verhalen_vlogs\/2640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verhalen_vlogs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/verhalen_vlogs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verhalen_vlogs\/2640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2642,"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verhalen_vlogs\/2640\/revisions\/2642"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onderwijsregiohollandsnoorden.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}