Emilie Prast
Assistant professor
- Name
- Dr. E.J. Prast
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 2727
- e.j.prast@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0003-0514-2107
Emilie Prast is assistant professor in the Educational Sciences at the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden University. Differentiation, i.e. adapting education to between-student differences in primary education, is the focus of her research.
Expertise
In primary education, students with diverse levels of knowledge and skills are grouped in the same class. Because of these individual differences, students frequently have different educational needs, such as a need for more or less instruction, a different type of instruction, more or less practice, etc. Adapting education to these diverse educational needs is called differentiation and this is the central theme of Emilie's research.
She approaches this theme from various angles, including:
- Specification and measurement: What exactly is differentiation and how do you measure this?
- Implementation: How do teachers apply differentiation?
- Effectivity: What are the effects of (certain types of) differentiation on student achievement?
- Motivation: How is the implementation of (certain types of) differentiation related to students' confidence and motivation? - Professional development: How can teachers' differentiation skills be improved?
- Student perspective: What do students think about differentiation?
Emilie frequently, but not always, investigates this type of questions in the context of primary mathematics education. She aims to look beyond the group level in order to detect potential differences between students (such as differential effects of differentiation depending on achievement level).
Connections between research, educational practice and teaching
Emilie is committed to connecting scientific research with educational practice. She does this by publishing practice-oriented articles for teachers, but also in the courses she teaches at the university. For example, she is involved in practice-oriented courses in a master-level teacher training programme (EMPO), in which she can directly translate scientific insights (including her own research) to educational practice.
Connections between research and practice also play a major role in other courses developed and taught by Emilie, including Education: Research and Practice and Instructional Design.
Short CV
Emilie Prast is assistant professor in the Educational Sciences at the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden University. In 2018, she obtained her PhD at Utrecht University based on a large-scale research project about differentiation in primary mathematics education. Before that, she obtained a Bachelor in Education and Child studies at Leiden University and a Master in Educational Psychology (with a focus on excellence in education) at Ludwig-Maxilimians-University in Munich.
Assistant professor
- Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen
- Instituut Pedagogische Wetenschappen
- Onderwijswetenschappen
- Prast Emilie J. Hickendorff Marian Van de Weijer-Bergsma Eva (2025), High-achieving students in mathematics: A heterogeneous group, Learning and Individual Differences 119: 102629 (102629).
- Vogelaar E., Bloemen F. & Prast E.J. (2024), Differentiatie observeren met ADAPT, Volgens Bartjens 44(1): 10-12.
- Dieker E., Prast E.J., Lijbers K. & Bakx A. (2024), Differentiatie en prestatie-emoties in het rekenonderwijs, Gifted@248 11(4): 18-21.
- Prast E.J. & Hickendorff M. (2023), How do Dutch teachers implement differentiation in primary mathematics education?. In: Maulana R., Helms-Lorenz M. & Klassen R.M. (Eds.), Effective teaching around the world: Springer. 757-774.
- Van der Ven S.H.G., Prast E.J. & Van de Weijer-Bergsma E. (2023), Towards an integrative model of math cognition: interactions between working memory and emotions in explaining children’s math performance, Journal of Intelligence 11: 136.
- Van Geel M., Prast E.J., Keuning T. & Luyten H. (2023), Differentiated instruction from students' perspective in mathematics lessons: presentation in invited symposium: 'More than just noise: new insights on heterogeneity in students' perceptions of instruction'. [conference paper].
- Prast E.J., Stroet K.F.A., Koornneef A.W. & Wilderjans T.F. (2023), What do students think about differentiation and within-class achievement grouping?, Frontline Learning Research 11(1): 57-93.
- Geel M. van, Prast E.J., Keuning T. & Luijten H. (2022), Hoe beoordelen leerlingen met verschillende niveaus differentiatie bij rekenen? . [conference paper].
- Prast E.J. (2021), Niveaugroepen in de rekenles: wat vinden leerlingen zelf? , JSW: Jeugd in School en Wereld 105(5): 32-35.
- Prast E.J. (2019), Hoe ervaren leerlingen differentiatie in de rekenles? Paper gepresenteerd op de Onderwijs Research Dagen (ORD).
- Prast E.J., Kaskens J.M.M., Cijvat I. & Van Luit J.E.H. (2019), Differentiëren in rekenonderwijs: afstemmen op onderwijsbehoeften, JSW: Jeugd in School en Wereld 103(5): 12-15.
- Prast E.J., Van de Weijer-Bergsma E., Kroesbergen E.H. & Van Luit J.E.H. (2018), Differentiated instruction in primary mathematics: Effects of teacher professional development on student achievement, Learning and Instruction 54: 22-34.
- Prast E.J. (18 May 2018), Differentiation in primary mathematics education (Dissertatie, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University). Utrecht. Supervisor(s) and Co-supervisor(s): Van Luit H. & Kroesbergen E., Van de Weijer-Bergsma E.
- Prast E.J., Van der Weijer-Bergsma E., Miočević M., Kroesbergen E.H. & Van Luit J.E.H. (2018), Relations between mathematics achievement and motivation in students of diverse achievement levels, Contemporary Educational Psychology 55: 84-96.
- Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Luit J.E.H. van, Prast E.J., Kroesbergen E.H., Kaskens J.M.M., Compagnie-Rietberg C.W., Cijvat I. & Logtenberg H. (2016), Differentiëren in het rekenonderwijs: hoe doe je dat in de praktijk?. Doetinchem: Graviant scientific & Educational Books.
- Prast E.J., Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Kroesbergen E.H. & Luit J.E.H. van (2016), Effecten van een nascholingstraject over differentiatie in het rekenonderwijs op de rekenprestaties van basisschoolleerlingen. Onderwijs Research Dagen 2016 25 May 2016 - 27 May 2016.
- Prast E.J., Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Kroesbergen E.H. & Luit J.E.H. van (2015), Readiness-based differentiation in primary school mathematics: Expert recommendations and teacher self-assessment, Frontline Learning Research 3(2): 90-116.
- Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Kroesbergen E.H., Prast E.J. & Luit J.E.H. van (2015), Validity and reliability of an online working memory task for self-reliant administration in school-aged children, Behavior Research Methods 47: 708-719.
- Prast E.J. (2015), Effects of readiness-based differentiation on student achievement in primary mathematics education. Paper presented at the ISED-VNOP-CAS Research Days .
- Prast E.J., Kroesbergen E.H., Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Luit J.E.H. van & Hooijdonk M. van (2015), Enhancing quality of math instruction with teacher professional development about differentiation. 16th Biennial EARLI Conference 25 August 2015 - 29 August 2015.
- Prast E.J., Hooijdonk M. van, Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Kroesbergen E.H. & Luit J.E.H. van (2013), Wat vinden leerlingen van hun rekenlessen? Rekenen met plezier, JSW: Jeugd in School en Wereld 98(2): 6-9.
- Weijer-Bergsma E. van de & Prast E.J. (2013), Gedifferentieerd rekenonderwijs volgens experts: De resultaten uit een Delphi onderzoek, Orthopedagogiek: Onderzoek en Praktijk 52: 336-349.
- Prast E.J., Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Kroesbergen E.H. & Luit J.E.H. van (2013), Teacher self-assessment of differentiation strategies recommended by experts: paper presented at the biennial EARLI conference. The biennial EARLI conference 31 August 2013 - 31 August 2013.
- Prast E.J., Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Kroesbergen E.H. & Luit J.E.H. van (2013), What constitutes good differentiation in primary mathematics education? Results of an expert consensus procedure: paper presented at the biennial JURE conference. The biennial JURE conference 27 August 2015 - 28 August 2015.
- Allgaier A.K., Pietsch K., Frühe B., Prast E.J., Sigl-Glöckner J. & Schulte-Körne G. (2012), Depression in pediatric care: is the WHO-Five Well-Being Index a valid screening instrument for children and adolescents?, General Hospital Psychiatry 34: 234-241.
- Weijer-Bergsma E. van de, Prast E.J., Kroesbergen E.H. & Luit J.E.H. van (2012), Afstemmen op onderwijsbehoeften: Gedifferentieerd rekenonderwijs, Volgens Bartjens - ontwikkeling en onderzoek 31(4): .