About Us

The laboratory focuses on a variety of research studies in the field of education, with an emphasis on exploring the human aspect in the contexts of mobility, identity, and agency. Additionally, it examines the environmental aspect in education, including place-based education and global citizenship education.

We strive to explore and understand the complex interplay between human factors, such as mobility, identity, and agency, and their impact on education. By conducting innovative and interdisciplinary research, we aim to contribute valuable insights that will shape the future of education.

Our lab is committed to investigating the role of education in promoting social and individual development, with a particular focus on place-based education and global citizenship. Through our research, we aim to empower educators and policymakers to create inclusive and transformative learning environments that foster critical thinking, cultural awareness, and social responsibility.

We envision a future where education is not only about imparting knowledge but also about nurturing the holistic growth of individuals. Our lab seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice by collaborating with educators, students, and community stakeholders. By fostering partnerships and engaging in knowledge exchange, we aim to develop evidence-based strategies and interventions that enhance educational experiences for all learners.

In addition, we aspire to be a hub for collaboration and knowledge dissemination, organizing conferences, workshops, and seminars to facilitate the exchange of ideas among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Through these activities, we aim to create a vibrant community of scholars dedicated to advancing the field of education and addressing pressing societal challenges.

Ultimately, our vision is to contribute to the transformation of education systems, empowering learners to navigate a rapidly changing world, embrace diversity, and become active global citizens. With a focus on human and environmental factors, our lab strives to make a lasting impact on education policy, practice, and research in Israel and beyond.

FUNDING

Current

European Research Council Consolidator Grant 2022: panel SH3, project STUDACT

STUDACT aims to explore how young people receive, understand and appropriate activism, treating them as core partners and agentic participants. Data will be collected in Poland, the US, Italy, Australia, Germany, and the UK.

The German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) grant

Migration Related Discourse in Classrooms: Understanding Youth Citizenship Vocabularies

This project investigates how secondary school students in four European countries with high levels of immigration (Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Poland) connect migration to their sense of civic responsibility and activism. Building on Kjerstin Thorson’s (2012) concept of citizenship vocabularies, we examine how young people—both migrant and non-migrant—frame migration-related issues as part of their civic identities and practices.

Migration has transformed classroom demographics across Europe, producing new forms of diversity and prompting political contestation. Schools thus face the dual challenge of addressing sensitive migration issues while fostering democratic dispositions among students. Yet existing research remains largely adult-centered and often neglects migrant youth’s own agency. Our preliminary reviews reveal significant gaps: immigrant students’ activism is underexplored, and prevailing models fail to capture the range of practices that youth themselves consider activism.

Using deliberative discussion groups with approximately 550 final-year secondary students, we will document and analyse how young people narrate, debate, and make sense of migration and its civic implications. This approach prioritises students’ own interpretations while situating them within wider societal discourses on migration and citizenship. Comparative analysis across countries will illuminate shared and divergent vocabularies, shaped by distinct migration flows and policy contexts.

The project will advance both theory and practice. Theoretically, it enriches understandings of civic engagement by extending the concept of citizenship vocabularies to migration-related contexts. Empirically, it provides an evidence base for educators and policymakers to better support civic education in diverse classrooms. Ultimately, the study will highlight how young people imagine themselves as citizens in societies marked by migration, and how schools can nurture more inclusive and democratic forms of civic participation.

Led by Prof. Dr. Nina Kolleck and Prof. Miri Yemini, both experienced researchers with expertise in global education, democracy, social movements and civic education, this research combines theoretical exploration with practical solutions. It promises to enhance our understanding of youth activism’s transformative potential in addressing democratic challenges, paving the way for more inclusive and empowering participatory frameworks.

Past

Israeli Science Foundation

Minerva Max Plank ARCHES

Ministry of Education