Marloes Hagenaars

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Sociology at VUB, where I conduct my FWO project, From Print to Pupil. The project examines how representations of social identities in schoolbooks move from production (publishers’ decisions), through mediation (teachers’ use and adaptation of materials), to interpretation (pupils’ perceptions). I obtained my Master degree in Sociology at Oxford University (2018) and graduated cum laude for my Master degree in Journalism at the University of the Arts (2016) in London. From 2019 until 2024, I worked as a doctoral researcher at the Department of Sociology of Ghent University. As part of the EdisTools project, I studied teachers’ responses to ethnic diversity and developed the training RE:flex (reflextool.be) based on the findings of my dissertation. Building on this expertise, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher on the SBO ‘Primary Prejudice' project from 2024 until 2026 where I explored the representation of social identities in primary schoolbooks. In addition, I specialize in research valorisation, translating scientific findings into accessible and relevant insights for teaching professionals, policy makers and other educational stakeholders.