Christa Krijgsman is Assistant Professor at Eindhoven School of Education (ESoE) at TU/e. Krijgsman aims to promote the quality of teaching and learning in secondary education. She aims to do this by connecting theory and practice via education, research, and collaborations with educational professionals such as pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, teacher educators, educational leaders, administrators, consultants, and researchers.
Krijgsman is interested in integral school development (i.e., curriculum development with simultaneously a focus on team professional development and school development) in secondary schools, with a specific interest in constructive alignment between learning goals, learning activities, and assessment. She aims to approach integral school development from a Research Engaged School culture. Moreover, Krijgsman is interested in the sustainability of educational innovations and reasons that (de)motivate teachers and students in teaching and learning.

Among other projects and tasks, Krijgsman works on the four-year (2023-2027) NRO-project “Promoting a Sustainable Research Engaged School Culture: Working Inquiry-Based on Educational Quality”. This project links theory and practice: teachers and educational leaders from nine secondary schools collaborate with educational researchers (ESoE and TIAS) in professional learning communities. Based on their own school data, teachers and educational leaders develop inquiry-based interventions to promote a research culture in their schools. The project contributes to theory development about promoting a sustainable Research Engaged School culture and to school development aimed at strengthening the quality of teaching and learning.

Christa Krijgsman obtained her master’s degree in Sports Education at Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Eindhoven. Next to her job as a physical education teacher in secondary education, Krijgsman obtained her PhD (2021) as part of a Joint-Doctorate at Utrecht University and Ghent University, focusing on assessment and motivation in physical education. Pursuing her interest in research, education and innovation, Krijgsman worked as a post-doctoral researcher at Eindhoven School of Education and worked as a teacher educator at Fontys University of Applied Sciences. As a post-doctoral researcher, she worked on projects that focused on the sustainability of educational innovations and a Research Engaged School culture. As a teacher educator, she taught several courses such as “Introduction into how to conduct research” and “Curriculum development”, and supervised bachelor and master theses. In 2024 Krijgsman was appointed Assistant Professor at Eindhoven School of Education, TU/e.  

Krijgsman aims to manage and conduct (inter)nationally recognized research projects that are both scientifically rigorous and highly practice-oriented in nature. She published in peer-reviewed journals in the educational and educational – psychology research field. To inform a wider educational audience (e.g., teachers, parents and school leaders) about her research findings, Krijgsman also issued professional publications (e.g., professional articles, short video’s, infographics, and podcast) on the topics assessment, motivation, and educational innovation. Krijgsman is also experienced in teaching in secondary and higher education, in providing on-site trainings, workshops, and guiding teachers and educational leaders in professional learning communities in secondary school contexts.