prof. dr. M.W.G. (Marijn) van Dijk

I studied Child & Youth Psychology at the University of Tilburg. In 2004, I defended my PhD thesis at the University of Groningen, on variability and ambiguity in early language acquisition. After working as assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology of the Open University of the Netherlands for several years, I returned to the University of Groningen in 2008 to works as tenure track assistant professor in Developmental Psychology. In 2013, I was promoted associate professor, and in 2020 (adjunct) professor. In 2023, I was appointed as full professor of Inclusive and Special Needs Education (Orthopedagogiek).

My research concerns the development of children in interaction with teachers and parents. The focus is on early child development (language, reasoning, developmental problems in early childhood) and the dynamics of learning in primary education. Most studies deal with change processes and the observation of interaction behaviors in naturalistic circumstances.