Born 1966 in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg; graduated from high school in 1985, then employed by a leading international company in Switzerland; spent time in the USA; studied business education (thesis: The Structure of Human Needs); 1995-2007 Assistant Professor and lecturer at WU’s Institute for Education and Philosophy (now the Education Sciences Group); Doctorate 1998 at the Institute for Education and Philosophy (dissertation: University Education and Careers); Venia docendi 2007 in General Didactics and Education Sciences (thesis: Silent Pedagogy: The research paradigms of Pierre Bourdieu).

Head of the Education Sciences Group since 2008.

Main research areas

(In)Equality issues in education

Bourdieu's theory of practice, Habitus analysis

Drop out research (early school leaving, drop out in higher education), Educational pathways

Professionalisation of teaching fields

Methodology and theories

Qualitative and quantitative education research

Professional experience

Development and management of the training and education department of a medium-sized IT company; corporate further education trainer; teacher at an upper secondary vocational school; professional coach; coach certification

Main teaching areas

Life history and identity in the context of education and educational careers; educational sociology; educational/developmental psychology; migration and education; gender and education; economics of education; business in a social context; qualitative and quantitative research methods in social sciences; scientific techniques; qualitative interviewing; communication and interaction.

• List of publications, keynotes, speeches and media contributions (PURE)

• Download section of recent publications and central PURE Repository

• Research projects and project reports

• Press reports

Research topics

• (In)Equality issues in education

• Bourdieu's Theory of Practice, Habitus analysis

• Drop out research (early school leaving, drop out in higher education)

• Educational pathways

• Professionalisation of teaching fields

Research approaches

• Quantitative and qualitative research methods in social sciences focussing on education

• Qualitative interview techniques

• Visual methods

• Mixed methods

• Grounded theory

PURE: Research projects

Research partners

International

• Belgium, University of Antwerp, Centre for Migration and Intercultural Studies

• United Kingdom, Middlesex University, Social Policy Research Centre

• Sweden, Stockholm University

• Portugal, University of Porto, Center for Research in Education

• Netherlands, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Poland, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education

• Spain, Autonomous University of Barcelona

• Hungary, Central European University, Center for Policy Studies

• Ireland, Dublin City University: Educational Disadvantage Centre

• Paris/France: European Institute of Education and Social Policy

• University of British Columbia/Canada: Faculty of Education.

National

• Federal Ministry of Education (BMB) (www.bmb.gv.at)

• The Chamber of Labour (www.wien.arbeiterkammer.at)

• OeNB Österreichische Nationalbank (www.oenb.at)

• City of Vienna, Municipal Department 23, Department for economic affairs, labour and statistics (www.wien.gv.at)

• Qualitative research methods in social sciences

• Qualitative interview techniques

• Developmental psychology focussing on J. Piaget, E. Erikson, J. Marcia, A. Freud, A. Adler, S. Freud …

• Sociology of education focussing on P. Bourdieu

• Inequality in education

• Education economics

• Youth search for identity

Actual courses

• 2018 Award of the Benya Foundation

• 2013 Research award of internationalisation: OeNB-WU-Internationalisierungspreis

• 2013 Research award: OeNB Research project

• 2013 Research award: Reducing Early School Leaving in the EU; 7th EU framework program

• 2012 Visiting scholar grant for University of Cambridge

• 2007 Award of Excellence (research)

• 2007 Innovative teaching award

• 2002 Award of Dr. Maria Schaumayer Foundation