dr. Casper Hulshof

About Casper Hulshof

Casper Hulshof educates, researches, writes, and speaks. He observes, witnesses, and analyzes developments in education and science with a critical eye, and attempts to elucidate and explain their significance, thoughtfulness, and ‘truth’ to a broader audience.

In his daily life, he is a lecturer in the Educational Science program at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Utrecht University. He provides education in areas such as educational psychology, assessment, philosophy of science, and history of education. Connection to current events and humor are important elements that make education distinctive for him. Additionally, he is an active participant in discussions about educational issues through various social media. He is the initiator of the successful ‘Educational Science in Utrecht’ blog, where current issues in education and new research in educational science are explained for educators and other interested parties. The goal: to strengthen the connection between theory and practice, something from which the education sector can particularly benefit.

Recently, he published, in collaboration with Flemish pedagogue Pedro de Bruyckere, the book Boys Are Smarter Than Girls. In this book, he addresses well-known and lesser-known ideas that seem to have firmly entrenched themselves in the education system in an accessible manner. Clichés about the functioning of our brains (we only use 10% of our brain) to statements about the boys’ problem in education: all are tested against results from recent research. Many ideas fall by the wayside, while others must at least be significantly nuanced. An eye-opener for many teachers, and a refreshing shower for the education sector, also for concerned parents and responsible administrators.