Anki Van Heden

Anki Van Heden (°1957) is a lecturer and researcher at the bachelor’s program social educational care work at Artesis Plantijn University College in Antwerp. She teaches research skills, pedagogy, leadership and coaching and supports the final-year students with their thesis project. She is involved in Project-based Scientific Studies (PWO) within themes that can improve the nexus social pedagogy education and professional field:

• support needs of adult persons high-functioning adults with autism with ASS and normal abilities;
• a European participatory project with young people on children’s rights education;
• the influence of first-line managers on the engagement and motivation of social educational care workers;
• the influence of the organizational culture on the workability of the job of the social educational care worker and (inclusive) the quality of care offered to the client;
• multidisciplinary project on the relationship between professionals and volunteers in the sector of health and social care (sector).

Her expertise lies mainly in qualitative research. A long practical experience in the work field of the social educational care workers and teaching experience underpin her research competencies.