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Prof. Dr. Jaap Dronkers

T +31 43 388 36 47
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M +31 6 815 385 60
E j.dronkers@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Jaap Dronkers is now Professor in international comparative research on educational performance and social inequality at Maastricht University. He was born in Amsterdam in 1945 and studied sociology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He has been head of Research of Education and Sociology at SISWO (1976–1986), Associate Professor of the Sociology of Education and Empirical Sociology at the Catholic University of Brabant in Tilburg (1986–1990), Chair in Educational Sciences (1990–1999), and Chair in Empirical Sociology (1999–2001) both at the University of Amsterdam. Prof. Dronkers was visiting scholar at the Max-Planck Institute for Human Development (1998–1999). Between September 2001 and November 2009 he was Professor of Social Stratification and Inequality at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. Since 2002 he has been one of the organizers of the European Network for the Sociological and Demographic Study of Divorce. During 2006/2007 he has been Director of the European Forum The Quality of Education and its Relationships with Inequality in European and Other Modern Societies. In 2009 he was recipient of the Professor Leune Award for his contribution to educational innovation. During the autumn of 2010 he was visiting professor at the Doshisha University in Kyoto (Japan). Since September 2011 he is academic partner of Centraal Planbureau. He has published on the causes and consequences of unequal educational and occupational attainment, changes in educational opportunities, effect-differences between public and religious schools, the educational and occupational achievement of migrants from different origins and in various countries of destination, the linkages between school and the labour market, the effects of parental divorce on children, cross-national differences in causes of divorce, education of Dutch elites, and European nobility. He also participates in public debates on topics related to his research.

Recent papers

J. Dronkers & M. de Lange. Increasing negative effects of single-parenthood on educational outcomes by higher single parenthood-levels? A comparison of PISA 2000, 2003 and 2009. PowerPoint presented at the International Divorce Conference, DONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics, Bocconi University, Milan, 27-29 October 2011.

J. Dronkers. Etnische Diversiteit van scholen en de relatie met onderwijsprestaties in de Nederlandse PISA data 2009. [Ethnic diversity of schools and their relation with educational performance in the Dutch PISA data 2009]. CPB policy seminar 28 September 2011.

J. Dronkers, R. van der Velden & A. Dunne. Are immigrant students better off in certain types of educational systems or schools than in others? On the effects of educational systems, school-composition, track-level, parental background and country of origin on the achievement of 15-year- old immigrant students. Keynote address at The European Conference on Educational Research 2011, 13-16 september 2011 in Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.

J. Dronkers, R. van der Velden & A. Dunne. The effects of educational systems, school-composition, track-level, parental background and immigrants’ origins on the achievement of 15-years-old native and immigrant students. A reanalysis of PISA 2006. ROA Research Memorandum 2011/6.

T. Prokic-Breuer & J. Dronkers. Why 15-year old pupils in the Netherlands and Flanders have such high scores in international comparisons of educational outcomes? A first analysis with one German educational system. Paper presented at the OnderwijsResearch Dagen 2011, 8, 9 & 10 June 2011 in the University Maastricht.

J. Dronkers & M. Vink. Explaining immigrant citizenship status. First and second generation immigrants in fifteen European states. Paper presented at meeting of the Political Sociology section of the European Sociology Association (RN 32). University of Lille 2, France, November 4-5, 2010.

J. Dronkers. Positieve maar ook negatieve effecten van etnische diversiteit in scholen op onderwijsprestaties? Een empirische toets met internationale PISA-data. [Positive but also negative effects of ethnic diversity in schools on educational achievement? An empirical test with cross-national PISA-data]. Inauguaral lecture Maastricht University 17 June 2010.

J. Dronkers & M. de Heus. The educational performance of children of immigrants  in 16 OECD countries. The influences of educational systems and other societal features of both countries of origin. Conference on Inequality Measurement and the Progress of Society. Malta Valletta, 22-23 April 2010.

S. André, J. Dronkers & A. Need. To vote or not to vote? Electoral participation of immigrants from different countries of origin in 24 European countries of destination. ECSR conference ‘Changing societies in the context of the European Union enlargement’, Sciences Po-CNRS, Paris 11-12 December 2009.  

M. de Heus & J. Dronkers. Immigrants’ children scientific performance in a double comparative design: the influence of origin, destination, and community. Summer 2009 Meeting of the ISA RC28 Mobility and Inequality: Intergenerational and Life Course Perspectives. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. August 3 - 6, 2009

T. Prokic & J. Dronkers.  Parental divorce and attitudes about society of their children. Seventh Meeting of the European Network for Sociological and demographic Study of Divorce, June 25th-26th  in Antwerp, Belgium.

P. Korom & J. Dronkers. Nobility among the Austrian economic elite in 2008. Workshop ‘Nobility in Europe during the 20th Century: Memories, Loyalties and Advantages in Context’, 15-16 June 2009, European University Institute, Florence, Italy.

S. Avram & J. Dronkers. Social class dimensions in the selection of a private school in the selection of a private school: A cross-national analysis using Pisa. Spring Meeting of Research Committee 28 Beijing Meeting, 14-16 May 2009.

M. de Lange, J. Dronkers & M. Wolbers. Family Forms and Children’s Educational Performance in a Cross-National Perspective: Effects of School’s Resources and Family Policies of Modern Societies. Dutch-Fleming Meeting of Sociology 2009, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 11 June 2009 & the European Divorce Network Meeting September 18th – 19th September 2008, Oslo, Norway

S. André, J. Dronkers & F. Fleischmann. Perceptions of In-group Discrimination by First and Second Generation Immigrants from Different Countries of Origin in EU Member-States. RC28 Spring Meeting 2008 Social Stratification and Insiders/Outsiders: Cross-national Comparisons within and between Continents. Florence, Italy, 15-18 May 2008 & Dutch-Fleming Meeting of Sociology 2008, Leuven, Belgium, 29 May 2008,  International Conference on Survey Methods in Multinational, Multiregional, and Multicultural Contexts (3MC), Berlin, June 25-28, 2008. A Dutch version is published in Mens & Maatschappij (2009). [pdf]

M. de Heus, J. Dronkers & M. Levels. Immigrant pupils’ scientific performance: the influence of educational system features of countries of origin and destination. RC28 Spring Meeting 2008 Social Stratification and Insiders/Outsiders: Cross-national Comparisons within and between Continents. Florence, Italy, 15-18 May 2008& Dutch-Fleming Meeting of Sociology 2008, Leuven, Belgium, 29 May 2008

J. Erola, J. Härkönen & J. Dronkers. Parental divorce and offspring marriage in Finland: later, but with whom? EUI SPS working paper 2008/04. European Network for the sociological and demographic Study of Divorce, 17-18 September 2007, the London School of Economics.

M. de Lange & J. Dronkers. Groeide de ongelijkwaardigheid van het eindexamen tussen scholen verder in 2005? Discrepanties tussen de cijfers voor het schoolonderzoek en het centraal examen in het voortgezet onderwijs: 2005 versus 1997–2004 [Did the equivalence of the final examinations between schools decrease further in 2005? Discrepancies in grading of the central and school part of secondary education examinations: 2005 versus 1997-2004] 34th Dutch–Flemish educational research meeting, Groningen, 6-8 June 2007.

M. de Lange & J. Dronkers. Hoe gelijkwaardig blijft het eindexamen tussen scholen? Discrepanties tussen de cijfers voor het schoolonderzoek en het centraal examen in het voortgezet onderwijs tussen 1998 en 2005. [The equivalence between schools of the Dutch secondary final examination. Discrepancies between the grading of the central and school part of the final examinations of secondary education between 1998 and 2005]. EUI working paper 2007/03.

Recent publications

S. Avram & J. Dronkers. 2011 School sector variation on non-cognitive dimensions: are non-public but publicly supported more effective? Educational Research and Evaluation 17: 115-139. [Full text].

Dronkers, J. 2011. “De maatschappelijke en wetenschappelijke waarde van internationale data over onderwijsprestaties” [The societal and scientific value of international data on educational achivement] Pedagogische Studiën 88: 122-131 [pdf]

Dronkers, J., R. van der Velde & A. Dunne. 2011. Waarom migrantenkinderen het beter doen in bepaalde onderwijssystemen of in bepaalde scholen. [Why pupils with a migrant background perform better in certain educational systems or in certain schools] pp 133-150 in Problemen en Theorieën in Onderzoek: Een staalkaart van de hedendaagse empirisch-theoretische sociologie, edited by G. Kraaykamp, M. Levels & A. Need. Assen: Gorkum. [pdf]

B. Lancee & J. Dronkers. 2011 “Ethnic Diversity in Neighbourhoods and Social Trust of Immigrants and Natives. A Replication of Putnam (2007) in a West-European Country” pp. 77-102 in: Social Cohesion. Interdisciplinary Theoretical Perspectives on the Study of Social Cohesion and Social Capital, edited by M. Hooghe (ed.), Brussel: Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten. [Full text]

B. Lancee & J. Dronkers, 2011. “Ethnic, Religious and Economic Diversity in the Neighbourhood: Explaining Quality of Contact with Neighbours, Trust in the Neighbourhood and Inter-ethnic Trust for Immigrant and Native Residents”. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37: 597-618 [Full text].

M. de Lange, J. Dronkers & M. Wolbers, 2011. "Eenoudergezinnen en onderwijsprestaties vanuit een vergelijkend perspectief: de invloed van het percentage eenoudergezinnen per school" [Single-parent families and educational performance from a comparative perspective: the effect of the percentage single-parent families per school] pp. 189-202 in Goede bedoelingen in het onderwijs. Kansen en missers, edited by J. Dronkers. Amsterdam: Amsterdam Univeristy Press. [pdf]

Dronkers, J., 2010. "Features of educational Systems as Factors in the Creation of Unequal Educational Outcomes." pp. 299-328 in Quality and Inequality of Education. Cross-National Perspectives, edited by J. Dronkers. Dordrecht /Heidelberg/ London/New York: Springer.

Dronkers, J., 2010. “Rückgang der Homogamie im deutschen und österreichischen Adel im 20. Jahrhundert? – Ein Vergleich mit dem niederländische Adel” [Declining Homogamy of Austrian-German Nobility in the 20th Century? A Comparison with the Dutch Nobility] pp.251-273 in Adel verbindet – Adel verbindt. Elitenbildung und Standeskultur in Nordwestdeutschland und den Niederlanden vom 15. Bis 20. Jahrhundert, edited by M. van Driel, M. Pohl & B. Walter. Paderborn/ München/ Wien/ Zürich: Ferdinand Schöningh.

Dronkers, J. 2010. “Positieve maar ook negatieve effecten van etnische diversiteit in scholen op onderwijsprestaties? Een empirische toets met internationale PISA-data” [Positive but also negative effects of ethnic diversity in schools on educational achievement? An empirical test with cross-national PISA-data]. Tijdschrift voor Onderwijsrecht en Onderwijsbeleid 6: 483-499. [pdf]

Dronkers J. & S. Avram, 2010. "A cross-national analysis of the relations of school choice and effectiveness differences between private-dependent and public schools." Educational Research and Evaluation 16:151-175. [pdf]

Dronkers, J. & S. Avram, 2010. "A cross-national analysis of the relations of school choice and effectiveness differences between private-independent and public schools." Sociological Theory and Methods 理論と方法 25: 183-206. [pdf]

Dronkers, J., G. Felouzis & A. van Zanten, 2010. "Education markets and school choice." Educational Research and Evaluation 16:99-105. [pdf]

Dronkers, J. & F. Fleischmann, 2010. "The Educational Attainment of Second Generation Immigrants from Different Countries of Origin in the EU-Member-States." pp. 163-204 in Quality and Inequality of Education. Cross-national Perspectives, edited by J. Dronkers. Dordrecht/ Heidelberg/ London/ New York: Springer.

Dronkers, J. & M. de Heus, 2010. "Negative selectivity of Europe's guest-workers immigration? The educational achievement of children of immigrants compared with the educational achievement of native children in their origin countries." pp. 89-104 in From Information to Knowledge; from Knowledge to Wisedom: Challenges and Changes facing Higher Education in the Digital Age, edited by E. de Corte & J. Fenstad. London: Portland Press. [pdf]

Fleischmann, F. & J. Dronkers, 2010. "Unemployment among immigrants in European labour markets: an analysis of origin and destination effects." Work, Employment & Society 24:337-354. [Full text]

Fleischmann, F. & J. Dronkers, 2010.”The Socio-Economic Integration of Immigrants in the EU. Effects of Characteristics of Origin and Destination Countries on the First and Second Generation.” Pp. 258-283 in Growing Gaps. Educational Inequality around the World, edited by P. Attewell & K.S. Newman. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press.

Heus, M. de, & J. Dronkers. 2010. “De onderwijsprestaties van immigrantkinderen in 16 OECD-landen. De invloed van onderwijsstelsels en overige samenlevingskenmerken van zowel herkomst- als bestemmingslanden.” [The educational performance of Immigrant children in 16 OECD-countries. The influence of educational systems and other societal features of both countries of origin and destination] Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 31: 260-294.  [pdf]

Prokic, T. & J. Dronkers, 2010. "The Differences in Attitudes about their Society Between 14 Years Old Pupils with and without an Immigration Background; A Cross-National Comparison." Journal of Research in Educational Sciences 1:55-67. [Full text]

Albertini, M. & J. Dronkers, 2009. "Effects of Divorce on Children’s Educational Attainment in a Mediterranean and Catholic Society. Evidence from Italy." European Societies 11:137-159. [Full text]

André, S., J. Dronkers & F. Fleischmann, 2009. “Verschillen in groepsdiscriminatie, zoals waargenomen door immigranten uit verschillende herkomstlanden in veertien lidstaten van de Europese Unie.” [Differences in in-group discrimination as perceived by immigrants from various countries of origin in fourteen member-states of the European Union] Mens en Maatschappij 84: 448-482 [pdf]

Dronkers, J., 2009. "Class." in The Palgrave Dictionary of Transnational History, edited by A. Iriye en P.-Y. Saunier. London: Palgrave Macmillan. [Full text]

Dronkers, J. & S. Avram, 2009. "Choice and Effectiveness of Private and Public Schools in Seven Countries. A reanalysis of three Pisa Data Sets." Zeitschrift für Pädagogik 55:895-909. [Full text]

Dronkers, J. & B. Lancee, 2009. "Aandacht voor de Putnam-hypothese is in het geheel niet overdreven." [Research attention for the Putnam-hypothesis is not at all exaggerated]  Migrantenstudies 25:155-162. [pdf]

Dronkers, J., G. Marks & J. Cresswell, 2009. "Introduction to this special issue Cross-national Studies in Student Performance with PISA and TIMSS Data." Educational Research and Evaluation 15:323-325. [Full text]

Mortelmans, D., L. Snoeckx & J. Dronkers, 2009. “Cross-Regional Divorce Risks in Belgium: Culture or Legislative System?” Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 50: 541-563. [Full text]

Dronkers, J., 2008. "Declining Homogamy of Austrian-German Nobility in the 20th Century? A Comparison with the Dutch Nobility." Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung 33:262-284. [Full text]

Dronkers, J.,  2008. L'Educació com a pilar de la desigualtat. La politica educativa europea: limitacions i possibilitats. Barcelona: Fundació Rafael Campalans. [Full text]

Dronkers, J., 2008. "Education as the backbone of inequality - European education policy: constrains and possibilities." pp. 50-135 in Social Democracy and Education. The European Experience, edited by F. Becker, K. Duffek & T. Mörschel. Berlin /Wien/ Amsterdam: Friederich Ebert Stiftung / Karl Renner Institut / Wiardi Beckman Stichting.

Dronkers, J., 2008. "Sociale ongelijkheid in het onderwijs." [Social inequality in education] pp. 153-173 in Wat is goed onderwijs? Bijdragen uit de onderwijssociologie, edited by R. Klarus & A. Dieleman. Den Haag: LEMMA.

Dronkers, J. & J. Härkönen, 2008. "The intergenerational transmission of divorce in cross-national perspective: Results from the Fertility and Family Survey." Populations Studies 62:273-288.  [Full text]

Dronkers, J. & A. Need, 2008. "Het voortbestaan van religieuze scholen." [The survival of religious schools] pp. 380-387 in Handboek Religie in Nederland, edited by M. ter Borg, E. Borgman, M. Buitelaar, Y. Kuiper & R. Plum. Zoetermeer: Meinema.

Dronkers, J. & P. Robert, 2008. "Differences in Scholastic Achievement of Public, Private Government-Dependent, and Private Independent Schools: A Cross-National Analysis." Educational Policy 22:541-577. [Full text]

Dronkers, J. & P. Robert, 2008. "School Choice in the Light of the Effectiveness Differences of Various Types of Public and Private Schools in 19 OECD Countries." Journal of School Choice 2:260-301. [Full text]

Fleischmann, F. & J. Dronkers, 2008. "De sociaaleconomische integratie van immigranten in de EU. Een analyse van de effecten van bestemmings- en herkomstlanden op de eerste en tweede generatie." [The socio-economic integration of immigrants in the EU. An analysis of the effects of countries of destination- and origin on first and second generation] Sociologie 4:2-37 [pdf]

Lancee, B. & J. Dronkers, 2008. "Etnische diversiteit, sociaal vertrouwen in de buurt en contact van allochtonen en autochtonen met buren." [Ethnic diversity, social trust in the neighbourhood and contact of migrants and natives with neighbours]   Migrantenstudies 24:224-249. [pdf]

Levels, M. & J. Dronkers, 2008. "Educational performance of native and immigrant children from various countries of origin." Ethnic and Racial Studies 31:1404-1425. [Full text]

Levels, M, J. Dronkers & G. Kraaykamp, 2008. “Immigrant Children’s Educational Achievement in Western Countries: Origin, Destination, and Community Effects on Mathematical Performance.” American Sociological Review 73: 835-853 [Full text]

Levels, M., G. Kraaykamp & J. Dronkers, 2008. "Leesvaardigheid van allochtone leerlingen in westerse landen. Een vergelijkende studie met macrohypothesen" [Reading abilities of immigrant pupils in western societies. A comparative study with macro-hypotheses] Migrantenstudies 24: 94-112. [pdf]

Dronkers, J., 2007. "Hebben immigranten een lagere beroepsstatus door te weinig onderwijs of door het slecht functioneren van arbeidsmarkten?" [Do immigrants have lower occupational status because of a lack of education or the malfunctioning of the labour markets?] pp. 51-70 in Het arbeidsbestel binnenstebuiten, edited by E. de Gier & F. Huijgen. Apeldoorn/ Antwerpen: Spinhuis.

Dronkers, J., 2007. Ruggengraat van ongelijkheid. Beperkingen en mogelijkheden om ongelijke onderwijskansen te veranderen. [Backbone of inequality. Constraints and possibilities of education policy in Europe] Amsterdam: Mets & Schilt / Wiardi Beckman Stichting.

Dronkers, J., 2007. "Schools, religious." pp. 4052-4055 in The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by G. Ritzer. Malden (MA), Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [Full text]

Dronkers, J. & M. Levels, 2007. "Do School Segregation and School Resources Explain Region-of-Origin Differences in the Mathematics Achievement of Immigrant Students?" Educational Research and Evaluation 13:435-462. [Full text]

Dronkers, J. & H. Schijf, 2007. "Elites." pp. 1362-1364 in The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by G. Ritzer. Malden (MA), Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [Full text]

Garib, G., T. Martin Garcia & J. Dronkers, 2007. "Are the effects of different family forms on children's educational performance related to the demographic characteristics and family policies of modern societies?" pp. 27-50 in Changing families and their lifestyles, edited by E. Moerbeek, A. Niehof & J. van Ophem. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers. [Full text]

Tesser, P. & J. Dronkers, 2007. "Equal Opportunities or Social Closure in the Netherlands." pp. 359-402 in Unequal Chances. Ethnic Minorities in Western Labour Markets, edited by A. F. Heath & S. Y. Cheung. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Full text]

Corten, R. & J. Dronkers, 2006. "School Achievement of Pupils From the Lower Strata in Public, Private Government-Dependent and Private Government-Independent Schools: A cross-national test of the Coleman-Hoffer thesis." Educational Research and Evaluation 12:179-208. [Full text]

Dronkers, J., 2006. "Ethnic Riots in French Banlieus." The Tocqueville Review/La Revue Tocqueville 27:61-76. [Full text]

Dronkers, J., 2006. "Meer effectieve scholen en betere leerkrachten." [More effective schools and better teachers] pp. 50-77 in 30 plannen voor een beter Nederland. De sociale agenda, edited by K. van Beek & Y. Zonderdorp. Amsterdam: Volkskrant & Meulenhoff.

Dronkers, J., 2006. "Nederland op weg naar Franse toestanden? Onderwijsprestaties van migranten in het Nederlandse onderwijs in vergelijking met die in de buurlanden." [The risk of French events in the Netherlands. Educational achievement of migrant in Dutch education in comparison with those in neighbouring countries] pp. 116-124 in In verscheidenheid verenigd. Opstellen over europees burgerschap en Europa in het onderwijs, edited by K. Akkerman-Bergsma. Alkmaar: Europees Platform voor het Nederlandse Onderwijs.

Dronkers, J., J. Baumert & K. Schwippert, 2006. "Are German non-public secondary schools more effective in reaching cognitive and non-cognitive educational goals." International Journal for Educational Law and Policy 2:4-14.

Dronkers, J. & J. Hox, 2006. “The Importance of the Common Family Background for the Similarity of Divorce Risks of Siblings: a Multilevel Event History Analysis” pp. 217-238 in Multilevel Issues in Social Systems, edited by F. J. Yammarino & F. Dansereau. Amsterdam, etc.: Elsevier. [Full text]

Dronkers, J., A. Huistra & Y. Kuiper, 2006. "Hoe 'adellijk' is de adel in het huidige Nederland? Antropologische en sociologische aantekeningen bij de in 2005 gehouden enquête onder de Nederlandse adel." [How ‘noble’ is the nobility of the modern Netherlands? Anthropological and sociological comments about the survey held among the Dutch nobility in 2006]. Virtus. Jaarboek voor adelsgeschiedenis 13:44-61.

Dronkers, J., M. Kalmijn & M. Wagner, 2006. "Causes and Consequences of Divorce: Cross-national and Cohort Differences, an Introduction to this Special Issue." European Sociological Review 22:479-481. Special issue on Divorce, edited by Jaap Dronkers [Full text]

Dronkers, J. & R. A. Wanner, 2006. "Waarom verdienen immigranten minder? Effecten van immigratiebeleid en arbeidsmarktkenmerken." [Why do immigrants earn less? Effects of immigration policies and labour market characteristics] Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken 22:379-394. [Full text]

Härkönen, J. & J. Dronkers, 2006. "Stability and Change in the Educational Gradient of Divorce. A Comparison of Seventeen Countries." European Sociological Review 22:501-507. [Full text]

Levels, M. & J. Dronkers, 2006. "Verschillen in wiskundekennis in hoog ontwikkelde landen van Europa, Australië en Nieuw-Zeeland, tussen eerste- en tweede-generatie migrantenleerlingen uit verschillende herkomstregio's en autochtone leerlingen." [Differences in Math skills in highly developed countries of Europe, Australia and New-Zealand, between first- and second-generation migrant pupils from various regions of origin and native pupils] pp. 53-76 in Over kansen, competenties en cohesie. Kanttekeningen bij dertig jaar onderwijssociologie, edited by R. Bosman & S. Waslander. Assen: Van Gorcum.

Levels, M., J. Dronkers & G. Kraaykamp, 2006. "Het belang van herkomst en bestemming voor de schoolprestaties van immigranten. Een crossnationale vergelijking." [The importance of origin and destination for the educational achievement of immigrants. A cross-national comparison] pp. 137-160 in Allochtonen in Nederland in internationaal perspectief, edited by F. van Tubergen & I. Maas. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. [Full text]