Erna Nairz
ao.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Erna Nairz
Head of the Education Sciences Group
Biography
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.
Publications (PURE)
Research
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
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)
Teaching
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
Awards
2018: Award of the Benya Foundation for comprehensive basic and applied research
2013: OeNB-WU Award for Internationalization
2013: WU Award for outstanding Achievements in Research and Teaching: OeNB research project
2013: WU Award for outstanding Achievements in Research and Teaching: EU research project - Reducing Early School Leaving in the EU; 7th EU framework program
2012: Visiting scholar grant for University of Cambridge
2007: Award for Excellence in Research
2007: Award for Innovative Teaching
2002: Awardee of the Dr. Maria Schaumayer Habilitation Grant