dr. C.L. Poortman (Cindy)

Dr. Cindy Poortman is an Associate Professor at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

Her research focuses on teachers’ and school leaders’ continuing professional development in communities and networks from primary to higher (engineering) education, with data use, leadership, sustainability and student agency as main themes. She is also the director of the PRO-U professional development for teachers platform at the UT. Cindy has co-founded the international network Professional Learning Networks within ICSEI (International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement). She teaches in the teacher education program and as a guest lecturer for education programs and conferences. Publications include a book about the data team procedure (translated in Swedish 2016 and English – 2017); special issues about data use; journal papers about teacher professional development in networks and professional learning communities and book chapters. In 2018, the book she edited with Chris Brown about Networks for Learning was published (Routledge) and since 2018 they are the series editors of the Professional Learning Networks book series (Emerald). In 2023 their book The Guide to Successful Professional Learning Networks and the OECD chapter The role of learning conversations to improve outcomes for students were published. In 2025 her guideline for Professional Learning Communities was published.

Expertise

• Psychology

  • Teachers
  • Sustainability
  • Data-Based Decision Making
  • Assessment

• Social Sciences

  • Schools
  • Intervention
  • Learning

• Computer Science

  • Teams

Organisations

Publications

Research profiles

Courses academic year 2026/2027

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Address

University of Twente

Ravelijn (building no. 10), room 5446
Hallenweg 17
7522 NH Enschede
Netherlands

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Organisations