My PhD Journey in 2023: A Year in Review

Hello everyone! This is a review I wanted to do for myself, for my own reflection and improvement. However, I thought it may be a good idea to share it with whoever may be interested. Therefore, I would like to give you a glimpse into my journey during the year 2023, month by month, by highlighting at least one of the achievements or events of each month. The year 2023 has been loaded with learning experiences that have highly contributed Read more…

The (D)FIT-Choice Scale: Digital Factors Influencing Teaching Choice

The fresh summer air of Zurich is coming through the window while I am writing this post. It will probably be a bit warmer when I present this research poster at the JURE and EARLI conference next week in Thessaloniki, Greece! In this research poster, I briefly introduce the first study I conducted as part of my PhD. The aim of this study was to develop, validate and implement the (D)FIT-Choice model, building upon the existing FIT-Choice model. Please feel Read more…

How I learned German in less than 2 years

The “Swiss” language Switzerland is a country with 4 official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch (in order of prevalence). There are also several dialects of German under the term “Swiss German”, which is quite different from Standard German (I found it very fun to explore the Schweizerisches Idiotikon to listen to the different dialects). It is also interesting to know that the most widely used language in the workplace is Swiss German (60%), followed by standard German (30%), French Read more…

Spinning Around: A 3D-printed educational tool

I struggled with understanding concepts such as the seasons, and I remember thinking that it was warmer in the summer because the Earth was closer to the sun (although this didn’t make sense because I knew it was cold in other places of the world). When relearning about these concepts, I remember using mandarines to simulate the earth around the sun. Given this experience, I thought how useful it would be to have a physical model that would resemble the Read more…

Being a PhD student at two universities

Exactly how you read it. I am a PhD student at two different universities, simultaneously: the University of Zurich and the Zurich University of Teacher Education. If you have never heard about anything like this it may sound somehow strange (at least this is how it sounded to me the first time I came across this idea). You may even be thinking: “Isn’t it complicated enough to get into just one university? Why did you bother to be in two?”. Read more…

Who makes my research possible?

When I wrote my last post, I found myself in an Airbnb room still getting used to my “new life” in Switzerland. This time, I am already at (what I can now call) home! During these nearly two months, I (together with my partner) have been going through the process of looking for and finding an apartment, applying to it, being accepted, looking for a suitable transport company, moving from Spain, quarantining again while unpacking everything, doing more paperwork… And Read more…

Change is the only constant in life

Change is the only constant in life. Some changes just happen, but there other changes that we decide to make. Some changes may have a minimum effect, but other changes can determine your future. Today two important events are taking place in my life, and I am here to share them with you. Welcoming a new chapter of my life I have known for a very long time, that I want to devote part of my time to the improvement Read more…