Postdoctoral appointments in Mathematics Education

The Faculty of Health, Science and Technology is announcing two postdoctoral appointments in Mathematics Education. The appointments will be connected to the research centre SMEER (Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education Research https://www.kau.se/smeer) and excellent research environment ROSE (Research on Subject-specific Education https://www.kau.se/rose). The research in SMEER and ROSE further the development of subject-specific theory and practice in school and higher education.

The appointments will organisationally belong to the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The successful applicants will be expected to contribute to the field of subject-specific education research with a specialisation in one of the relevant research domains in Mathematics Education at Karlstad University.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science comprises two research subjects: Mathematics and Computer Science. The department has over 70 teachers and researchers on staff. Research and education are conducted in close collaboration with international, national and regional partners including universities, schools and businesses. The mathematics education research conducted within the department is practice-based and focuses on the learning and teaching of children, youths and adults. The projects are focused on learning and the development of teaching mathematics in compulsory school, upper secondary school, adult education and higher education. Particular focus is placed on the digitalisation of mathematics teaching and the professional development of teachers and teaching students. Research is largely organised within interdisciplinary groups at the university, in close collaboration with professionals in schools and in well-established international partnerships with research groups at other universities.

A postdoctoral appointment in Mathematics Education entails being part of our research environment, conducting active independent research as well as collaborating with other researchers in SMEER and ROSE. Your research should have a distinct focus on subject-specific education and be related to the research programmes in SMEER or ROSE. Your main duties will consist of conducting research and writing research applications. Research findings can be published as single- or multi-authored publications. You will contribute to the local research environment through active participation in the activities at the Mathematics Education research environment, such as research seminars and workshops.

Duties may include teaching of up to 20% of working hours. There will be funds available to cover the cost of conferences and similar events. Furthermore, you are expected to collaborate with the wider community to create a mutual exchange and strive to ensure that the knowledge and expertise available at the university ultimately benefit society.

In order to contribute to a positive working environment and help further the subject’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

To be eligible for the postdoctoral appointment, applicants are required to hold a PhD in mathematics with a specialisation in education, educational work or another related subject, or have qualifications from abroad that are considered equivalent to a PhD. The candidate must have completed the degree no more than three years before the application deadline.

Qualifications obtained earlier may be considered if there are special grounds, such as sick leave, parental leave, clinical service, service as a union representative, military service or similar, or service/assignment of relevance to the appointment.

Special weight will be given to:

• international work experience or experience in national and international networks.
• experience of research collaboration with professionals in schools.

Considerable weight will be given to:

• publications in prominent journals and conference proceedings
• a high level of proficiency in spoken and written English
• personal qualities such as the ability to cooperate, demonstrate sound judgement, take responsibility, show dedication and a positive attitude towards colleagues and students
• current experience of collaborating with the wider community and of disseminating research findings and development work.

Weight will be given to:

• the ability to work well with others as well as autonomously.

Valuable qualifications:

• Teaching awards
• Completed course in higher education pedagogy
• A high level of proficiency in spoken and written Swedish

This is a full-time 2-year appointment. The appointment may be extended up to a maximum of three years in total. Start date at the earliest convenience as agreed by both parties.

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications.

The application should include:

• CV
• Cover letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and research interests in relation to the duties of the position
• A list of publications (in multi-authored publications, the role of the applicant must be specified)
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts from previous university studies
• Copy of PhD degree or information on when it is expected to be completed
• Copy of doctoral thesis and other relevant publications
• Contact details for two references.

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content.

Documents that cannot be submitted electronically, such as books or publications, should be sent to:

Karlstads universitet
Hanna Ljungdahl
651 88 Karlstad

State the ref.no: REK2023/267

Application deadline: 7 January 2024

 We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.

HR Excellence in Research

Karlstad University received the HR Excellence in Research Award in September 2020. The award is issued to employers who offer a stimulating work environment and good conditions for researchers and who aim for continuous improvement. The award also conveys the commitment of the University to fair and transparent recruitment as well as favourable professional development for researchers. For more information, go to https://www.kau.se/en/work-us/karlstad-university-employer/human-resources-strategy-researchers-hrs4r.