CESE PhD fellowship in Science Education Research

We invite applicants for a PhD fellowship in assessment of competencies in science education in Danish primary and lower secondary school. The project is part of the Danish Science Education Academy (NAFA) and its research program: Center of Excellence in Science Education (CESE). This program announces PhD calls with a focus on research relevant to practice in the Danish primary and lower secondary education and/or teacher education. All CESE PhD calls are organized through collaboration between a Danish university college and a Danish university. CESE PhD candidates become a part of NAFA and are linked to a CESE research project. Read more about NAFA and the purpose of NAFA here: www.NAFA.nu .

The PhD project will be linked to the CESE research project: Coherent Assessment of Science Competencies (sammenhængende evaluering af naturfaglige kompetencer - SENK). Read more about the CESE research project here: CESE projects .

Start date is expected to be April 1st 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The research project

SENK aims to promote students' scientific competencies through formative assessment and to establish an assessment culture that provides a valid and reliable overview of students' academic development. In collaboration with primary and lower secondary school teacher-teams SENK will develop and test assessment methods that can fulfil this purpose and ensure valid assessment data for students, teachers, school administrators, and educational authorities. This will contribute to a better alignment between teaching and assessment and an increased use of data between different actors within the system. Additionally, the project will focus on how to enhance teachers' assessment literacy and facilitate decision-makers to work more qualified with the utilization of assessment data from teachers.

The candidate will have the opportunity to design her/his own project within the overall purpose of SENK, based on negotiation with the projectleader, team and supervisors.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates with experience with assessment and science education in primary school or lower secondary school and/or teacher education. Candidates with competencies in both qualitative and quantitative research methods will be preferred. Proficiency in understanding and speaking Danish or another Scandinavian language is required, as the PhD candidate will be working closely with Danish science teachers in local school settings. Finally, candidates with previous experience in research dissemination and publication will be preferred.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

The PhD candidate will be affiliated with an active research and development environment at the university college as well as with an active research environment at the university. The candidate will also become part of the PhD community under the Centre of Excellence in Science Education (CESE), where researchers and PhD students regularly meet for seminars and courses across University Colleges and universities in Denmark. Finally, the candidate will become an active member of the research group working on SENK. 

Your supervisors will be:

• Associate professor Jan Sølberg, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, [email protected] , +45 21697437 (principal supervisor).
• Associate professor Sanne Schnell Nielsen, University College Copenhagen, Faculty of Teacher Education, [email protected] , +45 41897571 (Co-supervisor).

The PhD programme is a three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme .

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database .

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years. Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The selected candidate will be employed at the University of Copenhagen. If the selected candidate has an existing permanent employment at a Danish University College, it will be possible to arrange to continue in this position while being enrolled as PhD student at the University of Copenhagen.

Terms of appointment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

Application and Assessment Procedure

Applications should include a PhD project proposal that includes clear and relevant research questions and clear connection to the proposed research design and methodology to answer these questions. In the evaluation of the application, emphasis is placed on the relevance of the research question in relation to the research project within which it will be rooted as well as the originality of the project and the suggested research design and methodology. A further criteria is the project´s ability to relate the proposal to existing research. All applicants has to be aware of and take into concideration the general description of https://nafa.nu/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2023/11/generelle-retninglinjer-til-cese-phd-opslag.pdf .

Your application including all attachments must submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Applicantions in both Danish and English are welcome.

Please include: 

Application deadline: 14 January 2024 23:59 GMT +1

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessment committee. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assesment committee will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessment committee will conclude whether each applicant is qualified. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 12.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/ .

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position. 

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.