With about 17,000 students, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest higher education institutions in Norway. A broad range of academic programmes are offered at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels, spread out on five campuses Førde, Sogndal, Bergen, Stord og Haugesund.
Our ambition is to build stronger and more solid academic and research environments that will interact nationally and internationally. The aim is to become a recognized actor on the international higher education arena. Increased international cooperation and engagement in externally funded projects will work towards this goal.
The Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports has four departments with staff in Bergen, Sogndal and Stord. This Faculty is one of the largest teachers training institutions in the country with around 6 630 students and a staff of 553, offering kindergarten teacher training, primary and secondary school teacher training for Classes 1-7 and 5-10, practical pedagogical education and Bachelor’s, Master's and PhD programmes.
The faculty will offer an extensive programme of continuing and further education. Research activities at the Faculty are organised into research programmes and research groups.
At the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) there is a temporary vacancy for one researcher in education within the research project SEMPER at the Faculty of Education, Arts, and Sports.
The position is within the Institute for Pedagogy, Religion, and Social Studies at Campus Sogndal, and is available from September 2025 until September 2027.
About the position:
The position is part time (up to 40%) within the research council Norway-funded project SEMPER (Self-Efficacy in Mathematics, Pathways in Education and Research). SEMPER is a collaboration project between HVL, the University of Oxford, the University of Stavanger, and the field of practice in Sunnfjord municipality, financed by the Research Council of Norway from 01.09.2023 - 31.08.2027.
The primary objectives of SEMPER are to develop knowledge regarding lower secondary school students’ learning processes in mathematics, and to assess the effect of a professional development intervention-pilot on teachers’ differentiated instructions and students’ trajectories of mathematics learning and self-efficacy. The researcher will primarily work on advanced statistical methods alongside international and Norwegian researchers, PhD candidates, and master’s students. The position will be thematically related to the development of students’ mathematics self-efficacy and performance and/or on teacher-student interactions that support this development.
Multiple data sources will be collected through SEMPER, including repeated student self-report questionnaires, systematic classroom observations, mathematics tests, and interviews (with students and teachers). Most of the data in the project will already have been collected by the time the current position starts. Therefore, the researcher is expected to work both independently and collaboratively on (1) handling, managing, wrangling and quality checking data, and on (2) specifying advanced statistical models to answer key research questions in the project, and on (3) contributing toward publications and knowledge exchange.
The position is two years, part time (up to 40%). While the workplace is HVL, at the Sogndal campus, arrangements for some remote work may be possible for the right candidate.
The desired starting date is 01.09.2025, or according to agreement.
Areas of responsibility and work tasks:
The researcher will work within the research project SEMPER on data analyses, publications, and presentations. SEMPER will draw on various sources of data and analytical approaches, and it is desirable if the candidate can bring in special expertise and supplementary methodological skills.
As researcher you are expected to:
work independently and collaboratively on data analyses
contribute to supporting PhD students and master students in SEMPER
contribute toward publications and co-publish with the SEMPER research group and international partners.
The researcher must expect some traveling for collaboration.
Qualifications:
Essential selection criteria:
The candidate must have obtained a master’s degree within a subject area relevant to the SEMPER project. This could include, e.g., pedagogy, psychology, educational psychology, mathematics education, or special education. Applicants with a master’s degree from within other subject areas who can document strong expertise of statistical methods relevant for the call (see below), may also be considered qualified.
The candidate must have strong interest and skills in handling complex multilevel data and analyses that are relevant to the SEMPER project. Examples include multilevel models, latent profile /latent class analyses, growth modelling, structural equation modeling, item response theory, and Bayesian statistics.
The candidate must be able to use syntax-based software (e.g., R, SPSS) for documenting data-handling and analysis.
The candidate should be willing to and interested in learning and applying new analytical approaches (e.g., troubleshooting, testing alternative models) and then be able to work on these relatively independently.
The candidate must have high competence in English, written and spoken.
The candidate must be personally suited for the position, including having the ability to work independently and in teams
Desirable selection criteria:
Among candidates who fulfil the qualification requirements listed above, the following criteria will be used to rank candidates:
Experience from previous research projects
Experience from working with intraindividual approaches and analyses
Experience from working with nested data which has sparse observations at higher levels
Experience from working with systematic observation data
Scientific publications and presentations
Personal characteristics:
The applicant must have good collaboration and communication skills, the ability to work both independently and in teams, and be able take initiative and be flexible. High awareness of research ethics is a necessity, as well as good organisational skills. The candidate must be personally suited for the position.
In general:
During assessment, the primary emphasis will be placed on the candidate’s qualifications in relation to the analytical needs in the SEMPER project, with a focus on the competence in advanced statistical methods relevant to the project. During the assessment process we will emphasise the candidate’s motivation, research potential, independence, collaboration skills, and personal suitability. Experience with knowledge exchange and /or from organisatorial experience can also be included in the assessment.
Relevant candidates are invited to a (digital) interview.
Application procedure:
Send your application and CV by clicking the button marked "Apply for the position" on this page.
Please note that applications will be assessed based on the information submitted in www.jobbnorge.no by the application deadline. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all relevant attachments are submitted by the deadline, including:
Scientific works (up to 5)
Complete publication list
References and diplomas
If the diplomas, transcripts, or other documentation are not in a Scandinavian language or English, the applicant must upload certified translations themselves. If the attachments exceed 25 MB, they must be compressed before uploading or provided as a link; the total maximum limit for uploading attachments is 50 MB.
Applicants with foreign education must also document that their education corresponds to Norwegian bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. degrees. Please see www.hkdir.no for more information on the assessment of higher education.
HK-dir offers automatic approval for certain degrees from selected countries. If the applicant's education is covered by the automatic approval scheme, it will be sufficient to include documentation of this. You can read more about the automatic approval scheme here.
Please be aware that applying for assessment through the ordinary approval scheme at HK-dir may take time. Therefore, you should submit your application for approval as soon as possible when you know you will be applying for the position. If you have not received a response from HK-dir by the application deadline, please include documentation from HK-dir that they have received your application.
Applications cannot be sent via email to individuals.
We offer:
Good occupational pension, insurance and loan schemes from The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
Exciting academic environment with the possibility of competence enhancement and development
Opportunities for training within the working hours
The Researcher position is compensated according to position code 1108 Researcher.
There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see http://www.spk.no for more information). The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.
General information:
The appointment will be made in accordance with the regulations for State employees Law in Norway ("Lov om statens ansatte)". Organizational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities associated with the position must be expected.
State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and gender composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds.
Information about the applicant may be made public even though the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected.
Short-listed applicants will be called in for an interview.
Candidates are employed on condition that you are granted a work and residence permit (must be considered individually).
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.
Contact person at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences:
Associate professor, Karin Street, + 47 57676158, karin.street@hvl.no
