PhD research fellowship - Innovating Teacher Education (InnTELT)
Deadline: 13.03.2023
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN University) is home to over 16,000 students and 1,500 employees, and has campuses in Lillehammer, Hamar, Elverum, Rena, Evenstad and Blæstad.
INN University aspires to build strong and enduring academic and research environments that will spearhead regionally, nationally and internationally.
We are developing a new and better institution with high academic and pedagogical quality, aiming at achieving university accreditation by 2020.
Our vision is "Stronger Together".
The Faculty of Education (LUP) offers most forms of teacher education such as kindergarten, primary and lower secondary teacher education, music teacher education, 1-year programme in educational theory and practice, and language teacher programmes.
In addition, there are a number of one-year study programmes, bachelor’s programmes in both education and special needs education, 2-year master’s programmes in general education, special needs education, adapted education, digital communication and culture, didactics of cultural and language subjects (Norwegian, English, music) science didactics (mathematics, science) and education management.
The faculty is responsible for the PhD in Teaching and Teacher Education and also contributes to the PhD programme Child and Youth Participation and Competence Development (BUK).
In addition, the faculty is involved in extensive activities regarding research and development and continuing and further education.
The Faculty of Education at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN) is looking to hire a full-time PhD research fellow
About the position
The Faculty of Education at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN) invites applications for a 100% PhD research fellowship within the project “Innovating Teacher Education with new Learning Technologies for professional identity, 21st Century skill development and educational relevance” (InnTELT). The position is available from 01/08/2023. The fellowship period is three years. The place of work is Hamar, Norway.
The doctoral project is funded by the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN) AI & VR/AR Research Programme. The successful candidate will be admitted to the PhD programme in Teaching and Teacher Education (PROFF). Doctoral projects must contribute to the PhD programme’s general aims of strengthening the knowledge base for teaching and teacher education and/or the knowledge base for the practice of the teaching profession in early childhood education, primary and secondary education and other learning and dissemination contexts, such as museums.
Teacher education is a central field of study at INN. The integrated teacher education programmes - for early childhood education teachers, primary and secondary school teachers, as well as specialist teachers - are the primary focus of the doctoral programme. These teacher education programmes are characterised by strong links between academic fields, didactics, pedagogy and practice, as well as interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary dimensions across fields and subject areas.
Doctoral studies are contingent on active participation in a research community. The candidate’s project must, therefore, be oriented towards one of the subject areas that underpin the PhD in Teaching and Teacher Education and where there is an active research group. The candidate’s project will be linked to one of the faculty’s research groups.
The candidate must qualify for admission to INN’s PhD programme in Teaching and Teacher Education (see “Eligibility requirements”) and the doctoral education is carried out within this programme. Applicants already holding qualifications at doctoral level will not be prioritised.
The academic and research community supporting the doctoral programme with supervision and research training comprises several professors and associate professors working in the relevant academic fields. Currently, there are more than 50 research fellows on the programme.
For more information on the doctoral studies, please visit PROFF’s webpage or contact PhD Advisor, Tove Lain Knudsen, email: tove.knudsen@inn.no or the Head of PhD Studies, Professor Lise Iversen Kulbrandstad, tel. +47 62 51 72 16 or email: lise.kulbrandstad@inn.no
About the research field and content of the fellowship
The overall research project addresses today’s challenges of shifting demands on teachers’ roles and requirements for professional development, combining theory-based education and practical training. Changes are needed to respond to the rapid digitalization of learning arenas; and for education to remain relevant in its response to societal needs and the growing pursuit of sustainable development. InnTELT’s ambition is to generate innovative approaches using VR technologies, as well as blended learning techniques, to prepare future teachers and teacher educators to respond effectively to a changing society. The doctoral project will focus on students in higher education. It will investigate how the application of innovative learning technologies impacts on student teachers’ professional development, as well as the development of sustainability competencies and 21st century skills.
Whilst the doctoral project will involve studying innovative learning technologies, no in-depth or specific technical skill or degree within AR/VR or AI are required of the candidate, although some experience with digital learning technologies is an advantage. Experience working with pedagogical evaluation and assessment and/or professional development models is highly desirable. In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate awareness of opportunities and challenges facing the education sector, in addition to sustainability challenges and 21st century skills. Other relevant areas include experience with research methodology, professional development, teacher education as well as the ability to work across disciplines in a professional environment.
More information about the project can be found on the project website, where the project description is available for download. The focus of work for the PhD falls under the activities in work package 2 although they will collaborate with the other work packages. The website also contains examples of other projects using VR/AR technologies at INN.
For questions concerning the project and project proposals, please contact the:
You can also speak to Research Advisor, Andrew Davidson tel. +47 65 59 79 30 or email andrew.davidson@inn.no.
Project proposal
Applicants must submit a project proposal including a progress plan explaining how the research work will be carried out, as well as the theoretical and methodological framework that the applicant plans to employ. The topic of the project must be based on the description provided in the section “About the research field and content of the fellowship”. The project proposal, including the reference list, may not exceed five pages. The page format must be A4 with 2 cm margins, 11-point font (Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman) and single line spacing. For the reference list and any image text 9-point font may be used. The project description may be written in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or English. The academic quality of the project proposal will play a major role in shortlisting candidates for interview. Applications submitted without a project proposal will not be considered.
Eligibility requirements
To be accepted to the doctoral programme, the applicant must normally have:
A. A teacher education degree and a master’s degree in one of the programme’s subject areas
or
B. A master’s degree in education (e.g., a master’s in adapted education, a master’s in the early childhood education or a master’s in pedagogy) or a master’s in didactics specialising in one of the teacher education subjects included in the programme (e.g., master’s in the didactics of culture and language or a master’s in the didactics of social sciences).
The applicant must have a strong academic background and show solid theoretical insight and interest. For applicants with qualifications from Norwegian educational institutions, the weighted average grade should normally be a B or above. In cases where some or all the courses taken are awarded a pass/fail grade, applicants will only be admitted subject to evaluation on an individual basis.
Applicants who do not have a degree in teacher education or who have a master’s degree in subjects other than those normally stipulated for admission to the programme may be accepted following individual assessment. The same applies to applicants whose grades do not meet the normal requirements for admission. These applicants must provide evidence that it is highly likely that they will be capable of completing doctoral studies.
The candidate must be a highly proficient user of English (spoken and written). Proficiency in Norwegian (spoken and written) is not a requirement but will be viewed as an advantage.
Furthermore, it is emphasized that the applicant has
academic ability to complete the project and research education requirements within the given time frame
ability to work independently
collaborative skills and ability to participate in academic communities
ability to work structured and handle a large and varied workload.
Assessment and ranking of qualified applications are done on the basis of the total evaluation of education, experience and personal qualifications, as well as other criteria listed in the advertisement and the candidates’ motivation.
Cover letter. Here you can state the topic of your project proposal and describe your background and motivation for the position.
Extensive CV with an overview of education, work experience, pedagogical experience, administrative experience, acquisition work, experience with coordination, as well as other qualifying experience and activity.
Any other documentation you would like considered together with your application
These must be uploaded as separate files. If the attachments in total exceed 30 MB, these must be compressed prior to upload. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all requested documents are uploaded before the deadline. Documents submitted after the deadline has expired will not be considered in assessing your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
For any questions concerning the uploading of attachments or other technical issues regarding the application, please contact Jobbnorge customer service. Contact information is provided in a link in the application form.
Eligible candidates will be invited to an interview.
Any request for exemption from public lists of applicants must be clearly justified and registered in the electronic application form. Applicants will be contacted should the employer be unable to comply with the request (cf. Freedom of information act § 25).
The government workforce must, to the greatest extent possible, reflect the diversity of the population. Therefore, the university’s recruitment policy aims to achieve balance in terms of age and gender, and to recruit individuals with disabilities and individuals from ethnic minority groups.this information will be used for registration purposes in order to measure diversity in the work force.
We offer
An exciting and challenging position at a growing institution, enthusiastic colleagues and a stimulating work environment.
The position is paid and placed in position code 1017, PhD candidate in the Government Salary Regulations
For more information about INN University as an employer, please see here.
