With about 16,000 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 6200 students and a staff of 550, 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.
The Department of Sport, Diet and Natural Sciences has approximately 110 employees in Sogndal, Bergen and Stord.
Disciplines in the department are sports, physical education, fitness, public health, outdoor life, science and food & health. The department is also responsible for the follow-up of the National Centre for Food, Health and Physical Activity.
The department is responsible for several education programmes at bachelor level in the areas of sport, physical education, outdoor life and public health. There are also master degree programmes in sports science and physical activity and diet in a school environment. The department also provides teaching in its disciplines at all levels in kindergarten teacher education, practical-pedagogical education and at the primary and lower secondary school teacher training programmes, and also contributes to the faculty’s PhD programme Bildung and Pedagogical Practices.
Staff at the department are involved in research and development work that is relevant to the activities at the faculty and they are active in academic networks both nationally and internationally. The department is also an important player regional and national by contributing to further education and competence development in schools, kindergartens, sport, outdoor life, the health and fitness industry, etc.
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports has available one position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, has available one 3-year position as Postdoctoral Fellow within the area of STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education) at the Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences. The desired starting date will be November 2022.
The postdoctoral fellowship is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions. The teaching obligation covers 1/3 of the working time and will contribute to career development towards permanent academic positions according to the strategy for forskerrekruttering og karriereutvikling.
Main duties and responsibilities:
The Postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for developing, conducting and evaluating STEAM professional development courses for academic teachers and prototyping courses for students in higher education (e.g., teacher education, science disciplinary fields). One of the responsibilities will be co-developing and co-teaching a 30 ECTS STEAM course located within the fifth semester of all primary teacher education programmes at HVL (Vestlandsklasse). Furthermore, close collaboration is foreseen with the University of Edinburgh, Moray House School of Education and Sport, currently developing STEAM education across the teacher education portfolio in primary and secondary teacher education.
The position is associated with the science education group at HVL, Campus Bergen. With its two international research projects, SENSE. The New European Roadmap to STEAM Education and TRELIS, the workgroup will provide the intellectual environment and support infrastructure for the postdoc position. The hired candidate will be expected to familiarise with the SENSE project’s activities and findings and to:
develop relevant partnerships between Higher Education and the world of work supporting the development of STEAM education;
design, run and evaluate workshops and public engagement activities with stakeholders;
take leadership in drafting research publications.
The work should also result in publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals. The postdoctoral fellow must also be prepared to do some travelling in connection with data collection/field work and dissemination in Europe. High ethical awareness in meeting with informants is necessary.
Qualification requirements:
You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or an equivalent foreign doctoral degree
You must have a professionally relevant background in education or related area (e.g., higher education, social sciences, philosophy or history of education)
Willingness to travel outside Norway for research and implementation
Good proficiency in English, spoken and written
The following qualifications will be given special emphasis:
Background in a range of research methodologies
Experience in developing continuous professional development courses for teachers
Background in STEAM, phenomenon-oriented science education or aesthetic inquiry
Proficiency in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
Excellent academic writing skills
Personal characteristics:
Confidence in working independently
Ability and willingness to work in inter- and transdisciplinary teams
Creativity
Critical thinking
Excellent communication skills
Applicants will also be evaluated against their capacity for dissemination, their ability to collaborate, as well as their potential for establishing relevant national and international research contacts.
Short-listed candidates might be required to give a lecture, in addition to an interview.
Application procedure:
Applications will be evaluated by an international expert panel consisting of three members. Applicants are asked to submit their application and CV online. Please use the link “Apply for this job” (“Søk stillingen”).
The following documentation must be uploaded as an attachment to the online application:
Copies of selected academic publications (no more than 3)
A CV with a complete list of academic publications and teaching activities
Diplomas and certificates
Documents related to other achievements relevant to the position
The names of two contacts who are willing to act as reference
Applications cannot be sent by e-mail or to individuals at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
We offer:
Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
Employee benefits
The position as Postdoctoal Fellow is paid according to the Government's salary regulation, in position code 1354 - Postdoctor.
There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see here 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. Applicants may be called in for an interview.
Contacts:
1) Professor Lydia Schulze Heuling, lshe@hvl.no
2) Head of Department, Frode Fretland, Frode.Fretland@hvl.no
