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PhD Research Fellow in Teacher Education Research

Deadline: 01.06.2023

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

The Department of Teacher Education and School Research (ILS) is one of three departments at The Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Oslo, which also has a permanent center.

ILS is a leading institution in the fields of subject didactics, school leadership and practice-relevant school research. It hosts Norway's first Centre of Excellence in Education, ProTed – a joint project between the University of Oslo and the University of Tromsø.


EKVA (Unit for quantitative analysis in education) is also part of the department, as well as four interfaculty research groups (CLEG, TEPEC, SISCO and LEA).

The Department enrols 400 students in the Teacher Education Programme (PPU) and administers the university’s Graduate Teacher Education Programme (Lektorprogrammet) with about 300 new students each year. About 200 students follow the Master Programme in Educational Leadership. ILS also manages the study programme Teach First Norway in cooperation with the City of Oslo Education Agency and Equinor.

The Department of Teacher Education and School Research has approximately 40 administrative and 100 academic staff.

Job description

Applicants are invited for a four-year position as PhD Research Fellow at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo. The Phd position is in the area of teacher edcation research and will be part of a project aiming to investigate “Teaching for Equity” (see website) in Norwegian teacher education.

Research shows that pupils' background (e.g., social, cultural and economic resources) has a great impact on school achievement. The Norwegian school system's overarching goal of reducing social differences is therefore largely related to reducing the effects of pupils' socio-economic status on school performance. There are indications, however, that the Norwegian school system struggles to do this well. In this context, one of the more pressing challenges for student teachers is learning to teach in an increasingly diverse society, where pupils’ background is more varied than before. Teacher education is of crucial importance for the development of student teachers' professional competence. In the Teaching for Equity project, attention is directed towards teacher education and its contribution to student teachers' competence teaching diverse groups of pupils.

The PhD position will be part of the Teaching for Equity project, in which the subject of pedagogy is used as an empirical lens to investigate the concept Teaching for Equity.

We invite applicants to formulate their own project proposal feeding into the following overall research objectives:

  • To deepen the understanding of how equity is conceptualized in the content and instructional practices of the subject of pedagogy
  • To contribute to the conceptualization and operationalization of the term teaching for equity in teacher education

It is expected that the announced PhD position will be connected to the research group Teacher Professionalism and Educational Change (TEPEC). More information about the research group can be found on the group’s website (see website).

More about the position

The fellowship period is up to 4 years, with 3 years devoted to research education. The position entails a compulsory work load of 25%, that consists of teaching and supervision duties and research assistance.

The research fellow must take part in the faculty’s approved PhD program, and is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

For more information, please see our website.

The place of work for this position is Oslo.

Qualification requirements

Applicants must satisfy the requirements for admission to the faculty´s PhD programme.

This normally includes:

  • Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in education, pedagogy or other relevant discipline in social sciences (e.g. law, sociology, political science).
  • A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) with a minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS, with a minimum grade B.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language)

In the assessment of applications, emphasis will be placed on:

  • Project relevance to the main project Teaching for Equity in Norwegian teacher education
  • The quality of the project description, the description of the research topic’s relevance to educational issues, the specific problems to be studied, the choice of scientific theory and method, and the proposed implementation plan for the study
  • The applicant’s experience, personal suitability and motivation for the post, including the ability to collaborate and to form part of a cross-disciplinary academic community
  • The applicant’s academic attitude and motivation regarding completing the research training program

Familiarity with the Norwegian or other Scandinavian school system will be considered an advantage.

We offer

  • Salary NOK 501 200 – 544 400 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research Fellow, (position code 1017)
  • Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
  • A stimulating and attractive working environment

How to apply and what to include in your application

The application must include:

  • Cover letter, including statement of motivation and research interests
  • A project description, including progress plan (8-10 pages) Please see our guidelines.
  • CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
  • Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only). Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
  • Documentation of English proficiency (for information on required documentation, see information on this webpage)
  • Master thesis
  • A complete list of publications and academic works
  • List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number)

Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link: “Apply for this job”.

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the project description and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Contact information

For questions about the position, please contact:

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

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