Postdoctoral fellow in language education related to LANGUAGES - Comparing language use across contexts

Job description

A position as postdoctoral fellow is vacant at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research. The position will be affiliated with the research project Comparing language use across contexts (LANGUAGES) funded by the Norwegian Research Council (2021–2025).

The position is a fulltime position for a period of 2 years devoted to research.

The main purpose of the fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines.

We invite interested applicants to an information meeting on 24 June 2021 at the University of Oslo. In the meeting, further information will be given about the LANGUAGES project, the available data, and the methods of analysis used in the project. Please register your participation HERE. You can also contact associate professor/project manager Lisbeth M. Brevik, l.m.brevik@ils.uio.

More about the position

LANGUAGES aims to investigate students’ language proficiency and classroom language instruction in Norway, France and the UK over time, within and across the school subjects English and French. The LANGUAGES research team comprises researchers at the University of Oslo, University of Bergen, École normale supérieure de Lyon, University of Exeter and University of Oxford. LANGUAGES will collect large-scale data (language tests, videos and surveys) and case study data (video-stimulated interviews and student texts) in secondary schools (age 14–15). It involves interdisciplinary research in English and French across the three countries. Applicants are expected to fit their proposed research project with the goal, methodology and overall design of the LANGUAGES project.

We ask for candidates that are interested in different theoretical approaches, frameworks and methodologies. The candidates will participate in data collection of language test data, classroom video data, student surveys and interviews from all three countries. The comparative subjects in focus will be English and French language education.

The post doc will work closely with the LANGUAGES team in the data collection, analysis and dissemination of findings, across languages and contexts. Experience with school research, classroom observation and use of observation protocols (e.g., PLATO), language tests, interviews, questionnaires, video- and/or audio-based research approaches will be an advantage. In addition, we welcome candidates with experience in coding of video data, and/or experience with quantitative analysis. Good oral and written communication skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language are necessary. Communication skills in English and French are also required. Formal competence in both school subjects will also be an advantage.

It is expected that the applicant is affiliated with the research group Studies of Instruction across Subjects and Competences (SISCO).

For more information about the LANGUAGES project, please contact associate professor/project manager Lisbeth M. Brevik, l.m.brevik@ils.uio.no.

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must hold a PhD degree or a degree equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in English/English didactics, French/French didactics or language arts/language arts didactics, educational sciences and/or psychometrics. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the application deadline. Appointment is dependent on the public defense of the doctoral thesis being approved.
• Oral and written communication skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language as well as in English and French
• Project relevance to the LANGUAGES research ambition

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

• The quality of the project description
• The project’s contribution to the LANGUAGES research
• Experience with school research, classroom observation and use of observation protocols (e.g., PLATO), language tests, interviews, questionnaires, video- and/or audio-based research approaches
• The applicants’ academic and personal qualifications for conducting the project within the allotted time frame
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position
• Good ability to collaborate and to form part of a cross-disciplinary academic community

We offer

• Salary NOK 534 400 – 615 800 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (position code 1352)
• A stimulating and attractive working environment
• A unique possibility to become a part of a wide Nordic/international network
• 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

How to apply

The application must include

• Letter of application
• CV that also includes an overview of any previously published academic/scientific works
• Certified copies of diplomas, grade transcripts and any other testimonials
• Project description of 8-10 pages (cf. Guidance) and PhD thesis
• Any other academic works that may be of relevance to the application

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system JobbNorge.no.

The application must be written in English.

Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented academic qualifications, the project description (whenever this is required in the call for applicants), and the quality of the project as well as the candidate´s motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Applicants from outside the Nordic countries where English is not the official language must attach a TOEFL test with a minimum score of 550 unless they have a diploma from a university in an English-speaking country.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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 University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Associate professor Lisbeth M. Brevik
• Professor Eva Thue Vold
• Head of administration Astrid Waaler Kaas

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