The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

At the Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies, there are approximately 160 employees. The department’s overall profile is characterized by an interest in teaching and learning, both in and outside of school. The department’s most extensive activity is teacher education, and we offer programmes at undergraduate, master’s and doctoral level. 

The Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies constitutes one of the strongest didactic environments in the Nordic countries. We work with research and education related to teaching and learning. A shared interest at the department is to develop knowledge that contributes to a more equal and sustainable society, through education and research on higher education, schools and classrooms. Work at the department includes teacher education, research and developmental work that is relevant to school practices. The practice-based element of this work is often conducted in collaboration with individual schools, municipalities and the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket). In addition to being responsible for the primary school teacher education programme, the department is responsible for supplementary teacher education (KPU). The department also offers two master’s programmes, one in general and subject-matter education and one international programme in education for sustainable development (ESD). Our third-cycle subject areas are educational work and subject-matter education with specializations. This announcement is part of the department’s efforts to strengthen its research environments and develop their activities. For further information, see https://www.gu.se/en/pedagogical-curricular-professional-studies

Research at the department is organized into three main research environments:

Didactic classroom studies: where teaching, learning and the content of these processes are observed and studied as a coherent whole. See https://www.gu.se/en/research/didactic-classroom-studies 

Phenomenography, variation theory and learning study: where the focus is, for example, on how to enhance students’ opportunities to learn specific subject content. The research investigates necessary conditions for learning specific content and how these conditions can be created, for example in teaching, through practiced-based research carried out in collaboration with teachers. https://www.gu.se/en/research/phenomenography-variation-theory-learning-study

Critical education research: relates to education as a social and political institution, and includes studies of knowledge processes, educational reforms and teaching professions. The focus is on how the educational system addresses issues of education and democracy in relation to societal challenges. https://www.gu.se/en/research/critical-education-research

The Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies is now announcing up to five full-time salaried doctoral positions in educational work and subject-matter education with specializations. The positions will be linked to the department’s research environments and preferably to ongoing research projects. If the application is directed towards the research environment Critical education research, it can have a general focus. If the application is directed towards Didactical classroom studies or Phenomenography, variation theory and learning study, we will prioritize applications with a focus on the natural sciences, Swedish or technology.

Subjects

Educational work is a third-cycle subject that explores different perspectives and aspects of work within educational institutions in society. Research within educational work addresses issues relevant to educational practices, professions and institutions. It includes conditions for teachers’ and students’ work with teaching and learning, both in practice and in relation to policy and educational reforms.

Subject-matter education with specializations is a third-cycle subject focusing on the study of teaching and learning in relation to some specific content, typically associated with a particular school subject, university discipline or professional practice. Research in subject-matter education involves the study of the conditions for, and relationships between, teaching and learning. Examples of specializations in subject-matter education are mathematics, natural sciences, technology, social sciences, languages, Swedish and sustainable development. This announcement is for applications focused on natural sciences, Swedish or technology.

Job description

Doctoral education involves four years of full-time studies leading to a doctoral degree. Information about the programme may be found here: https://www.gu.se/en/pedagogical-curricular-professional-studies/doctoral-studies. The successful applicant will engage in doctoral studies and will be affiliated with one of the department’s research environments. In addition to this, the department encourages the doctoral student to work with tasks relating to teaching, other research projects and administrative work (max 20%). The employment period will then be extended by the amount of time corresponding to these additional tasks.

Eligibility

Eligibility for educational work

For admission to doctoral studies in educational work, the applicant must meet both the general and specific entry requirements, as well as having the necessary abilities in other respects to successfully complete the doctoral programme.

A candidate meets the general entry requirements for doctoral studies if they:                     

• have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits are at second-cycle level, or have acquired substantively equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or

Regarding the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in educational work, one of the following alternatives is required:

1. A second-cycle teaching qualification, or alternatively a teaching qualification and an independent project (degree project) comprising at least 15 higher education credits at second-cycle level.
2. At least 90 higher education credits with a specialization in pedagogical professional practice or in activities relating to children and young people, or the equivalent, of which at least 30 credits are at second-cycle level, including an independent project (degree project) comprising at least 15 higher education credits.

Eligible applicants also include those who have acquired substantively equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

For applications in educational work focusing on the subject Swedish, proficiency in the Swedish language, both spoken and written, is required.

Eligibility for subject-matter education with specializations

For admission to doctoral studies in subject-matter education with specializations, the applicant must meet both the general and specific entry requirements, and be considered in other respects to have the necessary abilities to successfully complete the doctoral programme.

A candidate meets the general entry requirements for doctoral studies if they:

• have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits are at second-cycle level, or have acquired substantively equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

Regarding the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in subject-matter education with specializations, one of the following alternatives is required:

1. A teaching qualification, including courses corresponding to at least 60 higher education credits in a relevant area of knowledge within subject-matter education, and an independent project (degree project) comprising at least 15 credits at second-cycle level.
2. At least 90 higher education credits, of which at least 30 credits are at second-cycle level, in a relevant area of knowledge within subject-matter education, including an independent project (degree project) comprising at least 15 credits at second-cycle level.

Eligible applicants also include those who have acquired substantively equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

For applications in subject-matter education with specializations focusing on the subject Swedish, proficiency in the Swedish language, both spoken and written, is required.

Assessment

The selection of applicants from among those who meet the basic and specific eligibility requirements is made based on the ability of the applicants to successfully complete the doctoral studies. In the assessment, we pay special attention to documented qualifications regarding:

• the quality of the qualifying thesis/degree project
• the quality of the submitted research plan (see under the heading Application Procedure)

Considerable importance is also attached to whether the applicant’s dissertation work can be supported by and contribute to one of the three research environments at the department within the specified specializations. It is also advantageous for a candidate to have a teaching background, preferably in compulsory school (ages 6-15), and secondarily at other levels of education.

Employment

Upon acceptance into the programme, you will be offered employment as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg.

Type of employment: Temporary position, equivalent to four years of full-time studies
Extent: 100%
Location: Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies, University of Gothenburg
Starting date: By agreement

The regulations for employment as a doctoral student are given in SFS 1993:100. Those employed as doctoral students will primarily devote themselves to their own studies. The employee may, however, engage to a limited extent in teaching, other research and administration. Such work may not exceed 20 percent of full-time employment, before obtaining a doctoral degree. Regulation (2014:1012) 

The employment as a doctoral student applies until further notice, but up to a specific point in time and never for a period extending for more than one year after obtaining a doctoral degree.

The initial employment may not last for longer than one year. The employment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. An individual may be employed in a doctoral position for no more than eight years in total. However, the total duration of employment must not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral studies.

The University applies the current local agreement regarding the salaries of doctoral students.

For general information about being a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg, please visit the University’s pages on doctoral studies: Doctoral studies | University of Gothenburg (gu.se)

Appointment procedure

Applications are processed by an admissions group whose task is to rank the applications. Applicants who are short-listed may be called to interview. Decisions about admission are taken by the head of department. In accordance with the doctoral study regulations at the University of Gothenburg, only doctoral students who can be offered supervision may be admitted to the doctoral programme.

For further information regarding the position

Questions regarding doctoral studies may be directed to the assistant heads of department for doctoral studies, Jonas Emanuelsson (jonas.emanuelsson@gu.se) or Beniamin Knutsson (beniamin.knutsson@gu.se).

Questions relating to the research environments may be directed to the contact person for each research environment (see https://www.gu.se/en/pedagogical-curricular-professional-studies/our-research).

Questions regarding the employment may be directed to the HR officer, Mikaela Hansson (mikaela.hansson@gu.se).

Application Procedure

You can apply for admission to doctoral studies through the University of Gothenburg’s online recruitment portal. Please specify whether you are applying for a position in educational work or in subject-matter education with specializations. In addition, please indicate which of the three research environments your application is associated with.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it reaches the university no later than the final day of the application period.

The application must contain the following:

1. Cover letter with a brief description of the applicant’s motivation for applying for the position, max. one A4 page
2. Curriculum vitae/Résumé
3. Transcript/Documentation of studies, demonstrating basic and specific eligibility (extract from LADOK or other academic records system)
4. Thesis/degree project comprising at least 15 higher education credits at second-cycle level, as well as a maximum of one additional research-related text (e.g. article, report). (If these are not written in English or a Scandinavian language, they must be translated into one of these languages.)
5. Preliminary research plan, max. five A4 pages (see guidelines below and assessment criteria above)
6. References
7. Any other qualifications that the applicant may wish to refer

The preliminary research plan should describe the proposed dissertation project (max. five A4 pages, 11 point, excluding the reference list) and should contain the following headings: Background and aim, Previous research, Theoretical framework, Method and References. The research plan should indicate whether you intend to focus on the natural sciences, Swedish or technology. If the chosen focus is Swedish, the research plan should be written in Swedish. If the application is associated with Critical education research, a focus on the natural sciences, Swedish or technology is possible but not required.

Scientific publications, texts and similar materials that are not in electronic form should be marked with a reference number and sent to:

Department of Pedagogical, Curricular and Professional Studies,
Rebecca Hall Namanzi,
University of Gothenburg,
PO Box 300,
SE-405 30 Gothenburg,
SWEDEN.

The envelope should be marked with the employment reference number: PAR 2023/1079

The application must be received no later than: 31^st January 2024

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations. In accordance with the regulations of the Swedish National Archives, the University is obliged to archive application documents for two years after the appointment is made. If you specifically request the return of your documents, they will be returned to you once the two-year period has passed. Otherwise, they will be disposed of.

Note to staffing companies, recruitment agencies and vendors: The University of Gothenburg engages a contracted advertising agency for recruiting personnel. We therefore politely but firmly request no direct contact from staffing companies, recruitment agencies and job announcement vendors.

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.