PhD Candidate in Educational Sciences

The PhD position will be focused on conducting innovative research in the field of teacher education through the Growing schools; Growing futures project, newly funded by Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchess Charlotte, which seeks to advance biodiversity education in Luxembourg by supporting primary teachers in implementing innovative actions with their pupils.

Growing schools; Growing futures is an initiative of the SciTeach Center , a resource center dedicated to supporting the teaching of science at the primary levels in Luxembourg. The successful candidate will both coordinate and research the Growing schools; Growing futures initiative, thereby contributing to the research program of the SciTeach Center team, led by Prof. Dr. Christina Siry.

The PhD candidate will engage in independent as well as collaborative educational research focused on in-service teachers’ engagement in innovative co-development opportunities, with a focus on sociocultural theoretical perspectives as related to teacher education. The PhD candidate will co-design and implement participatory biodiversity school actions together with teachers and pupils, and will work as a part of a dynamic research and teacher education team while being affiliated with the Institute for Teaching and Learning and situated within the Department of Education and Social Work (DESW). The position includes organizing and coteaching professional development workshops for in-service teachers.

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Christina Siry, the successful candidate will:

• Engage in research targeted at receiving a PhD in Educational Sciences (cumulative; i.e. based on peer-reviewed publications)
• Conduct an in-depth literature review to support the research plan
• Coordinate the organization of data-sets, including video data collection and management, and multi-level data analysis
• Communicate and collaborate with a research team, including teachers and student assistants
• Engage in international opportunities for learning and development (i.e., doctoral summer school possibilities)
• Take responsibility for administrative tasks within the project and the team, including coordinating the Growing schools; Growing futures initiative
• Author, and co-author, international publications (in English-speaking peer reviewed journals and at scientific conferences)