Postdoctoral Position in Education

Reference Number: PAR 2026/61
Employer: University of Gothenburg, Department of Pedagogical, Curricular, and Professional Studies (IDPP)
Type of Employment: Fixed-term doctoral employment (full-time, 100%)
Start Date: 1 September 2026 (by agreement)
Application Deadline: 16 March 2026

About the University & Department

• University of Gothenburg has 58,000 students and 6,800 staff.

• IDPP is one of the strongest educational research environments in the Nordic countries, focusing on equitable and sustainable education.

• Departmental work includes teacher education, educational research, curriculum studies, and school-based development initiatives.

• More info: IDPP

About the Graduate School BEPPE

• The graduate school on subject-specific didactic models in primary school (BEPPE) is a collaboration with Karlstad University.

• Total of nine doctoral studentships, four at University of Gothenburg and five at Karlstad University.

• Focus: Practice-based subject-didactics in primary education (pre-school to grades 1–6) and teacher education.

• Research areas: Natural sciences (biology, physics, chemistry), social sciences (geography, history, religion, civics), mathematics, and languages.

• Goal: Study how subject-didactic models function across subjects, inform teacher education, and identify “best practice” teaching strategies.

• Info: BEPPE Graduate School

Research Environments

1. Didactic Classroom Studies: Teaching, learning, and content studied integratively
   Didactic Classroom Studies

2. Phenomenography, Variation Theory, Learning Study: Focus on improving pupils’ opportunities to learn specific content in practice-based research
   Phenomenography & Learning Study

Duties of a Doctoral Student

• Devote primary time to own doctoral research (240 ECTS for Doctorate; 120 for Licentiate).

• May contribute to teaching and administrative work (≤20% of full-time).

• Participate actively in research environments and collaborate with peers.

• Structure and organize work to successfully complete doctoral thesis.

Eligibility & Requirements

General Eligibility:

• Second-cycle degree (Master’s) or equivalent (≥240 ECTS, 60 at second-cycle level)

Specific Eligibility – Educational Work:

• Teaching degree at second-cycle level, or

• 90 credits in educational practice/work with children, ≥30 second-cycle, including 15-credit independent project

Specific Eligibility – Subject-Matter Education:

• Teaching degree with ≥60 credits in relevant subject-matter field + 15-credit independent project, or

• 90 credits in subject-matter field (≥30 second-cycle) including 15-credit independent project

Language Requirement:

• Proficiency in a Scandinavian language is required due to research nature.

• Good command of English expected.

Assessment Criteria:

• Quality of thesis/degree project

• Relevance and quality of research plan

• Engagement and presence in research environment

• Personal qualities: independence, initiative, persistence, teamwork

• Teaching experience in primary education is valued

Employment Terms

• Fixed-term, full-time, up to four years (full-time equivalent).

• Doctoral employment may include minor teaching/research duties (≤20% of full-time).

• Salaries are set individually; regulated by Swedish Higher Education Ordinance.

Application Instructions

Applications must include:

1. Cover letter (≤1 page)

2. CV / list of qualifications

3. Degree certificate with transcript

4. Thesis/degree project (≥15 credits at Master’s level) + optional research text

5. Preliminary research plan (≤5 pages, excluding references) detailing background, purpose, theory, method, and chosen third-cycle subject area

6. Two references (teacher, supervisor, or manager)

7. Other relevant qualifications

Submit via: University of Gothenburg web-based recruitment tool.
Mailing address for non-electronic documents:

Information Session:

• Digital session via Zoom: 12 Feb, 16:00–17:00 CET
  Join Zoom Session

Contacts:

• General doctoral school: Prof. Angelika Kullberg – angelika.kullberg@gu.se

• Research environment contacts: See department website

• Employment questions: Katarina Grönbäck – katarina.gronback@gu.se

In your application, please refer to Professorpositions.com