VUB hires a pre-doctoral researcher to study how teacher professional development contributes to fostering an inclusive diversity climate and to reducing the ethnic gap.
Your role
You will pursue a PhD in alignment with the objectives and activities of the SBO project ENGINE (Tackling the Ethnic Gap in Higher Education). ENGINE is a consortium-based project funded by FWO under the SBO funding scheme. The project aims to address the societal issue of ethnic inequalities in higher education institutions, commonly referred to as the 'ethnic gap.' This gap is characterized by the underrepresentation, lower academic performance, reduced well-being, and diminished sense of belonging among students from ethnic minority groups compared to their majority counterparts. Through rigorous scientific research, the project intends to develop a 'Close-the-Gap toolkit' to significantly reduce this ethnic gap and harness the potential of diverse youth in Flanders (Belgium) The research and tools will be developed in collaboration with various societal partners, particularly with (ethnic minority) student organizations, who are co-initiators of this project. We are seeking PhD candidates who are passionate about researching and addressing ethnic inequality in higher education through the creation of tools that promote equity.
The doctoral candidate will contribute to the development of the third work package, which examines the role of teacher professionalisation in fostering an inclusive diversity climate and reducing the ethnic gap. This will be realised by describing and explaining higher education teachers’ competencies to create inclusive learning environment. This WP will also evaluate two types of reflective teaching professionalization methods in the creation of inclusive on-campus diversity climate and its effectiveness in reducing the ethnic gap (video-based reflection).
Further details about the overall project and other work packages can be found here.
What we offer
- a full-time PhD position, initially for 1 year, renewable on an annual basis up to four years in total. Extension of the contract is subject to a positive evaluation of the doctoral committee
- career guidance and support to develop research-oriented skills via (e.g) the VUB Doctoral School in the Humanities
- a diverse and dynamic research environment in the heart of Europe
- an excellent opportunity to build a professional network with numerous stakeholders in the Flemish higher education sector
- integration into the SBO 'ENGINE' project consortium team composed of PhDs, post-doctoral researchers and junior and senior professors affiliated to various research groups and entities in three Flemish Universities: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BIRMM, BSOG-C-MDJ & MILO), KUleuven (LABO) and Universiteit Hasselt (R4D, School of Social Sciences) in co-creation with (ethnic minority) student organisations. The team will hold monthly full-day seminars and meetings allowing you to exchange with the other team members and receive feedback.
- this is a PhD position in educational science. You will be primarily based at the Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education (MILO) and the VUB's research group BRITE (Brussels Research Institute for Teacher Education), and be part of BIRMM (Brussels Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Migration and Minorities).
- support for participation in international academic conferences and publication of your work in scientific journals.
Your profile
We seek a motivated and skilled candidate with the following qualities:
- you completed a Master's degree in the field of educational sciences or equivalent
- a teaching degree (geaggregeerde, SLO, educatieve master) or another proof of pedagogical competence is an asset
- you are familiar with research and theory surrounding 1) teacher professional development and evidence-informed education and 2) inclusion, ethnic, racial or intersectional (in)equalities (in higher) education
- you are fluent in Dutch, which is a requirement for the fieldwork, the writing of policy reports and the development of the tools
- you have strong writing and communication skills in English
- you demonstrated a strong academic performance at BSc and MSc's, or equivalent through relevant research experience
- you have the ability to work independently and proactively, ensuring timely and thorough completion of research tasks. You are not deterred by challenges in information gathering and enjoy engaging with experts in the field.
- you have the capacity and willingness to work in close conjunction with other PhD and post-doctoral researchers and stimulate co-creation with (ethnic minority) student(s) (organisations).
Your application includes:
- A cover letter that details your fit with the project (2 pages max). Please include contact details of 2 referees (references will only be requested from shortlisted candidates).
- A CV in English/Dutch with detailed information on your academic track
- A short research proposal on how you would conduct this WP3 research. A multi-method approach has to be combined: 1) a comprehensive survey of higher education teachers regarding their inclusive teaching competences and 2) an intervention study where a professional development program will be implemented using video-based reflection and photovoice reflection. A first question to be answered in the research proposal is: which research questions would be relevant for the survey and what variables and instruments could be included in the survey? A second question to be answered in the research proposal is: “what are characteristics of effective teacher professional development (in higher education) and what would be the main ingredients for the design of this particular professional development program? (max 1000 words).
- A writing sample in English/Dutch demonstrating the candidate’s relevant skills
- Copy of degree certificates
We welcome your application by October 13th, 23h59 latest. Please send it to els.consuegra@vub.be with the subject heading 'PhD call SBO ENGINE'. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by October 21st, and interviews will be held on 23-24 October. Candidates invited for an interview will be asked to prepare a 10-minutes presentation of their research proposal.
For more information, please contact Prof. dr. Els Consuegra (els.consuegra@vub.be).
The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity. In our commitment to equal opportunities, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities.