Ph.D. in multilingual language development in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Ph.D. in multilingual language development in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
 

A Ph.D. fellowship is available in the research area ​​multilingual children's language development in Early Childhood Education and Care. The position will be connected to the Department of Early Childhood Education, at The Faculty of Teacher Education and International Studies. Read more about the faculty / department here.

The Ph.D. position will be connected to the research group SAMBA (Continuity and Coherence in Early Years - ECEC to Primary School). Our research focuses on children's social, linguistic and cognitive development in kindergarten and early primary education. We are interested in the factors that influence development, such as different aspects of the environment at home and in kindergarten, and the interaction between the environment and children’s development. In other words, we examine both individual skills and relational and systemic factors around the child, and we use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore the connections between children and the environments in which they grow up. Most members of the SAMBA research group are associated with two externally funded projects:  PolkaNorski and BeProS. In PolkaNorski, we examine the relationship between children's language skills, their knowledge of the world and the linguistic, cultural and educational environment. In BeProS, we study the relationship between ECEC quality and children’s later school performance, including measures of social and academic achievements.

Area of research

The Norwegian kindergarten is a linguistically diverse language environment where children with different linguistic backgrounds develop their language and communication skills. Several researchers claim that in such diverse language environments, multilingually oriented pedagogies are required. However, there is little systematic research on how this type of pedagogy can be applied in a Norwegian kindergarten context, and not least on what the consequences of such a pedagogy can be, both for individual children and for the kindergarten as a language learning environment. Norwegian is the main language of instruction in the Norwegian school system, but several researchers emphasize that much of our knowledge about children's language development assumes monolingualism as the norm, and that research on didactic work in linguistically heterogeneous groups of children is lacking. The main goal of the Ph.D. project is to provide new insight into multilingual children's language development and / or language learning in a Norwegian kindergarten context. Children's language development can be examined by looking at the development of one or more of the child's languages ​​in ECEC or in the transition from ECEC to primary education. Language learning in ECEC can be examined by looking at the qualities of the kindergarten's language work and language environment, and / or parent collaboration. These perspectives can also be combined, and projects targeting specific populations are welcome.

The fellowship position is a 100% position for three years, available from 01.09.2022. The successful applicant should have the goal to complete the Ph.D. program within this time frame and receive a Ph.D.

Applicants must submit a Ph.D. project description with the application based on the template available here. The Ph.D. project description must be in English or a Scandinavian language. Potential applicants are asked to get in touch with the contact person for the overall project for additional information about the project and input on the planned individual project description. We will arrange a brief online information meeting about the position on Tuesday December 14th, at 15.45-16.45. Potential applicants should get in touch with the contact person in order to get access to the meeting.

For information and advice on how to create a good Ph.D. project description, potential applicants are encouraged to attend the Ph.D. project description seminar on 14.12.2021, at 14.00-15.30 via Zoom. To attend, please register via link before the registration deadline: 11.12.2021.

Required qualifications and terms:

• Successful applicants must have completed a master’s degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a grade B or better, and in addition have a background in teacher education, pedagogical sciences, language, or other relevant education at a comparable level. For more information, see Admission requirements. Foreign diplomas must be translated into English by the degree-conferring institution. Education taken abroad should be recognised in advance by NOKUT, and an authorized copy of the letter of recognition should be enclosed.
• Admission to the Ph.D. programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education is a prerequisite.
• Successful applicants must be fluent in a Scandinavian language and have excellent written and oral communication skills in English. 

When assessing and ranking the qualified applicants, emphasis will be placed on:

• The scientific quality of the Ph.D. project description, including originality and potential
• The Ph.D. project's feasibility within the standard period (three years)
• The relevance of the Ph.D. project description to the professional environment to which the Ph.D. proposal is linked (cf. the overview above)
• Attached scientific work as well as other relevant publications
• Experience from previous research activities and project participation
• Personal qualities that can contribute positively to the working environment

Desired qualifications:

• Motivation and potential in the field of research
• Personal qualities that, among other things, show perseverance and the ability to complete tasks
• The ability to work independently and in collaboration with others, as well as the ability to be innovative and creative.

It is important for Oslo Metropolitan University to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active endeavours to further develop Oslo Metropolitan University as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. You are also welcome to apply for a position with us if you have experienced periods where you have not been in work, education or training.

We offer: 

• an exciting job opportunity at Norway’s third largest university
• participation in a dynamic and diverse academic community
• participation in an established doctoral program and a research group relevant to the Ph.D. project
• good employee welfare arrangements

Further information:

For further information about the position, please contact:

• Inger Marie Lindboe, ingerlin@oslomet.no , +47 67 23 75 46 (functioning Head of Department)
• Anna Sara H. Romøren, romo@oslomet.no, +47 95 98 54 21 (leader of research group)

The salary for the Ph.D. fellowship position is in accordance with the pay scale for Norwegian state employees, job title Ph.D. and position code 1017. State salary wage scale 54, 491 200 NOK per year. 

Expert evaluation:

Applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. All applications will be reviewed by the faculty before the application papers are forwarded to the expert committee. Applications from applicants who are not qualified, will not be forwarded for assessment.

The following documents must be uploaded with the application by the deadline:

• CV, references and all pages of all certificates/diplomas. The certificates/diplomas must include ECTS grades (A–F). Foreign diplomas must be translated into English by the degree-conferring institution. Education taken abroad should be recognised in advance by NOKUT, and an authorized copy of the letter of recognition should be enclosed.
• Ph.D. project description: maximum of 10 pages. The Ph.D. project description must be written in English or a Scandinavian language.
• Master's degree/second degree thesis (and any other scholarly work that the expert committee should take into consideration)
• List of publications, if relevant

Original documents must be presented in connection with an interview. Oslo Metropolitan University inspects documents in order to give all candidates a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.

If you have documents that cannot be uploaded electronically, please contact hbakkeli@oslomet.no

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. The application must state your reasons for applying and provide reasons for why you are particularly qualified for this Ph.D. fellowship position.

Practical information about relocation to Oslo and living in Norway

In order to apply for the position, please apply electronically by clicking the “apply” button in the advertisement.