Postdoctoral Researcher

The Department of Education at the University of Oxford wishes to appoint two Postdoctoral Researchers to work as part of a research team that is exploring the use of technology in schools and the ways it can reinforce or reconfigure existing educational and social inequities. This project, “Towards equity focused approaches to EdTech: a socio-technical perspective”, is part of the ESRC Education Research Programme (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/education-research-programme/projects).Reporting to Prof Rebecca Eynon, each post holder will be responsible for ethnographic work in three secondary schools and will contribute to the running of futures-orientated participatory workshops, the creation of Open Educational Resources for data scientists, and all other dissemination activities.

The postholders will manage their own academic research and administrative activities for school ethnographies. This includes conducting interviews, observations, and employing a range of digitally mediated methods; adapting existing and developing new methodologies and materials for ethnographic fieldwork; analysing varied qualitative and quantitative data; and small-scale project management, to co-ordinate multiple aspects of work to meet deadlines. The post holders will also act as a source of information to other members of the research group, contribute ideas for new research projects, develop ideas for generating research income, collaborate in the preparation of research publications and represent the group at external meetings and seminars.

The successful candidates will hold, or be close to completion of, a relevant PhD/DPhil, together with relevant experience, and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to work within the established research programme. They will also possess sufficient knowledge of methodology and analysis of data, particularly ethnographic approaches, interviews, observation or digitally mediated methods (e.g. photo-elicitation, Edtech walkthroughs, or social network analysis). They must also have excellent communication skills, including the ability to write for publication and present results, and excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to negotiate access to schools, and build relationships with a range of stakeholders (e.g. teachers, young people, Edtech developers, policy makers), as well as working with other members of the project team.

Prior experience of working or carrying out research in schools; working with young people and / or educators; and / or an understanding of school systems in the UK would be a significant advantage.

This post is fixed-term until 30 April 2025 and is offered on a full-time basis, with a start date of 01 July 2023.

Applications for this vacancy should be made online and you will be required to upload a CV and supporting statement as part of your application, explaining how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for this post.

These posts require travel across England for fieldwork purposes; for further details of the roles, please see the job description. The closing date for applications is midday on Friday 24 February 2023 and only applications received by this deadline will be considered. Interviews will likely be held week commencing Monday 13 March 2023.

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