Postdoctoral Position in Education (University of Gothenburg)

Reference number: PAR 2026/86 About the University The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. With 58,000 students and 6,800 employees, the university is a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future. The Department of Education and Special Education (IPS) is one of four departments within the Faculty of Education. Central areas of interest include education and society, educational systems, school development and leadership, adult education, inclusion, learning, language and assessment, and grading. The department offers courses and programmes at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Doctoral education in education at the University of Gothenburg: https://www.gu.se/en/learning-leadership-health/doctoral-studies Department of Education and Special Education: https://www.gu.se/en/education-special-education Positions The Department of Education and Special Education is recruiting three or more doctoral candidates within the framework of the graduate school ASSESS III in the third-cycle subjects: Education Educational Work Subject Matter Education with specialisations For more information about the subjects: https://www.gu.se/en/learning-leadership-health/doctoral-studies About the Subjects Education: Focuses on education, teaching, upbringing, socialisation, formation, and learning, including the relationship between the individual and society. Educational Work: Addresses work within educational institutions, focusing on teachers’ and students’ work, educational practices, and policy implications. Subject Matter Education with Specialisations: Focuses on teaching and learning in relation to specific content or school subjects, including language education, multilingual, and second-language conditions. Doctoral School ASSESS III Funded by the Swedish Research Council, ASSESS III focuses on assessment, educational measurement, and development of teacher education. Coordinated by the University of Gothenburg in collaboration with Stockholm University and Umeå University, ASSESS III offers a strong national network for doctoral candidates. The doctoral school combines advanced quantitative analyses of large-scale datasets with multi-method approaches, integrating large-scale analyses with local data and practice-oriented perspectives. Doctoral students are expected to develop projects that clearly contribute to teacher education and the understanding of assessment in school practice. Possible Thematic Foci for Doctoral Projects Relationship between grades and national tests; differences between student groups, schools, and contexts Reliability and validity in assessment and educational measurement Summative and formative functions of assessment, and their consequences for learning and motivation Assessment practices and grading in teaching, including links to organizational conditions and teachers’ professional dilemmas Doctoral projects are supported by the FUR (Prerequisites, Education, Results) and LUBS (Learning, Teaching, and Assessment in Languages) research environments, and access to the UGU longitudinal database for student educational development. Entry Requirements Applicants must meet general and specific entry requirements according to the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 7, Section 35). General Entry Requirements Awarded a second-cycle qualification or equivalent knowledge acquired in Sweden or abroad Specific Entry Requirements Education: 90 higher education credits in Education, including 30 second-cycle credits and an independent project of at least 15 credits Educational Work: Option A: Second-cycle teaching qualification, including independent project Option B: 90 credits with specialisation in pedagogical vocational activities or child and youth activities, including independent project Subject Matter Education with Specialisation: Option A: Teaching qualification with courses of at least 60 credits in relevant area, including independent project Option B: 90 credits, including 30 second-cycle credits, in relevant area, including independent project Assessment Criteria Selection is based on: Quality of the qualifying degree project Quality of submitted research plan relative to the graduate school’s thematic focus Personal suitability and collaborative ability (assessed via references/interviews) Additional merit: Familiarity with statistical software (SPSS, SPAD, R), experience with quantitative and qualitative analyses, and knowledge of Swedish teacher education. Employment Form of employment: Fixed-term, four years full-time Extent: 100% Place of employment: Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg Starting date: 1 September 2026 or as agreed Employment follows Ordinance SFS 1993:100 and may include up to 20% departmental duties. Selection Process Applications are assessed by an admissions committee. Decisions are made by the Head of Department. Interviews may be conducted (normally in Swedish). Previous education or professional experience may be credited but does not give priority over other applicants. Admission information: https://www.gu.se/en/learning-leadership-health/doctoral-studies Contact Information Director of Doctoral Studies: Daniel Bergh – daniel.bergh@gu.se Deputy Head for Doctoral Studies: Jakob Åsberg Johnels – jakob.johnels@gu.se Doctoral School Contacts: Alli Klapp (P.I.) – alli.klapp@ped.gu.se, Marcus Warnby – marcus.warnby@gu.se HR Contact: Ivana Nikolic – ivana.nikolic@gu.se Union representatives: https://www.gu.se/en/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply-for-a-position Application Applicants should apply via the University of Gothenburg recruitment portal. Applications must be complete and submitted digitally before the deadline. Include: Personal letter (max 1 page) Curriculum vitae Study documentation (LADOK extract or equivalent) Thesis/degree project (≥15 credits) and one additional research-related text Preliminary research plan (max 5 pages, 12-pt font, excluding references) References Any additional merits Specify subject: Education, Educational Work, or Subject Matter Education (include specialisation if applicable). Preliminary research plan should relate to Swedish teacher education and the ASSESS III focus Personal letter and research plan preferably in Swedish; other documents may be in Swedish or English If publications are not digital, send clearly marked references to: University of Gothenburg Department of Education and Special Education Ivana Nikolic Box 300 SE-405 30 Gothenburg Sweden Application deadline: 6 March 2026 If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Educaloxy

Reference number: PAR 2026/86

About the University

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. With 58,000 students and 6,800 employees, the university is a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Education and Special Education (IPS) is one of four departments within the Faculty of Education. Central areas of interest include education and society, educational systems, school development and leadership, adult education, inclusion, learning, language and assessment, and grading. The department offers courses and programmes at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

Doctoral education in education at the University of Gothenburg: https://www.gu.se/en/learning-leadership-health/doctoral-studies
Department of Education and Special Education: https://www.gu.se/en/education-special-education

Positions

The Department of Education and Special Education is recruiting three or more doctoral candidates within the framework of the graduate school ASSESS III in the third-cycle subjects:

Education
Educational Work
Subject Matter Education with specialisations

For more information about the subjects: https://www.gu.se/en/learning-leadership-health/doctoral-studies

About the Subjects

Education: Focuses on education, teaching, upbringing, socialisation, formation, and learning, including the relationship between the individual and society.
Educational Work: Addresses work within educational institutions, focusing on teachers’ and students’ work, educational practices, and policy implications.
Subject Matter Education with Specialisations: Focuses on teaching and learning in relation to specific content or school subjects, including language education, multilingual, and second-language conditions.

Doctoral School ASSESS III

Funded by the Swedish Research Council, ASSESS III focuses on assessment, educational measurement, and development of teacher education. Coordinated by the University of Gothenburg in collaboration with Stockholm University and Umeå University, ASSESS III offers a strong national network for doctoral candidates.

The doctoral school combines advanced quantitative analyses of large-scale datasets with multi-method approaches, integrating large-scale analyses with local data and practice-oriented perspectives. Doctoral students are expected to develop projects that clearly contribute to teacher education and the understanding of assessment in school practice.

Possible Thematic Foci for Doctoral Projects

Relationship between grades and national tests; differences between student groups, schools, and contexts
Reliability and validity in assessment and educational measurement
Summative and formative functions of assessment, and their consequences for learning and motivation
Assessment practices and grading in teaching, including links to organizational conditions and teachers’ professional dilemmas

Doctoral projects are supported by the FUR (Prerequisites, Education, Results) and LUBS (Learning, Teaching, and Assessment in Languages) research environments, and access to the UGU longitudinal database for student educational development.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must meet general and specific entry requirements according to the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 7, Section 35).

General Entry Requirements

Awarded a second-cycle qualification or equivalent knowledge acquired in Sweden or abroad

Specific Entry Requirements

Education: 90 higher education credits in Education, including 30 second-cycle credits and an independent project of at least 15 credits
Educational Work:
- Option A: Second-cycle teaching qualification, including independent project
- Option B: 90 credits with specialisation in pedagogical vocational activities or child and youth activities, including independent project
Subject Matter Education with Specialisation:
- Option A: Teaching qualification with courses of at least 60 credits in relevant area, including independent project
- Option B: 90 credits, including 30 second-cycle credits, in relevant area, including independent project

Assessment Criteria

Selection is based on:

Quality of the qualifying degree project
Quality of submitted research plan relative to the graduate school’s thematic focus
Personal suitability and collaborative ability (assessed via references/interviews)

Additional merit: Familiarity with statistical software (SPSS, SPAD, R), experience with quantitative and qualitative analyses, and knowledge of Swedish teacher education.

Employment

Form of employment: Fixed-term, four years full-time
Extent: 100%
Place of employment: Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg
Starting date: 1 September 2026 or as agreed

Employment follows Ordinance SFS 1993:100 and may include up to 20% departmental duties.

Selection Process

Applications are assessed by an admissions committee. Decisions are made by the Head of Department. Interviews may be conducted (normally in Swedish). Previous education or professional experience may be credited but does not give priority over other applicants.

Admission information: https://www.gu.se/en/learning-leadership-health/doctoral-studies

Contact Information

Director of Doctoral Studies: Daniel Bergh – daniel.bergh@gu.se
Deputy Head for Doctoral Studies: Jakob Åsberg Johnels – jakob.johnels@gu.se
Doctoral School Contacts: Alli Klapp (P.I.) – alli.klapp@ped.gu.se, Marcus Warnby – marcus.warnby@gu.se
HR Contact: Ivana Nikolic – ivana.nikolic@gu.se

Union representatives: https://www.gu.se/en/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply-for-a-position

Application

Applicants should apply via the University of Gothenburg recruitment portal. Applications must be complete and submitted digitally before the deadline.

Include:

Personal letter (max 1 page)
Curriculum vitae
Study documentation (LADOK extract or equivalent)
Thesis/degree project (≥15 credits) and one additional research-related text
Preliminary research plan (max 5 pages, 12-pt font, excluding references)
References
Any additional merits

Specify subject: Education, Educational Work, or Subject Matter Education (include specialisation if applicable).

Preliminary research plan should relate to Swedish teacher education and the ASSESS III focus
Personal letter and research plan preferably in Swedish; other documents may be in Swedish or English
If publications are not digital, send clearly marked references to:

University of Gothenburg
Department of Education and Special Education
Ivana Nikolic
Box 300
SE-405 30 Gothenburg
Sweden