Uppsala University, Department of Physics and Astronomy

The research conducted at the Department of Physics and Astronomy encompasses a wide range of physics topics, distributed over ten divisions. Physics Education Research at Uppsala University, UU-PER is one of these divisions. The department is located in the Ångström laboratory and employs nearly 400 people, 125 of whom are doctoral students. It offers a broad physics curriculum to undergraduate and graduate students, participation in nationally and internationally leading projects for researchers, and opportunities for partnership with industry and various outreach activities. For a full overview of the department see https://www.physics.uu.se/.

The UU-PER research programme carries out pedagogical and didactic research projects that are directed at enhancing the teaching and learning of physics and astronomy at the university level. Over and above this activity, UU-PER also contributes to the departmental teaching of physics and physics-teacher didactics. Due to recent and upcoming retirements UU-PER is seeking applicants who are able to take on senior research responsibilities.

Description of subject area of the employment: The research activity has both theoretical and practical components, which are to study, analyse and describe critical educational relationships in physics, and to provide physics teachers and educational designers with new intellectual and practical tools that can support and extend understanding of, and facilitation of, student learning. Descriptions of recent threads of work can be found here: https://www.physics.uu.se/research/physics-education-research/ongoingresearch/.

Duties:

  • Teaching, research and administration. Teaching duties include course responsibility and course administration and supervision of second- and third-cycle students. The course responsibility includes the areas of physics, student laboratory, PER methodology, and physics-teacher education. Research in the person’s PER-area of specialization, and participation in the planning and implementation of associated research projects.
  • Follow developments within the subject area and the development of society in general that is important for the work at the university.
  • The position will include administration and management tasks at a senior level.
  • Collaboration both within the Department and the wider university.

Qualifications Required: Applicants must have:

  • A relevant PhD for PER work at the university level or have the corresponding research competence or some other professional expertise. Research Expertise and Teaching Expertise. It is necessary that the pedagogical skills, the research expertise and the professional skills are relevant to the content of the employment and the tasks that will be included in the employment.
  • Completed teacher training of relevance to operations at the University, comprising ten weeks, or have acquired the equivalent knowledge. If special circumstances apply, this training for teachers in higher education may be completed during the first two years of employment.
  • Documented ability to teach in Swedish and English is a requirement unless special reasons prevail. The holder is expected to be able to teach in Swedish within two years.
  • The personal capabilities necessary to carry out fully the duties of the appointment.

Assessment Criteria/Ranking of applicants that fulfil the above-mentioned qualifications required

The ranking of eligible applicants will be based primarily on research and teaching expertise, which will be given equal weight.

Research Expertise comprises research merits. In addition to academic merits, research merits from other activities, including technology development, may also be taken into account including research merits obtained outside the academy, which includes for example technology development and innovation ability. In assessing research expertise research quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of research, primarily in regard to depth and breadth, must also be afforded consideration. In assessing research expertise special weight will be attached to research merits in Physics Education Research that is anchored in physics didactics at the university level.

Research competence experience in utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies will be considered to be fundamental to the ability, or the distinct potential, to take on a leadership role in UU-PER.

Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop research and education in the third cycle, the ability to acquire funding for research in competition, as well as the demonstrated capacity to interact with others both within academia and in the wider community.

Teaching Expertise comprises educational and teaching qualifications. This expertise can have been achieved outside the academy through supervision, internal training, mentoring programs, etc. In assessing teaching expertise teaching quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, must also be afforded consideration. In assessing teaching expertise special weight will be attached to merits in teaching in the field of PER and other areas of physics, and experience of implementing state-of-the-art PER in physics education.

Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop teaching and instruction, as well as the ability to connect research to teaching in respect to research in the subject at hand, subject didactics, as well as teaching and learning in higher education. The ability to interact concerning issues of teaching and learning in higher education with actors inside and outside the University is also included in teaching expertise.

Administrative Expertise is important for the employment and will be afforded consideration. Administrative expertise is demonstrated, for example, through the capacity to plan, organise, and prioritise work in an efficient and task-related manner as well as through the ability to assign and observe time frames. Expertise includes overall operational planning and the capacity to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities as well as the ability to work in a structured manner based on an awareness of goals and quality. Administrative expertise also includes entrepreneurship.

Management Expertise is important and will be afforded consideration. Management expertise is demonstrated through the capacity to lead operations and personnel, make decisions, take responsibility, and motivate others, providing them with what is needed for the efficient achievement of common goals. The abilities to coordinate the group and help create a sense of involvement, participation, and enjoyment in work and to deal with conflicts constitute further examples of demonstrated expertise.

Collaboration Expertise is important and will be afforded high consideration. Collaborative expertise is demonstrated by the ability and skill of planning, organizing and implementing interaction with the surrounding community. Popular publications, public debate and lectures are examples of forms of interaction with the surrounding community. Other examples of collaboration are physics-teacher education and general physics and astronomy educational development initiatives. The ability to translate knowledge sharing with the surrounding community into activities of importance to educational development and quality is part of the collaboration expertise.

All merits must be documented in a manner that makes it possible to assess both quality and scope.

Further information: In filling this position the university aims to appoint the applicant who, following a qualitative holistic assessment of her/his competence and expertise, is judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and to help advance operations.

In an overall assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, parental leave, part-time work relating to care of children, union assignments, military service, or the like are to be regarded as work experience.

University appointment regulations

Faculty appointment regulations

Instructions for application

For further information about the position, please contact Professor Cedric Linde, e-mail cedric.linder@physics.uu.se.

Salary: Individually negotiated salary.

Starting date: As soon as possible or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Permanent full-time position, probationary period may be applied.

Scope of employment: 100 %.

Please submit your application by October 15 2021, UFV-PA 2021/1551.

In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

If you are an international candidate, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus.

Type of employment Permanent position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment As soon as possible or as otherwise agreed..
Salary Fixed salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100 %
City Uppsala
County Uppsala län
Country Sweden
Reference number UFV-PA 2021/2551
Union representative
  • Seko Universitetsklubben, seko@uadm.uu.se
  • ST/TCO, tco@fackorg.uu.se
  • Saco-rådet, saco@uadm.uu.se
Published 01.Sep.2021
Last application date 15.Oct.2021 11:59 PM CEST

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