PhD position Colouring social studies education for epistemic justice (1.0 FTE)

Department

Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences

Organisation

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, University of Groningen, V25.0262

Job description

Do you want to contribute to groundbreaking research that pushes the boundaries of science? Are you looking for a PhD position in which you can turn your curiosity into concrete research results and a dissertation? In that case, the full-time PhD-position Colouring social studies education for epistemic justice at the University of Groningen (UG) might just be what you are looking for!

As a PhD candidate at the Department of Teacher Education, you will have the opportunity to develop your own insights, collect data, and share your findings with both scientific colleagues and partners from professional practice worldwide. Under the guidance of a trained supervising team, you will work on meaningful solutions and contribute to the future of your field.
In Dutch education, students with immigrant and/or low socio-economic backgrounds often face persistent underachievement, contributing to significant educational inequalities. Social studies subjects, such as history and citizenship education, can play a vital role in creating inclusive learning environments but might lack diverse perspectives. This limits opportunities for students to engage with multiple viewpoints and hinders epistemic justice — the fair inclusion of all knowledge and experiences in education. Recognizing and building on students’ diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds positively impacts their development and academic success. This PhD project proposes using quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (participatory research) methods to collaborate with students from immigrant backgrounds and their parents in reshaping social studies curricula in secondary education. This approach aims to foster student participation, promote more inclusive knowledge practices, and ultimately reduce educational inequalities. A research plan is available upon request.

Why would you want to apply for this position?

1. To make an impact: in this role, you will directly contribute to scientific insights that address societal issues. Your research will not only translate into publications, but also into concrete solutions, ensuring a tangible impact.
2. Personal development: you will have the opportunity, with the support of experienced scientists, to develop yourself into an expert. This combination of research and teaching offers plenty of opportunities for professional and personal growth.

As a PhD candidate, you will perform the following duties

- You will conduct research that results in a dissertation and is consistent with the goals and requirements of the project.
- You will organise and conduct data collection for the subprojects.
- You will publish research results in international scientific journals.
- You will present the research to a wide audience of both domestic and international fellow scientists and partners from the professional field.
- You will collaborate with fellow scientists in the larger project.
- You will contribute to a limited number of teaching activities in the Department of Teacher Education, such as working groups and guest lectures.

This is where you will be working
The University of Groningen ranks among the top European universities and is internationally oriented. The university is socially engaged and actively involved in its environment. In a wide range of disciplines, researchers and teachers practice their disciplines out of scientific passion. Everyone is empowered to do their best. The talents, ambitions and performance of the 34,000 students and 6,500 employees of the UG are stimulated as much as possible.

The Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences is strong in research and teaching on human behaviour, thinking, learning, and coexistence. We work on social issues and problems that people experience in everyday life. Individual and societal resilience and how to increase it are central to our work. We focus on the topics of migration, environment and climate, health, parenting and education, the protection of vulnerable minorities, and sustainable partnerships. Over 650 employees work at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences.
More information about the faculty can be found at the link https://www.rug.nl/gmw/

The Department of Teacher Education provides pre- and in-service training for secondary school teachers. The research programme of the Department of Teacher Education is embedded in the Nieuwenhuis Institute for Educational Research. More information about the Department of Teacher Education can be found here: https://www.rug.nl/gmw/research/lerarenopleiding/

Requirements

For this position, we are looking for someone who

- Has a Research Master or Master's degree in the field of social studies education, educational sciences, or a related field.
- Is enthusiastic about writing international publications and a dissertation.
- Has a good command of the Dutch and English languages
- Possesses good academic writing, social and communication skills and is willing to collaborate with other team members.
- Is enthusiastic about translating scientific insights into practical guidelines and advice.
- Possesses good organisational skills and perseverance.
- Demonstrates competencies such as conceptual ability, presentation, planning, and monitoring progress.
- Enjoys working in diverse teams.
- Conversational command of one of the largest migrant languages in the Netherlands (e.g., Turkish, Arabic, Tigrinya, Ukrainian) or motivation to learn the language at a receptive level is recommended.

Conditions of employment

Contract length: 48 months.

Our working conditions are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities:

- A salary of € 2,901 gross per month in the first year to a maximum of € 3,707 gross per month in the fourth and final year for a full-time working week.
- 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus based on annual gross income.
- Temporary employment of 1.0 FTE for a period of four years. You will first receive temporary employment for the period of one year. After a positive Results and Development Interview, the contract will be extended for the remaining period of three years.
- Based on a 38-hour work week (full-time), you will receive 232 annual leave hours. It is possible to choose a 36- or 40-hour work week. If you choose a 40-hour work week, you accumulate an additional 96 hours of annual leave. If you opt for a 36-hour work week, you will lose 96 leave hours per year.
- A good pension plan with the ABP pension fund.

Effective date: 1 September 2025

Job Application

Does this sound like your dream job? In that case, we cannot wait to meet you. Apply quickly and who knows, you might become our new PhD candidate. Apply quickly and who knows, you might become our new PhD candidate. You may apply for this position until 5 May 11:59pm / before 6 May 2025 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website). Selection interviews will take place on Wednesday 21 May 2025. The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/ Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code We provide career services for partners of new faculty members moving to Groningen. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Additional information

For additional information, please contact:

Dr Tim Huijgen, Assistant Professor
t.d.huijgen@rug.nl

Prof. Joana Duarte, Director Department of Teacher Education
j.duarte@rug.nl

In your application, please always include the job opening ID V25.0262

Extra informatie kan worden verkregen via een van de volgende links:

Nieuwenhuis Institute for Educational Research

Digital application form