Assistant or Associate Professor in the Sociology of the Professions with a focus on Teacher Education

The Danish School of Education (DPU) at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, invites applications for two positions as an Assistant or Associate Professor in the Sociology of the Professions with a focus on Preschool and/or Primary and Lower Secondary School Teacher Education.  

The Assistant professorship is a full-time, three-year training position. The selected applicant is requested to complete a course in university teaching designed especially for Assistant professors. 
 
The Associate professorship is a tenured permanent position.  
 
Applicants must state explicitly whether they are applying for the Assistant or the Associate professorship. 

The two positions are full-time positions starting on 1 February 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter according to mutual agreement.  

The positions 

The two selected applicants for the Assistant or Associate professorships will complement and contribute to the development of the existing research and teaching within the field of the sociology of the professions with a focus on teacher education.  

The two selected applicants will conduct independent and collaborative empirical research contributing to developing a systematic knowledge base for research in the education of preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers.  

The selected applicants will communicate research-based knowledge to the research community, to various practice fields, to the media and to policymakers. Furthermore, the selected applicants will teach and supervise students at Master’s degree level. The selected applicants are moreover expected to engage in research grant applications and international network consolidation. The two positions are expected to be affiliated to the Department of Educational Sociology, but contributions to tasks in other departments at the Danish School of Education can be expected.  

Qualifications  

In continuation of the overall job description above, we expect the selected applicants to contribute to developing a systematic knowledge base for research in the education of preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers and be able to cover one or more of the following areas: 

• Making effective use of research methods and research findings to enhance the quality of research into, for and about preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher professions 
• Conducting research on problems related to preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher recruitment and selection 
• Conducting research on problems related to dropout and retention in the education of preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers 
• Conducting research on alternative ways into the preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher professions 
• Conducting research on content in the education of preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers 
• Conducting research on teacher quality and competences 
• Conducting research on the relations between theory and practice with respect to preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher professions 
• Establishing an international perspective on the education of preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers. 

Assistant professorship – specific qualifications  

The selected applicant for an Assistant professorship must have a PhD or the equivalent in educational sociology or a related field and will be required to document:  

• Experience in the field of the sociology of the professions with a focus on preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher education 
• Knowledge of theory, methods and practice within the field  
• Experience of or interest in teaching in relation to the Master’s degree programme in educational sociology as well as other relevant programmes at the Danish School of Education   
• An internationally oriented research profile   
• A relevant and internationally oriented publication profile  
• Experience of or interest in participating in national and international research networks  
• Experience of or interest in communication and knowledge exchange  
• Experience of interdisciplinary collaboration as well as interdisciplinary research   
• Experience of or potential for obtaining external research funding  
• Experience of or interest in interdisciplinary teaching, including innovative teaching methods  
• Experience of or interest in supervising student projects and interest in researcher talent development.  

The selected applicant for an Assistant professorship will be expected to develop new research projects with immediate relevance to the field of research.   

Associate professorship – specific qualifications  

The selected applicant for an Associate professorship must have a PhD or the equivalent in educational sociology or a related field as well as research and teaching qualifications equivalent to those acquired through an Assistant professorship, and must also be able to document:  

• Experience in the field of the sociology of the professions with a focus on preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher education  
• Experience with theory, methods and practice within the field  
• An internationally oriented research profile  
• A well-established, relevant international publication profile  
• Participation in collective research projects  
• Teaching experience at Master’s degree level within the field of educational sociology with a focus on the sociology of the professsions as well as skills in academic English for classroom teaching 
• Proficiency in languages relevant to the area of research  
• Participation in national and international networks  
• Experience of interdisciplinary cooperation   
• Experience of attracting external research funding  
• Experience of supervising student projects and an interest in researcher talent development.  

The selected applicant for the Associate professorship will be expected to develop new research projects with immediate relevance to the field of research and will also be required to document scientific production at international level as well as scholarly contributions to the sociology of the professions with a focus on teacher education.    

The selected applicants for both positions will be required to teach and publish in English. If the selected applicants cannot speak Danish, they will be supported in learning Danish within a period of three years.  

We emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students.   

Research 

The Department of Educational Sociology at Aarhus University has a pronounced and significant international profile and a strong research network. The selected applicants are expected to contribute to the development of research in the sociology of the professions with a focus on preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers.   
 
The selected applicants will also be expected to contribute to research initiatives in relation to the field of educational sociology and the general research community at DPU in terms of new research projects with internal and external partners as well as external research funding. 
 
Applicants must be able to document original scientific production at the highest international level as well as scholarly contributions to theoretical and empirical research within the field of the sociology of the professions with a focus on preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers. 
 
Applicants are furthermore asked to state their visions and plans for future developments in the field. 
 
It is of vital importance that the selected applicants take part in the daily activities of the Department of Educational Sociology, such as research and teaching activities and communities, as well as in the work of management and/or organisational boards (central study board, degree programme boards and different local management positions). 
 
Further information about the present research at DPU, including the research programme Teachers and Teaching, is available on this website: https://dpu.au.dk/en/research.  

Teaching 

The selected applicants will be expected to have experience of or an interest in teaching at university level and should be prepared to teach and supervise at all levels of the degree programme (Master’s and PhD) in educational sociology and on DPU’s cross-departmental Master’s degree programmes. 
 
The selected applicants will also be expected to contribute to the development of new degree programmes in relation to subjects within the field of educational sociology, and in this connection, experience or interest in the field will be an advantage.  

Talent development 

The selected applicants will be expected to recruit and supervise PhD students and participate in the development and implementation of PhD courses.  

Knowledge exchange 

It is expected that the selected applicants will engage in knowledge exchange as mentioned in the strategy for the Faculty of Arts, for instance in research cooperation with private companies, government consultancy, cooperation with civil society actors or public dissemination of knowledge. Applicants should document any prior experience within the field of knowledge exchange.   

Further information 

For further information about the position, please contact the head of the Department of Educational Sociology, Rune Müller Kristensen, on telephone +45 61669793 and/or by email: ruvk@edu.au.dk. Read about the Department of Educational Sociology at https://dpu.au.dk/en/about-the-school/organisation/department-of-educational-sociology. 

About the Danish School of Education  

The Danish School of Education at Aarhus University is Denmark’s largest centre for research and teaching in the fields of education, didactics and learning, with approximately 240 full-time researchers, including 80 PhD students, and 4,500 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students. The school’s activities are characterised by a high degree of interdisciplinarity and close interaction with society, including businesses, organisations, government agencies and institutions, both in Denmark and abroad.  

International applicants  

International applicants are encouraged to read about family and work-life balance as well as the attractive working conditions and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and career counselling for expat partners. For information about taxation, see the taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here: http://international.au.dk/research/ 

An appointee who does not speak Danish will be required to acquire proficiency in Danish equivalent to level B2 (CEFR) to handle tasks, including administrative and managerial responsibilities, and to participate fully in the activities of the Danish School of Education within approximately three years of commencing the appointment. These include, but are not limited to, teaching and examining students, reading work-related texts and participating in meetings and collegial gatherings in Danish.  

Formalities

• Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
• Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .
• Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
• The application must outline the your motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, copies of relevant degree certificates, and (if relevant for the position) a teaching portfolio. Please upload this material electronically along with your application.
• If you submit your application for the Assistant professorship, please upload a maximum of five samples of your scholarly output (mandatory).
• If you submit your application for the Associate professorship, please upload a maximum of eight samples of your scholarly output (mandatory).

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners: http://ias.au.dk/au-relocation-service/. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here: http://international.au.dk/research/

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 240 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.

The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University 

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/

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