Postdoctoral Position in Playful Language Practices

Postdoctoral Position in Playful Language Practices at Daycare Centres, based in Copenhagen

The Danish School of Education (DPU) at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, invites applications for a fixed-term, three-year postdoctoral position associated with the Partnership for Children’s Research project “A Senseful and Playful Language Pedagogy”.

The position is part-time (25 hours/week) and begins on 1 September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Our new colleague will be employed at the Department of Educational Anthropology and Educational Psychology. The position is based at DPU at Emdrup campus (see the description of DPU below). Since the department is located in both Aarhus and Copenhagen, the selected applicant should expect some travel activity.

The Danish School of Education (DPU) is focused on diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background.

Research context

The overall purpose of the project is to explore and develop language pedagogical practices that, through senseful and playful approaches, support children’s opportunities for linguistic participation. The project is carried out in collaboration with researchers from Roskilde University and VIA University College. It adopts a perspective on language as a social practice that understands children’s language and language development as something that takes place in close interaction with material resources and the social environment.

Postdoctoral position

The selected applicant will be expected to carry out a specific work package within the project, which aims to understand how senseful, aesthetic and natural phenomena influence language practices, play and children’s opportunities for linguistic participation. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to conduct video-ethnographic fieldwork, combined with interviews and research workshops. Furthermore, the position involves various dissemination activities, including publishing peer-reviewed research articles in relevant Nordic and international journals, both individually and collectively, as well as co-organising and participating in conferences and seminars. 

Qualifications 

Applicants must have a PhD degree or document equivalent qualifications in a relevant field related to language pedagogy. Applicants are required to document, relevant to the position:

• an internationally oriented research profile within language pedagogy as documented by a PhD dissertation and/or research publications
• experience independently managing research projects
• excellent communication and interpersonal skills in order to engage productively with both the research team and external organisations and institutions
• experience planning and conducting ethnographic fieldwork.

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document:

• a record of research publications of a high international standard commensurate with the length of the applicant’s academic career
• experience participating in national and international research networks
• time spent abroad working at one or more internationally recognised research institutions.

Finally, applicants are asked to provide a proposal for research to be undertaken within the stated framework of the research project (max. 1-2 pages).

Please note that although the application process can be completed on the Aarhus University system without uploading publications, applications that do not include uploaded publications (max. five) will not be considered.

Although the Aarhus University application system includes an option to upload letters of recommendation, please do not include letters of recommendation or references with the application. Applicants who are invited to an interview may be asked to provide references.

The selected applicant will be expected to contribute to the department’s academic environment. We emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students.

Further information

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor, Ph.D. Lars Holm at larsh@edu.au.dk or by tel. at + 45 20109458.

Read about the Department of Educational Anthropology and Educational Psychology here. 

The application must be submitted in English. 

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. 

Aarhus University also offers a junior researcher development programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here: https://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

Qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

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 applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than five examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here: https://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

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

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 700 academic staff members, 200 PhD students, 9,000 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/