PhD Research Fellowship in Physical Educational Pedagogy

4th May 2025
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English

• English

English

PhD Research Fellowship

PhD Research Fellowship in Physical Educational Pedagogy
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About the position

The Faculty of Health and social Sciences at University of Inland Norway (INN) invites applications for a PhD Research Fellowship in the field of Physical Educational Pedagogy.

The duration of the PhD Research Fellow is 3 or 4 years. If 4 years, 25 per cent of the time each year will be comprised of required duties associated with research, teaching and dissemination of results. The final plan of the doctoral education must be approved and agreed upon no later than three months after starting in the position. The application will be sent to the board of the PhD-program in Health and Welfare .

As part of the PhD position, the PhD-candidate will be a full member of the research group Teaching and Learning in Physical Education(TLPE). The research group conduct research for and with the practice field, both in schools and within higher education. TLPE aims to be a significant disseminator of high-quality research within educational science perspectives on physical education and physical education teacher education, both nationally and internationally. The group consists of experienced researchers as well as several candidates pursuing their doctoral degrees. The group holds regular meetings, and the candidate will participate in these.

The PhD candidate will be appointed to the Section for Sports and Physical Education with prescence at campus Elverum. The section has today approximately 20 full-time employees within sport sciences and/or physical education (PE), and four PhD students. The Section is responsible for the following studies; a one-year study in PE and sport, one bachelor program (BA in sport sciences with specialization in sport coaching), a five-year teacher education in physical education, and a master program in physical education and sport with integrated practical-pedagogic education (PPU). The study programs at the section have a total of approximately 190 students.

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About the project

Education plays a key role in young people's health by equipping them with the competencies needed for a healthy and active life. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the importance of health-promoting schools, which create learning environments that support students’ well-being and holistic development. To achieve this, schools need both systemic initiatives and inclusive teaching practices that support all students, regardless of background or ability. PE is particularly important, as it helps develop physical, social, emotional, and cognitive competencies essential for a healthy life.

However, research shows that current PE teaching practices often fail to fulfill this potential and may even negatively impact some students. As a result, there have been increasing calls for new pedagogical approaches. One proposed solution is Models-based Practice (MbP), where teachers apply different pedagogical models to enhance student learning across key areas of the curriculum.

While MbP is considered a promising approach, very few studies have explored the use of multiple models within PE. This study aims to address this research gap by examining how different pedagogical models can be combined to support students' holistic competence development in line with curriculum aspirations. The PhD-candidate will work in close relationship with teachers to explore a MbP using an action research approach. The PhD candidate decides at which school level the project will be conducted at.

For more information about the project, please contact Associate Professor Lars Bjørke; lars.bjorke@inn.no

Qualifications

It is a requirement that the PhD research fellow qualifies for admission to the University's PhD programme in Health and Welfare within three months of employment. Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.

We encourage students who are currently pursuing a master's degree and who will submit their master's thesis in the summer of 2025 to apply for the position. The institution must receive the diploma obtained by the end of June 2025.

To be admitted to the doctoral program, the applicant must normally have a minimum master's degree or master's level (120 credits, §3 master's in the Norwegian system) or equivalent education, within physical education and/or sport sciences (subject area), or other relevant subject areas.

Furthermore, you must have a strong academic background from your previous studies, ie. the average grade should normally be B or better from the master's program (120 credits) or equivalent education. Calculation of the average grade is based on the credits for each course and for the master's thesis. Applicants with weaker grades than what is normally required for admission must document that they will be able to complete a doctoral degree. In cases where the education has been approved with the use of the grades passed / failed, the applicant is admitted after an individual assessment. If you have education from abroad, you can contact HK-dir for approval of your education, alternatively a similar assessment will be made in connection with the application process. 

Furthermore, the candidate will be assessed on the following professional- and personal prerequisites:

• The ability to work independently and structured
• Good collaborative skills
• Good communicative skills 
• The ability to receive and provide feedback in a constructive manner
• The ability to face resistance 
• The ability to contribute towards a flourishing working environment 
• Commitment and engagement to the field of physical education
• Familiarity with the Norwegian school- and physical education contexts 

Language proficiency:

• Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must document English compentence in accordance with the Supplementary provisions for admission to the PhD program at INN . 
• Applicants must have excellent written and oral knowledge of a Scandinavian language.

Evaluation of candidates for the position will be based on a total assessment of:

• Experience from physical education, pedagogy and/or didactics practically and/or academically
• Personal suitability and motivation
• Quality, relevance and originality of the project description
• Documented independent research and development work or experience relevant to the project (all areas will be considered as equally important)

The position and associated tasks must be carried out in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations for government employees, including also the Act on Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology, etc. Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, come into conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to take up the position at University of Inland Norway. Necessary approvals must be maintained throughout the employment relationship.

How to apply

Your application must include:

• Application letter including a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• Proposed project description of the study (max 5 pages, including references), outlining its academic relevance, tentative research questions, methods, challenges and possibilities, and containing a tentative progression plan. The project description must be written in English or a Scandinavian language.
• CV detailing your relevant educational background and experience (registered in Jobbnorge's form).
• Copies of academic diplomas and transcripts (A certified English translation of all educational documents is required unless the documents are in Norwegian.)
• A list of publications.
• The names and contact information for two referees.
• Any other documentation you would like us to consider.

Attachments must be uploaded as separate files. If the attachments exceed 30 MB, they must be compressed prior to upload. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all attachments are uploaded. Documents submitted after expiry of the deadline will not be considered in the evaluation of your application.

Requirements for Project Outline: The project description should be a maximum of 5 pages, including the reference list. The page format for the project description should be A4 with 2 cm margins, 11-point font (Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman), and single line spacing. For the reference list and any figure captions, a font size of 9 may be used. The project description can be written in English or a Scandinavian language. The scientific quality of the project description is a crucial factor in determining whether applicants will be invited for an interview.

We offer

• An exciting and challenging position at a developing institution
• Position is paid and placed in position code 1017, PhD candidate in the Government Salary Scale
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension, with among other things, good pension and insurance schemes.

For more information about INN University as an employer, please see here.

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General information

For further details about the position, please contact The Head of Department Per Øystein Hansen; per.hansen@inn.no.

INN believes that there is strength in inclusion and diversity. We desire employees with different competencies, professional combinations, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to an even better way of solving problems. We will facilitate for employees who need assitance to realise their goals. Relevant adaptations can be, for example, technical aids, adapting furniture or adjusting routines, work tasks and working hours.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in the CV or immigrant background, we shall call at least one applicant in each of these categories for an interview. In order to be considered as an applicant in these groups, the applicants must meet certain requirements. You can read more on this here: https://arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling .

We encourage applicants to tick in Jobbnorge if they have a disability, a gap in their CV or immigrant background. The ticks in the jobseeker portal form the basis for anonymised statistics that all state-owned enterprises report in their annual reports

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

About University of Inland Norway

University of Inland Norway is home to around 15,000 students and 1,450 employees. We have campuses in Lillehammer, Hamar, Elverum, Rena, Evenstad and Blæstad, and offer some courses at Kongsvinger, Tynset and in Oslo.

INN University is known for strong and enduring academic and research environments that will spearhead regionally, nationally and internationally.  

Questions about the position

Lars Bjørke

Førsteamanuensis

lars.bjorke@inn.no

Per Øystein Hansen

Instituttleder

per.hansen@inn.no

Apply for this job
Deadline

4th May 2025

Employer

University of Inland Norway

Municipality

Elverum

Scope

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Duration

Fixed Term

Place of service
Hamarvegen 112, 2406 Elverum

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