Vacancies
PhD Research Studentship
Applications are invited for a PhD research Studentship within the Caledonian Academy. The studentship is for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress and provides payment of tuition fees at the UK/EU rate (£3235 pa) plus an annual stipend of £13,900. The successful candidates are expected to undertake up to 6 hours of academic support activity per week, which can include teaching, demonstrating, research or administration.
Purpose of Studentship
The Caledonian Academy is offering a 3-year studentship to carry out research leading to a PhD investigating the role of social networks in enhancing learners’ transition from education to the workplace and supporting knowledge work. This PhD studentship is funded, and will be supervised by the Caledonian Academy. The studentship offers a unique opportunity to work with an internationally-renowned research team which has strong links with leading research centres and global corporations.
Research project
Although employers demand, and universities aspire to produce, independent learners, the gap between education and work has widened in recent years. This project is based on the premise that understanding the ways individuals operate as independent or self-regulated learners in educational settings and in the workplace is an important component of enhancing transition. Most previous work on these issues has focused on individual learning activities, ignoring the role of the collective in supporting the individual, co-constructing knowledge, and influencing goals and motivations. This project will redress the balance, investigating the networks that learners develop during their study in university, the impact these have, and how they are maintained and extended when new graduates enter the workplace, the resources learners draw on (human and physical, face-to face and online), and the reasons why they choose these resources.
Education/Experience sought:
The fellowship is open to candidates from EU countries.
Essential:
- Applicants must be graduates (Masters or Bachelors Degree plus relevant Masters) with a background in Educational Science or its sub-disciplines. Candidates with a background in Social or Behavioural Sciences are also eligible to apply, but a strong interest in Education and Training is essential.
- Experience (or strong interest) in socio-cultural approaches to learning is necessary.
Desirable:
- Educational background and experience (or strong interest) in technology-enhanced learning is desirable. In particular this involves application of emergent social technologies for learning.
- Experience (or strong interest) in contemporary network theories and social network analysis methods is a plus.
- Familiarity with relevant research on workplace learning, university learning, motivation, sociology, is a plus.
- Practical understanding of corporate learning context is desirable.
Skills:
We are looking for a smart, dynamic, curious and motivated person who has the following skills:
- experience, or interest in, conducting mixed quantitative-qualitative research
- strong writing and oral presentation abilities
- ability to work to strict deadlines
- ability to communicate research findings efficiently to both academic and corporate audiences
Additional information
The PhD studentship will be supervised by Dr Isobel Falconer, Senior Lecturer in Learning Technology at Glasgow Caledonian University, Dr Anoush Margaryan, Lecturer in Learning Technology, and Professor Allison Littlejohn, Director of the Caledonian Academy (www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/people).
Contact
Those seeking further information should contact the supervisory team via Ms Fiona McBeth fiona.mcbeth@gcal.ac.uk or by telephoning 0141 331 3735
How to Apply:
Application Materials and Deadline:
Applicants should submit each of the following documents by e-mail to Ms. Fiona McBeth fiona.mcBeth@gcal.ac.uk
- Official Glasgow Caledonian University application form found at http://www.gcal.ac.uk/graduatecentre/downloads/applicationform2.doc
- Letter of interest
- CV/Resume
- A writing sample (e.g. a recent journal publication or a chapter from your masters thesis)
- Names and contact information of two references (professional and/or academic).
Deadline for applications is 17 April 2009. Applications received after this date will not be accepted. Interviews with shortlisted candidates will be conducted in the week commencing 4 May 2009. The studentship will begin in the second or third quarter of 2009 (negotiable).
Updated: 05 March, 2009 | Site
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