PhD on Advancing Gender-Inclusive Practices in STEM/STEAM Education

Job description

This PhD project is part of the international G-STEAM initiative, a European partnership focused on promoting gender inclusivity in STEM education. G-STEAM Academy will create a European Community of Practice for inclusive STEAM education, using creative and arts-based methods. The project will develop innovative educational materials, training programs, mentoring, and mobility schemes to enhance collaboration among teacher trainers and teachers across Europe.

Are you interested in helping teachers and teacher candidates implement gender inclusivity in STEM/STEAM subjects? If so, this project might be perfect for you!

Job Description

This PhD project as a part of the bigger international project includes various activities for a diverse target group. It requires working with a large international consortium for the following:

• Investigating Current Practices: Conducting a comprehensive, cross-context analysis of gender and intersectionality inclusion in ITE (Initial Teacher Education) and CPD (Continous Professional Development) programs.
• Community Building: Establishing and managing a European network to promote gender-inclusive teacher training.
• Program and Resource Development: Designing, testing, and delivering innovative training programs and educational tools tailored for diverse contexts.
• Facilitating Mobility: Developing a practical blended mobility scheme for teachers across Europe.
• Driving Policy Impact: Translating findings into actionable, scalable policy recommendations.
• Interdisciplinary Scope: Bridging gender studies, education, and STEAM in a cohesive, impactful way.

In this research project, you will help teachers and teacher candidates co-create educational materials in community of Practice (CoP) and improve their skills to support gender inclusivity. Central to this research project is the search for a better understanding of the effective strategies and tools for gender inclusivity in STEM education. This leads to the questions: (1) What is the current state of gender and intersectionality inclusive education within ITE and CPD programmes. (2) How can CoP scale up gender inclusive teacher education and training for STEAM? (3) What skills teacher educators need to improve in gender inclusive teaching practices and how? (4) What are the Design Principles for the development of gender sensitive and arts-based teaching materials for STEM? You will have the opportunity to further develop the exact questions and study design, in collaboration with your supervisors.

As a PhD student on this project, you will be part of Eindhoven School of Education (ESoE). ESoE is the expertise center of Eindhoven University of Technology in the field of the education and professional development of (future) teachers, and research and educational innovation in the STEM domain in secondary as well as higher education. ESoE is active in three areas: education, research, and innovation.

Besides research, a small part of your job (max 10%) will also be to contribute to teaching within the department, consisting of supervising MSc students in their research projects and assistance in courses, depending on your background and experience.

Job requirements

• A master’s degree in Science Education, or a relevant alternative.
• A research-oriented attitude. Applicants must have at least one publication in a peer-reviewed international journal.
• Experience in qualitative research and qualitative data analysis.
• Able to work independently but also a team player.
• Affinity with working with teacher candidates, teachers and students.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with teacher education programs and schools.
• Good organization and communication skills.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Fluency in Dutch is a pre.

Conditions of employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:
• 0,8 fte employment for 4 years with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• A gross monthly salary of € 2,901 in the first year, building up to € 3,707 in the final year (in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).
• Additional benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates. 

Information and application

About us

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow. 

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact Dury Bayram, assist. prof., d.bayram@tue.nl or +31 40 247 46 70.

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact our HR services team: hrservices.flux@tue.nl.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until 3^rd January 2025.