The Danish School of Education (DPU) at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, invites applications for a permanent position as professor in the sociology of the professions with a focus on teacher education

The Danish School of Education (DPU), part of Faculty of Arts at Aarhus University, invites applications for a permanent position as professor in the sociology of the professions with a focus on preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher education. The professorship is a full-time position starting on 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter according to mutual agreement.

Research into, for and about the sociology of the professions with a focus on teacher education is of significant value to practice by producing knowledge that supports the development of teacher and teacher educator competences and contributes to development in schools and in teacher education.
The successful applicant is expected to contribute to a better understanding of developments in study admission and completion as well as induction and retention in the preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher professions, and how such developments influence self-understanding within these professions.

The Department of Educational Sociology, where the position is expected to be based, represents the use of a wide range of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. The applicant is expected to contribute to the department’s methodological development.

The position
The successful applicant will contribute to research and teaching at the Department of Educational Sociology, including teaching and supervising students at Master’s and PhD level and contributing to the further development of the department’s subject area through research of high international quality.

The fields of work include:

Contributing to developing a systematic knowledge base for research in the education of preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers
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
Teaching in the department’s mandatory and elective courses
Carrying out research management including supervision of research fellows and PhD students
Writing grant applications with relevance to the field.

The successful applicant is expected to contribute to Aarhus University’s core activities in the areas of research, education, talent development and knowledge exchange, and to provide academic leadership relating to research, education and academic development.

Research
The Department of Educational Sociology at Aarhus University has a pronounced and significant international profile and a strong research network. The successful applicant is expected to take a leading role in further developing research in the sociology of the professions with a focus on preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teachers.

The successful applicant 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 significant 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 of future developments in the field and to document a solid track record in research leadership as well as in international research funding and international research cooperation.

It is of vital importance that the successful applicant takes 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:

Education
The successful applicant will be expected to have solid experience of 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 successful applicant will also be expected to be the driving force in developing new degree programmes in relation to subjects within the field of educational sociology, and in this connection, broad experience and knowledge of education in the field as well as related fields will be an advantage.

Talent development
The successful applicant 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 successful applicant 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.

Qualifications
The successful applicant is expected to be able to document:

Knowledge of the sociology of the professions with a focus on preschool and/or primary and lower secondary school teacher education
Methodological skills with respect to the field
An internationally oriented research profile
A relevant and internationally oriented publication profile
Experience in participating in national and international networks
Experience in communication and knowledge exchange
Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration and interdisciplinary research
Experience in obtaining external research funding
Experience in supervising student projects and an interest in researcher talent development.

The successful applicant must be able to teach and publish in English. If the applicant cannot speak Danish, she/he will be required to learn Danish within approximately two years.

The successful applicant is expected to contribute to the department’s and the school’s academic environment. DPU emphasises the importance of good working conditions – among colleagues and students.

The process
Applicants must attach the following when applying for the position:

Application
Curriculum vitae
Diplomas (Master’s degree, PhD and possibly higher doctoral degree)
List of publications (the enclosed publications must be clearly marked on the list)
Publications – up to 8 publications must be submitted. In the event of several authors, the publications must be accompanied by a co-author statement concerning the applicant’s share of the collaborative work with the consent of the co-authors.
Teaching portfolio – the specific requirements can be found here: The teaching portfolio at Aarhus University (au.dk)

Read more about how to apply for an academic position and the next steps in the process.

Shortlisting is applied. This means that the assessment committee advises the head of department on which applicants are the best overall match for the department’s and school’s recruitment needs and which applicants possess the qualifications, competences, experience and potential described above.

Through the shortlisting process, the assessment committee selects the applicants who are to undergo a thorough assessment of their professional qualifications. All applicants will be notified about whether or not their application has been shortlisted.

The application must be submitted in English.

Owing to the increasingly international nature of the degree programmes in question, applicants must be able to teach and publish in English.

Experience of the development of degree programmes and teaching will be considered an advantage.

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

The school
The Danish School of Education (known in Denmark as DPU) constitutes Denmark’s largest and strongest university environment for basic and applied research within the field of education and educational theory (pedagogics).
The research at the school has an international foundation and is built around strong scientific perspectives on educational theory regarding:

Didactics (subject-based and general didactics)
Psychology
Sociology
Philosophy
Anthropology.

In addition, we conduct interdisciplinary research aimed at specific educational fields of inquiry, with daycare and schools playing the largest and most central roles.

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 teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and no more than eight examples of academic production (mandatory). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

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: . Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here:

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.