Vacant job

We are looking for a postdoc in mathematics with a focus on educational science. More details on the project follow below.

About us

The Department of Mathematical Sciences at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg has about 200 employees and is the largest department of mathematics in Sweden. We have an international environment with frequent exchanges with other universities around the world. We provide a friendly, creative, and supportive atmosphere with a steady flow of international guests. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all our activities. We work actively to be a parent-friendly organization.

About the research project

Project: Practice-based school research in mathematics education

Since 2017, Chalmers has been part of the national initiative on practice-based school research within the framework of ULF (Education, Learning & Research, ulfavtal.se). The purpose of the initiative is to strengthen the long-term development of the Swedish school system and the teacher and preschool teacher education programs through deepened collaboration around practice-based research. Researchers in mathematics education at the Department of Mathematical Sciences have participated in several research projects that, among other things, have investigated the effects of test-based learning, the use of vertical surfaces, and student-generated clues for solving problems. The projects have been initiated and implemented in close collaboration with teachers at the training schools affiliated with Chalmers' teacher education program.

The overarching goal of the project is to further deepen the collaboration around practice-based school research together with our training schools. To make this possible, a postdoctoral position is planned with the assignment to, in close dialogue with principals and teachers, identify challenges within mathematics teaching, formulate research questions based on these, and carry out the research projects together with the school's teachers. The ambition is to collaborate with several schools in the Gothenburg area and to conduct the research at multiple schools. The projects will not have any predetermined thematic focus; rather, they will be developed in dialogue between teachers and researchers based on the needs and interests of the schools.

For more information on ULF at Chalmers, see:

https://www.chalmers.se/institutioner/mv/resurser-och-samverkan/ulf-praktiknara-skolforskning/

Who we are looking for

The following requirements are mandatory:

• Doctoral degree in mathematics, mathematics education, or learning in mathematics. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• You will need strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

The following requirements are meritorious:

• Teaching degree and teaching experience.
• Experience of practice-based research.
• Written and verbal communication skills in Swedish.
• Strong background in mathematics.
• Broad experience of various pedagogical and didactic research methods and theories.
• Expertise in quantitative methods and learning analytics for processing and analysing data.

What you will do

• Initiate, plan, and carry out practice-based research projects in mathematics in collaboration with upper secondary school teachers.
• Develop and support Chalmers' initiative in practice-based school research.
• Supervise master’s students.
• Possibility to engage in teaching at undergraduate/master’s level.

The position is meritorious for future roles in academia, industry, or the public sector.

Contract terms

The position is a temporary full-time employment for two years. The postdoc position is fully funded from start.

The position requires physical presence throughout the entire employment. A valid residence permit must be presented by the start date, otherwise the offer may be withdrawn.

The expected starting date is November 2026, or as agreed.

What we offer

• As a postdoc at Chalmers, you are an employee and enjoy all employee benefits. Read more about https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/ and our https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/chalmers-as-an-employer/benefits-and-conditions/ for employees.
• A dynamic and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of https://www.goteborg.com/en.
• Read more about Sweden’s generous parental leave, subsidized day care, free schools, healthcare etc at https://www.movetogothenburg.com/

Chalmers is dedicated to improving gender balance and actively works with equality projects, such as https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/organisation-and-governance/equality/genie-gender-initiative-for-excellence/. We celebrate diversity and consider equality and inclusion as fundamental aspects of all our activities.

If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses to help you settle in.

Application procedure

The application should be written in English and attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV

Personal letter

• A brief introduction about yourself.
• A brief motivation as to why you are interested in this position.

PhD thesis together with the transcripts.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form.

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered. Contact details to references will be requested after the interview.

We welcome your application no later than August 15, 2026

For questions, please contact:

Daniel Persson, Head of unit, Division of algebra and geometry, mailto:[email protected]

Philip Gerlee, responsible for ULF at Chalmers, mailto:[email protected]

We look forward to your application!

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***

Chalmers was founded in 1829 and has the same motto today as it did then: Avancez – forward.