Vacant job

At the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, education and research are conducted within economics, music, mathematics, humanities, social sciences, behavioral sciences, and educational sciences, with a clear connection to society, culture, and democracy. Our research is conducted in dialogue with the surrounding society and contributes to critical knowledge development, education, and a deeper understanding of complex societal issues. Through our collaboration platforms, we bring together academia, the public sector, and business to jointly contribute to knowledge development and meet societal challenges. Education is offered at all levels and is grounded in scientific or artistic foundations and academic breadth. Together, we contribute to a sustainable, open, and knowledge-based society. Within the faculty, there are three departments where a total of approximately 420 people work.

The Department of Education and Arts primarily conducts education within teacher training. The department also houses the Music and Opera Academy, which offers education in music and opera. The research contributes new knowledge within Swedish education, music, and performing arts. The department also hosts the Mälardalen Competence Centre for Learning (MKL), which serves as the region's platform for collaboration regarding school development, teacher education, and research in educational sciences.

Employment Information

• Type of employment: Fixed-term employment
• Duration/Start date: Four years, starting [insert date]
• Extent: Full-time
• Number of positions: 1
• Application deadline: July 7, 2026
• Location: Västerås or Eskilstuna
• Department/Unit: Education and Arts
• Subject of doctoral studies: Didactics

Admission to doctoral studies is regulated by the university's admissions regulations, which consolidate national and local rules applicable for entry to graduate studies at Mälardalen University. Read more about doctoral studies at MDU: https://www.mdu.se/utbildning/forskarutbildning (https://www.mdu.se/utbildning/forskarutbildning).

The study position is combined with full-time employment as a doctoral student during the period of study, which corresponds to four years. Departmental duties may occur during the doctoral period and, where applicable, are not counted towards the four years of doctoral studies.

Job Responsibilities

Do you want to generate new knowledge on how mathematics teaching can be improved and students' mathematics learning promoted?

As a doctoral student in the doctoral school AMTLR (Advancing research on the Mathematics Teaching-Learning Relationship), you will study the connections between teaching and learning in mathematics.

Education and competence development for mathematics teachers can lead to better teaching, provided it is based on a robust understanding of which characteristics of mathematics teaching actually lead to better learning. We also need to know how and why these characteristics promote mathematics learning, so that mathematics teaching can be adapted to different groups of students, new knowledge content, and varying conditions.

Within AMTLR, you will develop your competence to review, design, and conduct research that contributes to answering how and why specific characteristics of mathematics teaching lead to specific types of mathematics learning. You will take a specifically developed course package together with doctoral students at Mälardalen University, Umeå University, and Linnaeus University. The course package covers central aspects of research on the relationship between mathematics teaching and learning. Additionally, you will join a research group conducting research on this relationship at Mälardalen University.

Departmental duties may occur up to 20%, primarily in the form of teaching in mathematics didactics courses within teacher education.

Qualifications

To be admitted to graduate studies, the applicant must have basic eligibility and the specific eligibility required by the subject, as well as be assessed to have the ability otherwise required to benefit from the education.

Basic eligibility for graduate studies (according to Higher Education Act Chapter 7, Section 39) is held by those who:

• have completed a degree at an advanced level,
• have completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits are at an advanced level, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way, within or outside the country.

Specific eligibility for admission to graduate studies in didactics is held by those who:

• have at least 60 higher education credits at an advanced level with educational scientific relevance and
• have completed an independent project equivalent to 15 higher education credits with educational scientific relevance, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way, within or outside the country.

Selection Criteria

This advertisement is abbreviated. To see the full advertisement including selection criteria, go to https://www.mdu.se/om-mdu/jobba-med-oss/lediga-jobb (https://www.mdu.se/om-mdu/jobba-med-oss/lediga-jobb)

Application

You submit your application by clicking the "Apply" button below.

As an applicant, you are responsible for ensuring the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and submitted to the university no later than the application deadline. Documents requested to prove eligibility and materials for merit assessment must be attached to the application. Degree certificates and/or result transcripts must always be attached to the application, and the documents must be officially issued by the educational institution. You must also attach a preliminary research plan containing purpose and research questions, background, project description, and ethical considerations (approx. 5-7 pages in Word). This preliminary research plan should align with the direction of the doctoral school described above and will primarily be used as a basis for discussion during any potential interview. However, it does not necessarily have to constitute your actual research project if you are admitted as a doctoral student.

Submitted documents may be written in Swedish or English. Documents regarding merits (certificates, grades, and degree certificates) in other languages must be translated by an authorized translator into Swedish or English. However, a copy of the original document (if in a language other than the above) must always be attached.

If the admitted student requires a residence permit to reside in Sweden and pursue their studies, and the studies require physical presence at Mälardalen University, the university reserves the right to revoke the admission decision if the admitted student cannot present a valid residence permit required for the studies on the date of the start of studies.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Union Representatives:

Saco-S: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Susanne Meijer, ST-OFR/S, tel: 021-10 14 89

We decline all contact with salespeople of advertisements. We have made our strategic choices for this recruitment.