The Department of Special Education: Cognitive & Motor Disabilities is looking for a motivated and goal-oriented PhD candidate, who will investigate how teacher-child interactions influence children’s executive function (EF) development from toddlerhood to early adolescence. EFs (such as working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility) are tremendously important for children’s success in school, social interaction and mental health. Although evidence suggests that teacher-child interactions shape the development of EFs in preschool children, studies on this topic in older children are scarce. Also, it is still unclear which aspects of teacher-child interactions are relevant, and which aspects of EF are affected most. The project aims to examine:

1. Which aspects of teacher-child interaction affect EFs?
2. Are different EFs differentially influenced by teacher-child interaction, and how?
3. For which children are the effects of teacher-child interaction on EF most pronounced?
4. Which underlying mechanisms explain the relation between teacher-child interaction and EF development?

The PhD candidate will conduct advanced statistical analyses (e.g., multilevel latent growth analysis) on existing data from 3 available longitudinal datasets (dataset 1: toddlerhood; dataset 2: primary school; dataset 3: transition to secondary school), conduct new observational coding of videos on teacher-student interactions and set up new experimental microstudies to examine direct effects of teacher behaviors on behavioral manifestations of child EF.

Read more about the project here (.pdf).

Job tasks/responsibilities

• Conducting the research (literature research, analyzing large data sets, designing microstudies, recruiting teachers, collecting and analyzing new data, reporting the results), resulting in international scientific publications and a dissertation.
• To present results at national and international scientific conferences.
• Teaching (max. 10%) in one of the Pedagogical Sciences Bachelor and/or Master programmes.
• Active participation in the research group of the project and of the Department.
• Ambition to collaborate with (inter)national partners and to pay visits to these partners.

We are looking for someone who:

• holds (or nearly holds) a Master’s degree in Educational Sciences, Pedagogical Sciences, Developmental Psychology, or a related field, preferably with a Research Master’s degree and a specialisation in cognitive development or teacher-student interactions;
• has good social skills;
• is effective and efficient, and able to think conceptually;
• is able to meet deadlines, and conduct research independently and as part of a team;
• has good communication skills (written and oral) in English;
• is fluent in Dutch, to be able to assist in the data collection with teachers and children and the coding of teacher-child interaction videos;
• preferably has experience in working with teachers and (young) children;
• has strong statistical skills, and preferably experience with multilevel and/or latent growth analysis.

We offer a temporary position of 0.8 or 1.0 FTE for one year, starting preferably October 1, 2019. Upon a positive performance, the appointment will be extended for four (with a 0.8 FTE appointment) or three (with a 1.0 FTE appointment) further years. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranges between €2,325 and €2,972 (scale P according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) gross per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, (partly paid) parental leave, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at our website: working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

Utrecht is a young and vibrant city with a large academic population, around 30 minutes south of Amsterdam. It combines a beautiful old city centre with a modern university. Utrecht has an excellent quality of life, with plenty of green space and a strong bicycle culture.

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is one of the leading Faculties in Europe providing research and academic teaching in Interdisciplinary Social Science, Cultural Anthropology, Educational Sciences, Pedagogical Sciences, Psychology, and Sociology. More than 5,600 students are enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programmes. The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has some 850 faculty and staff members, all providing their individual contribution to the training and education of young talent and to the research into and finding solutions for scientific and societal issues.