As a Postdoc Researcher, you will work on the project “The use of digital tools to enhance mathematical thinking in secondary mathematics education”. In collaboration with the “Digital turn in epistemology” project and the “Digital Math Environment” project, you will investigate the ways in which digital technology may be used to foster mathematical thinking in secondary education. Theoretical backgrounds will include views on abstraction and scheme development in the field of mathematics, theories on embodied cognition, and instrumental approaches to tool use and duo’s of artefacts. Methods will include laboratory studies in the university’s Teaching and Learning Lab, possibly scaled up to whole-class settings. Mathematical topics will be chosen, for example within the fields of algebra and analysis.

In addition to your research tasks, you will contribute to the institute’s teaching duties for 10-20% of the time, e.g., through teaching a course and/or through supervising master students.

• Phd in Mathematics Education, Educational Science, Cognitive Science, Educational Psychology, or Mathematics;
• A thorough knowledge of educational research methodology, including both quantitive and qualitive methods;
• Proven experience in mathematics education research;
• A thorough knowledge of mathematics didactics for secondary education;
• Affinity with the use of digital technology in mathematics education;
• Ability to perform and publish high quality research, demonstrated for instance by a strong publication record in international peer-reviewed journals;
• Excellent level of written and spoken English.

The candidate is offered a full-time position for 3 years. The gross salary is in the range between €3,111 and maximum €4,084 (scale P Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. The salary is supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8,3% per year. We offer a pension scheme, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at: 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 (UU), the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old centre and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its century-old university. Utrecht city has been consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the Netherlands.

The Faculty of Science consists of six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 5600 students and nearly 1500 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty's academic programmes reflect developments in today's society.

The Freudenthal Institute (FI) is a part of the Mathematics Department of the Faculty of Science of UU. Together with partners both within and outside the UU the FI makes an important contribution to innovation and improvement of science and mathematics education in the Netherlands. The mission of the FI is to contribute to high-quality education in science and mathematics through education research and valorisation. Successful innovation of science education depends on cooperation and sharing of knowledge between teachers, developers, support staff and other stakeholders along the developmental chain at both national and regional levels. As part of the Science Faculty of UU the FI aims to play a central part in this. The main focus of the activities of the FI is on continuous learning trajectories in secondary, higher and post-initial education.

The FI consists of the Research group for mathematics and science education, the History and Philosophy of Science group (HPS) and U-Talent. We believe in the importance of strengthening and connecting the expertise of the various groups, and thereby raising the value of the institute within the field of science education. To achieve this, the FI cooperates with the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FSW, COLUU) on continuous learning trajectories.