Are you interested in children’s self-views? And are you excited about using developmental science to better understand social problems?

We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate to study achievement inequality through the lens of children’s developing self-views. Achievement inequality is a defining problem of our time. Around the world, children from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds underperform in school relative to children from high-SES backgrounds, even when they have the same level of ability. This project, funded by an NWO Vidi grant, studies the critical role of children’s developing self-views in achievement inequality.

The project examines why children from lower SES backgrounds tend to develop negative views of themselves and their abilities, and how these negative self-views may subsequently perpetuate socioeconomic disparities in educational achievement and mental health (e.g., impostor feelings). To do so, this project will focus on the transactions between children and their teachers.

The PhD candidate will design and conduct research within this project. The PhD candidate will combine different research methods to identify the causes and consequences of teachers’ differential treatment of children from high- and low-SES backgrounds. For example, the candidate will conduct real-life observations and experimental studies on teacher-child interactions. In addition, the candidate will set up a longitudinal study (combined with experience sampling methods) to examine how teacher-chid interactions shape children’s self-views, motivation, and achievement across the transition from elementary to secondary school. The candidate will have the opportunity and autonomy to design their own research, together with their supervisors.

The PhD project will be part of Eddie Brummelman’s KiDLAB, which is part of the Developmental Psychopathology programme group of the Research Institute of Child Development and Education at the University of Amsterdam. KiDLAB aims to create an inclusive environment for diverse students.

The project is approximately 5 years (58 months), for 30.4 hours per week (0.8fte). The latest possible starting date is September 1, 2024. If the candidate can start sooner, that is possible. You will be supervised by Dr. Eddie Brummelman (University of Amsterdam) and Dr. Stefanie Nelemans (Utrecht University).

Your primary tasks will be

• Designing and conducting observational, experimental, and longitudinal studies in childhood;
• Integrating theories and methods from developmental psychology, social psychology, pedagogics, educational science, and sociology;
• Using advanced statistical methods to process and analyze data;
• Recruiting schools, teachers, parents, and children;
• Writing international peer-reviewed scientific papers;
• Working in a collaborative team;
• Presenting your work at conferences for academics, policy makers, and educators.

We are looking for a dedicated candidate who is eager to conduct basic/fundamental research on the psychology of achievement inequality in childhood and who is excited about making societal contributions. The candidate must thrive in a collaborative environment that calls for autonomy, creativity, and commitment.

Your experience and profile

• You hold a master’s degree in psychology, pedagogics, sociology, educational science, or an associated field. If you completed your master’s degree in the Netherlands, we have a preference for a research master, although this is not a requirement;
• You have strong interest in quantitative research;
• You are motivated to design and conduct your own quantitative research;
• You have excellent quantitative data-analysis skills or you are interested in acquiring these skills;
• You have excellent writing and presentation skills in English;
• You enjoy working in a team of ambitious researchers.

Because the project involves intensive data collection at schools, mastering the Dutch language is an advantage. Please note that this is not a requirement, because excellent candidates who do not speak Dutch may be able to collect data with the assistance of Dutch-speaking students.

• A position in which initiative and input are highly valued;
• An enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues;
• An inspiring academic and international working environment, in the heart of Amsterdam.

The position concerns temporary employment of 30.4 hours per week for a maximum term of 58 months (approximately 5 years). The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances this term will be extended by a maximum of 46 months, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. Together with you, your supervisors will put together a curriculum that will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. You will also have the opportunity to teach bachelor’s and master’s students.

Your salary will be €2.770 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3.539 in the final 2 years, based on full-time employment (38 hours per week) and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.

The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.

About the faculty
A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The social and behavioral sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.