Graduate Research Assistantship In Education

The School of Education, University of Leicester, is offering a funded Graduate Research Assistantship for January 2016 entry to its Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme.Graduate Research Assistantships allow research students to fund their PhD through part-time research support work with the University.A Graduate Research Assistant is responsible to the Head of School and is expected to undertake research-related duties within the School - not normally exceeding eight hours per week - while undertaking research leading to a PhD.Approximately 80% of their time will be spent on their doctoral research and 20% on their GRA responsibilities. Training is provided to help Graduate Research Assistants develop their research related skills and enhance their professional competencies.

Research Areas:

• Pupil voice and participation
• Teachers' professional learning
• Educational leadership and school improvement
• Developing processes and practices of stakeholder participation through educational systems leadership
• Challenges of leading Higher Education Institutions/departments in a Globalised context
• The impact of education policy on leadership for cohesive multicultural and engaged communities
• The impact of postgraduate research on professional educationals' practice and identity
• Faith schools
• Leadership and diversity
• Gender and intersectionality
• Islam, Education and Society
• Teachers' lives, careers and experiences
• Language Testing and Assessment
• Second Language Teacher Education
• Second Language Learner and/or Teacher autonomy
• Corpus linguistics: methodology and applications, including teaching applications
• Current and recent linguistic change in English, e.g. grammatical and/or lexical change
• Regional and national varieties of English: including World Englishes, American vs. British English, standard Englishes, and dialects of England
• Inquiry-Based Science and/or Mathematics Education as a theme
• Mature non-traditional students in FE trying to enter HE
• Education policy and social justice

Eligibility: 

• First class or upper second class undergraduate degree or an equivalent overseas qualification in education studies or a relevant subject
• A Masters degree in education studies or a relevant subject is required
• Research experience is required - e.g., through a previous degree or a professional context
• Skills in the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data and in the use of appropriate analysis software such as SPSS and Nvivo.
• Standard English language requirements
• Available to suitable UK/EU and International (i.e., outside the EU) applicants - please note though that the award covers tuition fees at the UK/EU rate only; international applicants (and those not eligible to pay UK/EU tuition fees) must demonstrate at the time of their application that they can fund the difference in tuition fee rates
• Available for full-time registration only
• Applicants must be able to start in January 2016
• Deadline for receipt of applications and all supporting documents is 30 November 2015. Those applicants that have not submitted all the appropriate supporting documents by the deadline will not be considered.
• Interviews will take place at the School of Education between the following dates 7-11 December 2015.