Research Fellow, Sydney School of Education

• Part-time (0.4 FTE), 12 months fixed term
• Opportunity to contribute to research which aims toprovide a process to examine the predictive validity of Teaching Performance Assessments (TPA)
• Base Salary $113,184 pro-rata + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The Sydney School of Education and Social Work is seeking a Research Fellow to support the research project titled “What’s the Evidence” funded from the Building the Evidence Research Fund by NSW Department of Education. The Research Fellow will work alongside the Chief Investigators (Professor Alyson Simpson and Associate Professor Wayne Cotton) on all aspects of the project as well as collaborate with other team members. A significant portion of time will be allocated to assisting CIs in managing and implementing empirical work as part of the staged research design.

Project Summary

The NSW Department of Education funded (2021-2023), ‘What’s the Evidence’ (WtE) project aims to provide a process to examine the predictive validity of Teaching Performance Assessments (TPA), in this instance the Assessment for Graduate Teaching (or AfGT). The project aims to disrupt the taken-for-granted measurements of professional standards that focus on teaching by considering representations of teacher quality.

The study incorporates four phases making use of distinctively different methodologies. The first phase involved a scoping literature review that explores literature from 2011 to 2021 to provide a list of indicators of teacher quality. This phase is complete with a publication out for review. The second phase adopts a 2-round modified Delphi process to gain expert consensus on the list of indicators of teacher quality extracted through the review. This phase is underway. The third phase will create a viable set of the indicator measurement tools extracted from the scoping review. This phase is underway. The fourth phase will use the tool to collect data from teachers who undertook the AfGT at two urban universities in NSW to measure alignment of the TPA with evidence of teacher quality indicators. It is predicted this phase will commence in 2023.

The WtE study contributions to the field will:

• reframe existing dialogue about the profession
• build a new, robust, and extensive literature base that will inform the profession
• provide the means to holistically profile teacher quality
• and assess the predictive validity of the AfGT.

About you

• completed PhD in relevant field
• research background in teacher education or related fields
• experience in the management and implementation of similar research projects, including supervising and managing teams, leading preparations for, and execution of, fieldwork, drafting ethics applications, writing reports, and contributing to other non-scholarly outputs and research papers
• high-level communication, networking and organisational skills, and maturity to build and maintain effective working relationships with high profile educational leaders as well as teachers and other research participants, chief investigators, and research assistants.
• experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis
• familiarity with the Australian preservice and in-service teacher education systems
• demonstrated initiative to address challenges

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Sponsorship / work rights forAustralia

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Australian Temporary Residents currently employed at the University of Sydney may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

This position is designated as involving child-related work. To undertake or remain in this position, you are required to apply for and obtain a Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values include diversity and inclusion and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community which reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this commitment through our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People , women , people living with a disability , people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds , and those who identify as LGBTIQ . We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

How to apply

Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For role and project specific enquiries, please contact Professor Alyson Simpson via [email protected] .

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Paulina Rojas/Nicole Feain, Recruitment Operations by email to [email protected]

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Applications Close

Sunday 06 November 2022 11:59 PM