Post-Doc Researchers (JUNIOR FUND)

Address for submitting applications:

Faculty of Education Department for Research and Scientific Activities, contact person: Bc. Eliška Šmerdová


  • Important UPDATE!

    CUNI rules for issuing the ITIC card: "A card with an ITIC license can be issued to a maximum of one employee for a given period." If you are accepted as a post-doc - researcher (according to the project Assessment of Student Teachers at the End of Undergraduate Teacher Training) you are not eligible for this type of a card since you are not an academic staff. You therefore managed as a scientific - non-academic worker, due to the fact that you did not pass the selection procedure according to the Rules of the VŘ UK, post-docs cannot vote in the academic senate, or are not entitled to the ITIC card). Already issued rules and measures seen e.g., from the Rector since September 1, 2021 to define the term postdoc, which implies that postdoc can be both academic and non-academic staff (eg accepted for a project): Introduction and definition of the term "postdoctoral student" at Charles University https://cuni.cz/UK-11154.htmlhttps://cuni.cz/UK-3887.html

  • Newly created web for post-doc applicants and info related to post-doc agenda is: https://cuni.cz/uk-11118.html

  • New web for incoming students https://www.studycharles.cz/, more useful links (see the bottom of the page)

  • offers of postdoc support


Open calls for 2025

Post-Doctoral Fellowships http://www.cuni.cz/UKEN-178.html

Postdoctoral positions are open at Charles University from January 1st, 2025 to December 31st, 2026.

The candidates have to respect the deadlines given in the propositions of the research centre/institute. Faculty of Education deadline: 28. 7. 2024 23:59:59 GMT+1

Application form + annex send to contact person Faculty of Education


The applicant should provide the following documents:

Application for Junior Grant at Charles University (.docx) (only scan .pdfs with your signature can be accepted)

Letter of Reference (.docx)

• Detailed CV

• List of publications

• Copy of university diploma (PhD.) *note that applicants must submit the sueprlegalised/verified/apostle copy of PhD diploma before the faculty deadline!


send all the documentation to the faculty officer


Schedule for JUNIOR FUND (post-doc researchers)

13.6.2024 - Projects 2024 for research period 1. 1. 2025 - 31. 12. 2026 are announced on the website: List of post-doc positions at Charles University.


faculty deadline 28.7.2024 - Deadline for submitting application documents to the faculty coordinators/supervisors of projects. The exact date is specified for each project. The candidates must respect the deadlines given in the propositions of the faculty in the list of post-doc positions.


September 2024 - The definitive allocation of funds (results of the University committee's session) is approved by the Rector. Faculties are informed about the final results of the comittee selection and inform their candidate





Research Topics for 2024

Winning candidates for 2023-2025:

Duration of stay 1. 1. 2024 – 31. 12. 2025

Allen Espinosa, Ph.D.



1. Fostering pre-service teachers’ science process skills

Workplace: Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Education (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Martin Rusek, Ph.D. –

Science education researchers have, recently been focusing on science experiments’ role in science education. Since there is a lack of evidence about experiments’ real added value in the process, methods of students’ science process skills’ fostering are necessary to be described closer. The post-doc researcher’s topic is to map pre-service teachers’ skills when entering science laboratory as well as their skills’ improvement in reaction to common lab tasks. Their progression on the lab works will be recorded by a set of cameras, later in the project eye-tracking goggles will be used too. It is expected the post-doc will join the department members in their research activities, will be responsible for data collection, analysis as well as its presentation and publication.


2. Pedagogically Productive Talk Among University Teachers: Learning Through Dialogie

Workplace: Department of Pre-Primary and Primary Education

Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Jana Stará, Ph.D. -

The Department of Pre-Primary and Primary Education in the Faculty of Education offers a postdoctoral position in the area of research on pedagogically productive conversation among university teachers and their learning through dialogue. The research focuses on conversations among university teachers and examines how the concept of pedagogically productive talk is used in these conversations. Pedagogically productive conversation is a collaborative discourse among teachers that combines six principles that involve socializing teachers into productive ways of talking and thinking about practice, a disposition to reflect on and improve practice, and a commitment to student learning and teaching excellence (Lefstein et al., 2020). The research may include both quantitative and qualitative research and targeted questioning through surveys and structured interviews. Researching and improving teachers' pedagogical competencies plays a key role, especially in improving the quality of teaching and learning in higher education (Kaynardağ, 2017), so we perceive a high relevance of the project.


3. Educational and School Psychology

Workplace: Department of Psychology

Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Irena Smetáčková, Ph.D. -

The Department of Psychology is strongly focused on mechanisms of school learning and underlying processes relevant to educational and school psychology. Our research projects focus on different groups of actors (students, teachers, parents, school psychologists, etc.) and on different topics (cognition, communication, identity, development etc.).

Many students have a difficult background or get in trouble during schooling. They face a variety of challenges related to their cognition and emotions, self-esteem, social relationships, and developmental needs. This places also great demands on adults inside (teachers, headmasters, school counselors) and outside the school (parents, local authorities, etc.) who need to be educated and supported. Psychology can help address this challenging situation.

As the Department of Psychology, we welcome proposals for postdoc projects that would suit the above focus and complement the existing research developed by our team. Proposals should seek to describe the current needs of schools and their actors, name critical areas, analyze their changes and formulate appropriate recommendations that would increase the effectiveness of learning and teaching. The research proposals can focus on students (different subgroups as socially disadvantaged, with specific cultural backgrounds, mentally challenged, learning disabled, gifted, etc.), teachers or parents (their attitudes, competencies, identities, or practices), or it can combine these groups of actors.

The range of topics from current research projects at the Department of Psychology on which Postdoc projects might concentrate (but not necessarily only):

· learning and metacognition

· psychological factors in school success and failure

· social climate in groups

· parental regulation of risky behavior, e.g. overuse of digital technologies

· teacher professional development, enhancing self-reflection

· student well-being, belonging, and social identity

· gender identity and sexual orientation

· neurodiversity in education


4. Contextualized secondary data analysis of international large scale assessment data (e.g. PISA, TIMSS)

Workplace: Institute for Research and Development of Education

Supervisor: Dr. David Greger., IRDE director

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs - namely PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, ICCs, TALIS, PIAAC) provide a unique source of data freely available for analysis and allowing international comparisons. Handling such data requires a substantive methodological knowledge, e.g. how to work properly with complex designs, use replication weights, properly work with plausible values, etc. We look for a post-doc with experience and good knowledge of working with such data, ideally using Mplus or R software for multilevel and/or structural equation modelling. Yet substantive quantitative knowledge needs to be backed up with knowledge of educational policy and country specific information, which allows to formulate policy-relevant research question for comparison. We offer the high knowledge of Central and Eastern European Countries and context for analysis of policy relevant issues based on the available ILSAs data which shall be the main emphasis of post-doc work. Also, data from ILSAs in post-Socialist countries are often not sufficiently analysed due to lack of researchers and methodological knowledge. The analysis could be oriented, but is not limited to, the following topics: the effects of early tracking, Big Fish Little Pond Effect, relationship between motivation and self-concept and achievement, socio-economic inequalities, rural-urban differences, gender inequity, class composition and peer effects, teacher quality and teacher beliefs. Applicant shall choose one or two topics to specify in their post-doc application project proposal.




Research Topics for 2023

winning candidates for 2022-2024:

duration of stay 1. 1. 2023 – 31. 12. 2024

Guilherme Stecca Marcom, Ph.D.



1. Communicative strategies in mother tongue textbooks

Workplace: Department of Czech language (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Pavla Chejnová, Ph.D. –

The way the textbook addresses the student influences the whole learning process. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse how the authors of the textbooks formulate their instructions, evaluations and forms of address in the mother tongue textbooks. Communication is the process between the author’s intention (illocutionary force) and the addressee’s interpretation (perlocutionary effect). The authors have the best intentions but the students’ interpretation may be different than expected. The post-doc researcher’s topic would be to analyse the communicative strategies used in their mother tongue textbooks and their impact on readers. The analysis will be based on the pragmatic linguistics paradigm and speech act theory. Politeness strategies and directness of speech acts will be analysed in detail.


2. "Good question" in mathematics and science education

Workplace: Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Education (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

Supervisor: doc. Antonín Jančařík, Ph.D. – antonin.jancarik@pedf.cuni.cz

Communication plays a crucial role in mathematics and science education. One of the methods to support creative and analytical thinking is the Good questions method. Good questions are a specific type of open question that must meet the following criteria (Sullivan and Lilburn, 2010): a) there exist several answers that can be accepted; b) more than a mere reference to known facts is required; c) discussion is provoked; c) includes a motivational function in lifelong education; d) students may learn something when they answer it and/or discuss it; and, e) teachers can learn something about their pupils from the pupils' answers. The method of Good Questions is developed by a team of experts from the Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Education and the Department of Biology and Environmental Studies. We look for a postdoc with experience in qualitative research.


3. Educational and School Psychology

Workplace: Department of Psychology (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Irena Smetáčková, Ph.D. - irena.smetackova@pedf.cuni.cz

The Department of Psychology is strongly focused on mechanisms of school learning and underlying processes relevant to educational and school psychology. Our research projects focus on different groups of actors (students, teachers, parents, school psychologists, etc.) and on different 0topics (cognition, communication, identity, development, the conceptualization of failure and success, etc.). Many students have a difficult background or get in trouble during schooling. They face a variety of challenges related to their cognition and emotions, self-esteem, social relationships, and developmental needs. This places also great demands on adults inside (teachers, headmasters, school counselors) and outside the school (parents, local authorities, etc.) who need to be educated and supported. Psychology can help address this challenging situation. As the Department of Psychology, we welcome proposals for postdoc projects that would suit the above focus and complement the existing research developed by our team. Proposals should seek to describe the current needs of schools and their actors, name critical areas, analyze their changes and formulate appropriate recommendations that would increase the effectiveness of learning and teaching. The research proposals can focus on students (different subgroups as socially disadvantaged, with specific cultural background, mentally challenged, learning disabled, gifted, etc.), teachers or parents (their attitudes, competencies, identities, or practices), or it can combine these groups of actors.



winning candidates for 2022-2024:

duration of stay 1. 1. 2022 – 31. 12. 2023

Gamze Korbek, Ph.D.


Research Topics:

1. Contextualized secondary data analysis of international large scale assessment data (e.g. PISA, TIMSS)

Workplace: Institute of Rescearch and Development in Education (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

Supervisor: David Greger, Ph.D. - IRDE director david.greger@pedf.cuni.cz

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs - namely PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, ICCs, TALIS, PIAAC) provide a unique source of data freely available for analysis and allowing international comparisons. Handling such data requires a substantive methodological knowledge, e.g. how to work properly with complex designs, use replication weights, properly work with plausible values, etc. We look for a postdoc with experience and good knowledge of working with such data, ideally using Mplus or R software for multilevel and/or structural equation modelling. Yet substantive quantitative knowledge needs to be backed up with knowledge of educational policy and country specific information, which allows to formulate policy-relevant research question for comparison. We offer the high knowledge of Central and Eastern European Countries and context for analysis of policy relevant issues based on the available ILSAs data which shall be the main emphasis of postdoc work. Also, data from ILSAs in post-Socialist countries are often not sufficiently analysed due to lack of researchers and methodological knowledge. The analysis could be oriented, but is not limited to, the following topics: the effects of early tracking, Big Fish Little Pond Effect, relationship between motivation and self-concept and achievement, socio-economic inequalities, rural-urban differences, gender inequity, class composition and peer effects, teacher quality and teacher beliefs. Applicant shall choose one or two topics to specify in their postdoc application project proposal.


2. Combining theory and practice at teachers' training

Workplace: Department of Primary and Pre-priamry Education (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

Supervisor: doc. Jana Stará, Ph.D. – head of department jana.stara@pedf.cuni.cz

Combining theory and practice at teachers' training Pedagogical practices that combine theory with practice are necessary in order to promote a high-quality teacher education. Although this is a well-known fact in educational theory, students often identify practice only regarding the teaching practice classes. The Department of Pre-primary and Primary Education is on its path to improve classes and assessment methodologies and is looking for a postdoc researcher with teaching and researching experience to enhance its efforts. It will be the task of the postdoc employee to deeply analyze the current situation from teachers' and students' perspectives and design and conduct an intervention study to embed the effective combination of educational theory and practice.


3. "Good question" in mathematics and science education

Workplace: Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Education (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

Supervisor: doc. Antonín Jančařík, Ph.D.antonin.jancarik@pedf.cuni.cz

Communication plays a crucial role in mathematics and science education. One of the methods to support creative and analytical thinking is the Good questions method. Good questions are a specific type of open question that must meet the following criteria (Sullivan and Lilburn, 2010): a) there exist several answers that can be accepted; b) more than a mere reference to known facts is required; c) discussion is provoked; c) includes a motivational function in lifelong education; d) students may learn something when they answer it and/or discuss it; and, e) teachers can learn something about their pupils from the pupils' answers. The method of Good Questions is developed by a team of experts from the Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Education and the Department of Biology and Environmental Studies. We look for a postdoc with experience in qualitative research.



winning candidates for 2021-2022:

duration of stay 1. 1. 2021 – 31. 12. 2022

• Juliana Crespo Lopes, PhD.

• Samet Okumus, PhD.

Onboarding seminar 2021

winning candidate for 2020-2021:

duration of stay 1. 1. 2020 – 31. 12. 2021

• Jo-Yu Lee, PhD.


Research Topics:

Title of the research project:

1. Professional vision of future teachers (noticing and knowledge-based reasoning)

Pre-service teachers must develop a range of skills, including a certain type of noticing skill that is different from lay people's skills. When observing a lesson, either live or on video, they are expected to notice aspects of the lesson that are deemed important for the development of pupils' knowledge. Yet the complexity of a lesson is such that if they direct attention to something, they do so at the expense of something else. Much research has been undertaken in recent years focusing on what it is that student teachers do and do not notice in a lesson, how they make sense of it and how their professional vision (noticing ability and knowledge-based reasoning) can be developed. We have used and investigated an impact of reflection-based programmes such as Lesson Study and video-clubs. Thus, we offer a cooperation on research aimed at reflection-based teacher education in general and on the possibilities of video-based courses for the development of professional vision in particular. Possible subjects are mathematics, English language teaching as a second language, art teaching, biology, elementary science etc.

Workplace: Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Education (Faculty of Education, Charles University)

winning candidate: Samet Okumus, PhD.



Title of the research project:

3. Assessment of Student Teachers at the End of Undergraduate Teacher Training

Undergraduate teacher training plays an important role in the long-term process of becoming a teacher. At the end of the training, it is necessary to assess the qualification of individual students for the teacher profession and simultaneously provide students with formative feedback to help them continue with their further education in the desired direction. The Department of Pre-primary and Primary Education has long been asking itself how to adequately combine these two needs. On the one hand, we develop and verify tools for assessing students during their final continuous practice, and on the other hand, we verify innovated methods of testing in state final examinations. It will be the task of the post doc employee to find out how the actors themselves (both examiners in state final exams and students) and independent experts evaluate assessment models that are currently used. Concurrently, a longitudinal study will be established with the intention of finding out how the evaluation at the end of the studies at the Faculty of Education corresponds to the subjectively perceived success of teacher graduates after two and five years of practice in education. We have so far organized a series of professional seminars concerning the topic and furthermore we consulted the topic with Dr. Jane Jones (King's College London), who has been dealing with the evaluation of students and students in teacher training for a long time and will collaborate on the research.

winning candidate: Juliana Crespo Lopes, PhD.


winning candidates for 2018-2020:

duration of stay 1. 1. 2018 – 31. 12. 2020

• Hasan Selcuk, Ph.D.

Title of the research project:

The anchoring vignette method in educational research

Self-assessment questions are used often in survey research. A direct comparison of countries or different socioeconomic groups based on answers to such questions may lead to an incorrect conclusion about the respondents’ actual situation. One of the reasons may be that respondents from different groups use the response scale in different ways (for example, two pupils with the same knowledge can assess their knowledge differently, one as excellent and another only as good).

The anchoring vignette method solves the problem by letting respondents evaluate both their situations and hypothetical situations of other people (anchoring vignettes). Since the hypothetical situations is invariant over respondents, the differences in their evaluations of the hypothetical situation may be interpreted as the differences in their use of response scale. This is then used to adjust (anchor) their self-assessments. Currently, the anchoring vignette method starts to have an increasing importance in international education research.

This project for post-doctoral applicants will be focusing on the use of anchoring vignette methods in the field of digital literacy of students.

We are looking for individuals with outstanding research potential and a strong commitment to excellence in educational research. The post-doc applicant is expected to have expertise in statistical data processing, educational research methodology, and preferably also professional competency in information and communication technology.



Important living costs for applicants

Salary deductibles

Considering your salary to be a full time 1,0 workload for caterory researcher type VP2, that is 29 400 CZK gross salary per calendar month, the deductables are the following:

The social insurance rates for employees are 6.5%, for employers 24.8%, a total of 31.3% of gross wages. The insurance is paid monthly. The employer is obliged to pay health insurance for the employee. The employer's health insurance rates are 9%, the employee pays 4.5%, a total of 13.5% of the gross salary.

For approximate calculation of your nett salary n the Czech Republic you can use this online calculator.*


Accommodation

All Charles University students can live at Charles University Dormitories (approx. CZK 80 - 180 per night, CZK 290 per night for high standard rooms). For reservation you can contact directly the Reservation department at: accommodation@kam.cuni.cz .

Average Living costs per year

Food (2,000 – 3,000 €)

Accommodation (dormitory - 1,770 €)

Books (university libraries for free) (158 €)

Public transportation (135 €)

+ Health insurance

+ Visa, admin fee, student ID card, recognition of secondary education

+ Entertainment, winter clothes etc.

------------------------------

Total (average): 5,100 € per year


Private housing

The prices of accommodation vary considerably according to size, occupancy, quality and location. It is not difficult to find private accommodation in our university cities. For a 2-bedroom flat (two rooms and kitchen) situated in the centre of Prague you can pay about CZK 12,000 – 20,000. It can be half as expensive in Pilsen and Hradec Králové.

However, please take into account that it is not so easy to find short-term rentals. Not all landlords are willing to sign tenancy agreements for less than 12 months, but many agencies are providing living units for a short stay (renting a room - pronájem pokoje / renting an apartment - pronájem bytu).

more information regarding admissions/onboarding


Tax returns

Anyone living and working in the Czech Republic, Czech or foreigner, is required to pay income tax. Tax returns (daňové přiznání) must be filed by those with an active trade licence (self-employed), employees with other income in an amount over CZK 6,000 and unemployed persons with capital gain, rent or other income in an amount over CZK 15,000 per year. To be eligable for a yearly tax refund just simply fill in your personal data in the form below and tick the "Personal tax allowance (letter a)" option. ´after filling the form you simply have to submit the signed original to Ms. Průšová of the economy department at , or your officer at the department of Science

VIDEO ABOUT INCOME IN CZECH REPUBLIC FOR INCOMING POST-DOCS

form to submit to the economy department

avanced instructions

general information about Czech Republic tax return system


*Students are in Czech Social security system regarded as citizens up to 26 years of age only. Your work/student status as a postdoc can be internationaly recognised in other ways than in social security deductible.


Useful links:




Postdoctoral package for sucesful applicants:


A. Rectorate´s  Financial Support

- Onetime relocation Arrival Bonus 25000 Kč for those who come to Praha, Plzeň, Hradec Králové from another place because of the postdoc employment;

- Paid extra activities for the university on top of your everyday postdoc schedule (max. 10 hours a month for max. 5000 Czech Koruna) after the agreement of your superior;

- Monthly financial support including paid courses of your choosing and translation of websites/texts on the faculty that you need as a postdoc.

https://cuni.cz/UK-11483.html

https://cuni.cz/UKEN-1512.html


B. Other University Opportunities

- News on courses relevant for postdocs on website Postdoctoral Hub https://cuni.cz/UKEN-1436.html ;

- Offer of teaching in an already existing course at the university (please check information at your faculty);

- Offer of teaching your own course/individual lecture (please check information at your faculty).


C. Counselling

- Contacts to the postdoc coordinator at your faculty;

- Contact to the rectorate – Department of Science and Research;

- Contacts to Staff Welcome Center/Counselling services at the rectorate.

https://cuni.cz/UKEN-1147.html

https://cuni.cz/UKEN-189.html


D. Campus Hybernská and Join the Debate platform

- Shared space with Doctoral Platform intended to organize small conferences, workshops, debates, co-work

https://phd.cuni.cz/PHDEN-175.html

- Take part in the „Join the Debate“ platform at Campus Hybernská with successful postdocs and become the main speaker as well




Last change: February 29, 2024 14:32 
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