Research Fellow

Location: Flexible, within commuting distance of one of our campuses in London, Birmingham, Blackburn, Doncaster, Redcar and Bristol

About Us

The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) aims to be a global leader in improving teacher professional development through rigorous, impactful, and cutting-edge school-led research. Our Research and Best Practice (RBP) team plays a key role in this mission, as we work to feed our research findings into our programs, test approaches to delivery, and respond to the needs and questions of our partner organisations in the wider education sector.

As a Research Fellow at NIoT, you will have the opportunity to work with a team of dedicated professionals on cutting-edge research that has the potential to shape the future of teacher education and professional development. If you are passionate about education research and are looking for an exciting new opportunity, we encourage you to apply.

About the Role

The RBP team is recruiting a Research Fellow to join our team and play a crucial role in the generation of high-quality and useful evidence on effective teacher professional development. You will work alongside the Head of Evaluation to design and implement primary research in collaboration with the Programmes team at the NIoT. The role also includes opportunities to manage primary research projects, to conduct quantitative and/or qualitative analyses, to liaise with stakeholders in teacher education (e.g., academics, schools, teachers, policymakers), to produce high-quality written outputs for academic audiences and policymakers, and to generate and sustain research-practice dialogues with schools and teachers using generated evidence. In addition to being a specialist in designing and conducting primary research (qualitative and/or quantitative), you will be an innovative and practice-minded researcher who strives to make cutting-edge research relevant, engaging, and useful for practitioners in teacher education.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement quantitative and/or qualitative research projects
• Project manage data collection in educational settings, working closely with education stakeholders and collaborators
• Conduct quantitative and/or qualitative analyses
• Prepare high-quality written outputs, such as reports, presentations, and academic papers
• Design dissemination resources and activities for a range of audiences
• Communicate and liaise with the Programmes team at NIoT, school staff, and other education stakeholders throughout the project life cycle

Essential Criteria

• Master’s degree in social science, education, research methods, or other relevant field
• Experience designing and conducting quantitative and/or qualitative research projects
• Experience working in or with educational settings
• Experience delivering on collaborative projects against tight timelines
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• Excellent organisation skills and attention to detail
• Commitment to the aims of the NIoT

Desirable criteria

• A doctoral degree or equivalent
• Experiencing designing and/or managing impact evaluations
• Experience conducting mixed-methods research

This is an exciting opportunity for researchers looking to make a tangible and immediate impact on practice, and who wish to utilise their skills and expertise to design and conduct primary research on topics most relevant to teachers and teacher educators, and engage in dialogues with practitioners based on new and cutting-edge evidence. This is an opportunity to grow your skills as an independent and innovative researcher.

Further Information

We think a wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you to be successful in this role. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities.

This post is a full-time position (with opportunities available for a part-time role) and will be offered on an indefinite contract.

Key benefits available to all National Institute of Teaching staff

• Flexible start and end working times (core hours between 10am and 4pm)
• Flexible working opportunities
• 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays)
• Local Government Pension Scheme

Closing date: 11:59pm, 7th Jul 2023 BST

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.