The research group Language, Education & Society is a dynamic research group dedicated to the study of language learning in multilingual contexts. The research carried out within our research group aims to unravel the interaction between (1) the learner, (2) the learner’s social and educational background, and (3) language learning or content-and-language integrated learning in multicultural educational contexts.
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Project
This PhD study is part of the interdisciplinary research project SCALE (an SBO study financed by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research). The main ambition of the project is to investigate in which ways school-based and curriculum-wide professional development initiatives (PDI) contribute to effective reading and writing instruction in Flemish secondary education. Three specific research goals are put forward, namely to investigate (1) how school-based and curriculum-wide PDI's can impact the school culture and joint leadership in education; (2) how teachers of all subjects can develop their expertise (knowledge, skills, beliefs, competence) regarding reading and writing instruction across the curriculum; and 3) how coaches can support school teams in implementing innovations in reading and writing instruction.
In this project 3 PhD students (2 at Gent University and 1 at KU Leuven) will work together, with each PhD student focusing on one of the specific research goals. To answer the research questions, a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methods will be used. The project is expected to lead to instruments and tools that can be used by school teams in secondary education.
Profile
· You hold a master's degree of Linguistics, Language and Literature, Applied Linguistics, or a master's degree of Educational or Pedagogical Sciences.
· You have followed a teacher education program at master's level (this is not strictly required, but particularly for masters in linguistics and languages, this is an added value).
· You have acquired knowledge about, and have a keen interest in, language education (in particular reading and writing instruction) or education in general (in particular professional development initiatives for teachers).
· You can work together with other researchers in a team.
· You have excellent writing and speaking skills, in Dutch and English.
· You have gained some knowledge about research methods and are prepared to extend your expertise in this regard.
· You are motivated to attend international conferences and to work on international publications.
Offer
We offer you:
· a initial contract (as a PhD student) for 12 months, which can be extended with another 36 months after a positive evaluation;
· the chance to work on an exciting PhD project with societal relevance;
· a warm and supportive workplace at the Centre for Language and Education (Leuven), which is affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and where you will become a member of the research team;
· the support of your supervisors and the co-supervisors of the SCALE-project;
· the chance to follow a doctoral training program at the Faculty of Arts (KU Leuven).
Interested?
Please send us:
- a CV with a description of the degrees and diplomas you hold (max. 2 pages)
- a letter in English describing your motivation to carry out this study
- a copy of the required diploma.
After a first selection round on the basis of CV's and motivation letters, the selected candidates will be invited to participate in an interview with the SCALE supervisors (beginning of July 2026).
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Kris Van den Branden, mail: [email protected].
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