Appointment of a Research Officer– Education Research Centre

The schoolThe School of Education is one of the largest providers of education and training for student teachers, teachers and other professionals in the Higher Education sector. It is dynamic and forward looking, and enjoys a regional, national and international reputation for the quality of its provision.

The school has approximately 2500 students and is supported by a permanent teaching team of more than 70 academic staff and a large number of specialist associate staff. Staff are active and responsive in promoting new developments and ensure that provision is innovative, embraces the principles of widening participation, and is successful in meeting new market demands and government initiatives. Programmes within the school focus predominantly on education, learning and development. All aspects of the school’s portfolio are undertaken collaboratively and in partnership with educational establishments. Current partnerships include:

  • College-wide Initial Teacher Education partnerships with more than 750 schools in Brighton & Hove, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent.
  • Teaching School Alliance and Local Authority partnerships generating the joint development of professional development opportunities arising from government and regional priorities.
  • Lead sponsorship of two academies in Hastings, generating the education vision and assisting in the development of the continuing professional development strategy.
  • Joint delivery of an MA Education and Professional Doctorate with the Mauritius Institute of Education.
  • Employment-based programmes for students undertaking foundation degrees, including collaborative delivery of the Early Years Professional Status qualification.

Thus, the curriculum provided for all students is built upon strong and successful community engagement. Partners contribute to aspects of curriculum development and delivery and university tutors work with students in a wide range of professional settings.

The portfolio of provision is extensive and includes a range of pre- and in-service programmes. These include:

  • outstanding (Ofsted 2010) in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in a wide range of subjects across age phases: BA(Hons Primary Education with QTS; BA (Hons) Key Stage 2/3 Education with QTS; 2-year BA (Hons) Secondary Education with QTS; PGCE Secondary Education; PGCE Post-Compulsory Education and School Direct.
  • foundation degrees in Early Years Care and Education; Youth Work; Working with Young People and Young People’s Services and Professional Studies in Primary Education.
  • full-time degrees in Education; Working with Children and Young People; Supporting Learning 5-11; Early Childhood Practice and Supporting Learning 11-19.
  • full-time and part-time postgraduate (Masters level) courses delivered across different sites in the region and in Mauritius.
  • a professional doctorate, also delivered in Mauritius (EdD).
  • PhDs, normally relating to the specialist areas (identified below in the section on Research).
  • Early Years Initial Teacher Education courses.

Research

There is a strong commitment to national, international and applied research and scholarly activity within the school. The overall management of this is set within the Education Research Centre (ERC), led by Professor Andy Hobson, one of five professors in the school. There is also a team of four Research Fellows.

The ERC co-ordinates research activities and is continually seeking to build research capacity and enable more colleagues to become active nationally and internationally recognised researchers.

Our internationally excellent research in Education is focused around four main themes:

  • Children and Young People’s Education, Rights and Voice.
  • Educators’ Learning, Development, Work and Lives.
  • Higher Education Pedagogy and Policy.
  • Narrative and Biographical Methodologies in Education.

Across these areas, one of the main aims of our education research is to generate evidence that fosters critical understanding of learning and teaching, with a strong emphasis upon social justice, democracy and voice.

Educational researchers at the University of Brighton are especially known for their expertise in relation to narrative and life history research approaches, although there is a broad a commitment to mixed methods research and to further developing existing expertise in quantitative methods.

The ERC and School of Education are also committed to building sustainable research partnerships between the university and regional, national and international learning communities.

The ERC also takes responsibility for research degree students (PhD, EdD and MPhil) and a number of School colleagues are enrolled on these programmes.

Research in the school is supported by a series of research seminars, reading groups, writing groups and a publications group and all colleagues and research students are encouraged to attend. These events provide invaluable opportunities for exchanging ideas.

The online journal, REd (Research in Education) features articles and research on a variety of local and international education issues, as well as news and announcements about new publications and conferences. It provides a platform and intellectual meeting ground for three distinct voices in education; practitioners, teacher educators and academics. REd is available at:

Resourcing and Budget

The school currently receives allocations related tothe National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) and Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) (the majority being NCTL) target numbers for its mainstream undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. A small but growing element of the school’s budget is derived from Economic and Social Engagement (EASE) activities, e.g. consultancy, short courses.

The school has an Open Learning Centre which provides a range of resources for students to support their professional development. Shared resources (e.g. lecture theatres, library, information services, workshops, pooled classrooms) balance the school's provision of specialist classrooms (e.g. art and design, science, design and technology), ICT suites and the Open Learning Centre. The major annual capital expenditure for the school relates to ICT for learning and teaching purposes.

Management and Committee Structures

The Head of School of Education is supported by a School Management Group of senior staff, which includes the Head of the Education Research Centre. The committee structure within the school includes the Board of Study (which considers cross-academic matters), the School Curriculum and Assessment Sub-Committee (which considers the development of new provision and matter of quality assurance) and programme boards for all undergraduate and postgraduate award-bearing programmes. The school and central departments have a number of other committees and working groups which support its provision. School of Education staff contribute to membership of university committees (including Academic Board, Academic Standards Committee, Academic Planning Committee and Research Strategy Committee).

Please visit the School of Education's website at

The JobAt Research Officer level (AC1), staff are expected to be using a range of basic research methods to support research projects across a school or subject area including assisting with dissemination of results.

Research Officers are expected to:

  • Support the research of others by undertaking basic research for example by contributing to the planning; preparing, setting up, conducting and recording the outcome of experiments and field work; developing questionnaires and conducting surveys; conducting literature and database searches; co-ordinating information, assessing its value and making recommendations; and administration of smaller project budgets including advice on cost-effective expenditure;
  • Undertake experiments using standard techniques and methods and develop the ability to design experiments and methods appropriate to the research project;
  • Plan own day-to-day research activity within the framework of the agreed programme, co-ordinating with the work of others;
  • Liaise with research colleagues, project partners and support staff on routine matters and to gather or exchange information;
  • Deal with problems which may affect research objectives and contribute to decisions affecting the work of the team;
  • Analyse and interpret results of own research and generate original ideas based on outcomes;
  • May assist on collaborative projects by tracking progress in each institution against grant requirements;
  • Write up results of own research and contribute to the production of research reports and publications;
  • Assist with dissemination of research output, for example by assisting with the design and development of a website, exhibition or broadcast media programme;
  • Prepare and present information/papers on research progress and outcomes to bodies supervising research, e.g. steering groups or the funding body;
  • Attend and contribute to meetings including production of minutes;
  • Continue to update own subject knowledge and develop research skills;
  • Assist in the supervision of student projects and provide guidance to support staff and any research students who may be assisting with the research;
  • May contribute to introductory courses including preparing and delivering lectures and marking with guidance or developing others' expertise in the use of research methods and equipment;
  • Develop own knowledge of teaching and learning methods;
  • Make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding and form relationships for future collaboration.

Knowledge and Qualifications

Ensure the panel/school has agreed the priorities for subject area and level of qualification required before this description of the job is completed and the post is advertised.

It is expectedthat the criteria below regarding knowledge and qualifications will be met by the successful candidate.

  • Currently undertaking or completed a post-doctoral degree in a relevant field.
  • Knowledge of constructing or supporting the construction of methodologies including piloting and developing methods.
  • Specialist knowledge in the field of youth and uncertainty, youth participation, peacebuilding, wellbeing and education processes, post conflict and post environmental disaster contexts.
  • Experience of planning a research process and ability to demonstrate ability to evaluate progress and outcomes of research.
  • Previous experience of working in the field of youth and uncertainty, youth participation, peacebuilding, wellbeing and education processes, post conflict and post environmental disaster contexts.
  • Experience of conducting literature and database searches/ reviews and merge national level literature reviews with international literature.

Hours of workThe full time equivalent of this post is 0.3fte. The nature of research posts is such that staff are expected to work such hours as are reasonably necessary in order to fulfil their duties and responsibilities. It would therefore be inappropriate to define the total hours to be worked in any week. A reasonable norm for full-time staff, however, having regard to the contractual position of other senior staff in the institution, would be thirty-seven, although this should not be regarded as a minimum or maximum. Contribution to teaching and learning programmes in the school should not exceed six hours in any week.

The salarySalaries are paid monthly in arrears through the BACS System directly into the bank or building society account of each member of staff.

Salary payments for staff that work less than 52 weeks per year are spread evenly over twelve months of the year so that they continue to receive payment during the times they are not contracted to work. This means that, when they leave the employment of the university, they may have received either an over or underpayment for that year, according to the date of leaving in relation to the anniversary of the start date. In such cases, the adjustment would be made in the final salary payment, as a deduction or lump sum payment, as applicable.

Duration of the jobThe appointment is fixed term for three years as funding is limited.

Professional development

The Research Office (RO) organises a wide range of workshops covering all aspects of researcher development including research degree supervision, research methodology, writing successful bids for funding, intellectual property and negotiations and contracts. The RO also offers a co-ordinated central service to advise and assist university research staff applying for grants from UK Research Councils, the European Commission, the NHS and similar external bodies including advice and guidance on application procedures, regulations, staffing, costing and protection of intellectual property. Staff in the Registry, Business Services, Finance, Human Resources, Strategic Planning and Marketing & Communications have joined forces to provide this research support service. The RO's website on the university's intranet offers a wide range of helpful information on all aspects of research. See

Courses are also run within the university for staff new to teaching. Staff new to teaching in higher education, who have not undertaken an equivalent course of study and training, are expected take one of these courses in their first or second year in post. The courses provide opportunities to explore a range of practical approaches to supporting students’ learning, and to reflect upon the process of developing as a teacher. The successful applicant will be provided with further information about these courses at the time of appointment.

In addition to these courses for staff new to the teaching role, the Centre for Learning and Teaching offers a wide range of other teaching-related courses, events and consultancy. Further information is available from the CLT’s website:

HolidaysThe annual leave entitlement is 35 working days pro rata for proportional full-time staff. This is in addition to the statutory holidays applicable in England, local discretionary holidays and days when the university is closed in the interests of efficiency.

Terms & conditionsIn determining terms and conditions of employment, the university has regard to recommendations made through the appropriate national negotiating framework. These terms and conditions of service can be varied by local agreements reached through the university’s local negotiating framework which comprises a Joint Negotiating Committee supported by two Common Interest Groups. These groups bring together representatives of the university and its recognised trade unions, which are:

•UCU – University and College Union

•UNISON

Strategic planDetails of our Strategic Plan can be found at: