Location
Position Responsibilities:
The Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) seeks a postdoctoral fellow for the NSF-funded project Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development Focused on Implementation of Evidence-based Teaching Practices (DUE-2013422).
The project aims to serve the national interest by preparing mathematics graduate teaching assistants to implement teaching practices designed to improve the success of students in undergraduate mathematics courses. The project will develop a multi-year professional development program focused on engaged learning, inclusive teaching, and equity (ELITE-PD). This is a collaborative project that will be implemented at Oregon State University (OSU), Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and San Diego State University (SDSU). As a result, the project will have multiple contexts for examining the impact of the professional development on graduate teaching assistants’ teaching attitudes and practices, as well as on the success of the undergraduates in their classes. The project will compare outcomes at the three institutions to generate new knowledge about graduate student professional development, to explore what works in which contexts, and to develop an explicit theory of change related to their teaching practices. The postdoctoral fellow will play an integral role in collaboratively developing the ELITE-PD program and engaging in data collection and analysis.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
Regularly collaborating, both in person and virtually, with members of the research team at OSU, VCU, and SDSU;
Planning and teaching graduate courses focused on active learning, inclusive teaching, and equity as part of the ELITE-PD program;
Conducting semi-structured interviews with graduate students and department faculty and analyzing the interview data;
Administering surveys from the X-PIPS-M suite and analyzing the survey data;
Conducting classroom observations using observation tools, e.g. TRU Math, EQUIP, and analyzing the observation data;
Presenting results at conferences, symposiums or similar events.
The primary responsibility of the postdoctoral fellow will be conducting mathematics education research; however, this position also requires teaching up to 1 graduate course per semester that is part of the ELITE-PD program. Candidates for these positions should have completed their PhD in mathematics, education, or a related field. A masters in mathematics or a closely related field is required in order to teach graduate courses in the department.
This is an up to three-year position with the expectation of working in person at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA (dependent upon state and university guidance related to COVID-19). A start date of August 10, 2022 is preferred but flexible. The postdoctoral scholar will receive a $55,000 yearly salary plus benefits (with a potential raise during the second and third year) and travel reimbursement for presenting at conferences.