About Us

The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) has an unswerving commitment to high quality, evidence-informed teacher education, and is on a mission to improve the quality of teacher and leader development across the system. 

The NIoT aims to improve teacher professional development through rigorous, impactful, and cutting-edge school-led research. Our research team plays a key role in this mission, as we work with our program-delivery teams to 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 working in the design and delivery of teacher training and development programmes, and 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 research 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 and Observational Research and a team of Research Fellows and Research Assistants to design and implement primary research in collaboration with the Programmes team at the NIoT. The role also includes opportunities to co-design new research, alongside Research and Programmes teams colleagues; manage primary research projects; conduct quantitative and/or mixed-methods analyses; liaise with stakeholders in teacher education (e.g., academics, schools, teachers, policymakers); produce high-quality written outputs for academic audiences and policymakers; and generate and sustain research-practice dialogues with schools and teachers using generated evidence. In addition to being a specialist in designing and conducting primary quantitative and/or mixed-methods research, 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.

Corporate Responsibilities

• To ensure that the responsibilities of the role are carried out in a way which reflects the mission and the values of the NIoT.

• To be aware of and observe all policies, procedures, working practices and regulations, and in particular to comply with policies relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Confidentiality, Data Protection and Financial Regulations, reporting any concerns to an appropriate person.

• To comply with all reasonable management requests.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and project manage quantitative and/or mixed-methods research projects

• Manage data collection in educational settings, working closely with education stakeholders and collaborators

• Manage Research Assistants

• Conduct quantitative and/or mixed-methods 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 teams designing and delivering teacher professional development programmes at NIoT, school staff, and other education stakeholders throughout the project life cycle

• Contribution to the academic environment at the NIoT, which may include teaching as Masters’ degree level

Essential Criteria

• Doctoral degree in social science, education, research methods, or other relevant field

• Experience designing and conducting quantitative and/or mixed-methods research projects

• Experience or prior study with designing and/or conducting randomised or non-randomised experiments in the context of programme design and delivery improvement

• Enjoys working collaboratively and flexibly, and approaches problem-solving with curiosity

• Experience managing research projects

• Experience delivering on collaborative projects against tight timelines

• Commitment to upholding high ethical standards and best practices in educational research

• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills

• Excellent organisation skills and attention to detail

• Commitment to the aims of the NIoT

Desirable Criteria

• Proven interest and/or experience in teacher training and professional development

• Experience working in or with educational settings

• Prior record of publishing high-quality written outputs

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 evaluation 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.

Working at the National Institute of Teaching

Contract: Permanent, Part Time - FTE0.6 (potential for consideration of alternate FTE)

Salary: £37,336 - £40,221 per annum, pro rata + benefits

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;

●     At least 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays)

●     Local Government Pension Scheme

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.

Notes:

• This post requires a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) with a Children’s Barred List Check and Occupational Health Check is required as a condition of employment.

• The responsibilities will include but will not be limited to those listed above and it is anticipated that the role will evolve over time and as such the duties may change.

• This document does not form part of the contract of employment.

• We regret that we are currently unable to sponsor visas.