Research Fellow (Psychological Research)

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 programme-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

We are recruiting a Research Fellow to join our Psychological Research 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 Psychological Research and with other colleagues from the Research and Best Practice team, to design and implement primary research in collaboration with our Programmes team.

You will manage research projects; conduct quantitative 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 quantitative psychological 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 research projects
• Manage data collection in educational settings, working closely with education stakeholders and collaborators
• Manage Research Assistants
• Conduct quantitative analyses, including preparation, cleaning and management of large datasets
• Prepare high-quality written outputs, such as reports, presentations, and academic papers
• Design dissemination resources and activities for a range of audiences
• Communicate and collaborate with the teams designing and delivering teacher professional development programmes at NIoT, school staff, and other education stakeholders throughout the project life cycle
• Contribute to the academic environment at the NIoT, which may include teaching and assessment at postgraduate level

Essential Criteria

• Doctoral degree in psychology or a cognate field
• Experience of designing and conducting psychological experiments and/or other quantitative research in the context of education
• Excellent quantitative data management and analysis skills
• Enjoys working collaboratively and flexibly, and approaches problem-solving with curiosity
• Experience of managing research projects
• Experience of 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 of using R programming language for data visualisation and analysis
• 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 psychological 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 - Full Time - potential for alternate FTE.

Salary:  £38,626 per annum, plus benefits. (London Weighting where applicable).

Key Benefits:

• Highly competitive pay and pay progression opportunities.
• Flexible start and end working times.
• Flexible working opportunities, including significant scope for hybrid working.
• At least 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays) rising to 33 days after five years’ service (with an annual discretionary office shutdown between Christmas and New Year).
• Entry to the highly valued Local Government Pension Scheme
• Excellent opportunities to develop your skills and experience and to progress your career.
• A stimulating, supportive and rewarding working environment with a dedicated team of likeminded professionals.

Diversity and Inclusion

The National Institute of Teaching is committed to creating a diverse environment and ensuring that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices and are open to job shares, secondments, part-time, and flexible working schedules.

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 document is an overview of the role.

-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.

-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.

How to Apply

Apply Here: Submit your application online

Closing Date: 20 April 2025 23:59 GMT

Contact Us: If you have any queries about this role, please email us at [email protected]