Postdoctoral researcher in multilingual assessment (0,5fte)
Do you want to play a role in designing and evaluating innovative and equitable educational approaches for multilingual learners? Come and join us as a postdoctoral researcher in a project aimed at developing multilingual approaches to assessment in the rich, multilingual setting of bilingual education programmes in linguistically diverse communities.
ICLON Graduate School of Teaching at Leiden University is looking for a part-time postdoctoral researcher for the NKO-funded project “Fair assessment in linguistically diverse bilingual education: Promoting content knowledge, disciplinary literacies and educational equity through functional multilingual assessment”.
The project
Assessment plays an important role in education and in determining educational opportunities. In contexts where students are assessed in a language that is not their strongest, the fairness of assessment is at risk. This study focuses on a specific secondary school context in which this issue arises, namely bilingual education (tweetalig onderwijs – tto) schools with a linguistically diverse student population. We will investigate how inequalities can be reduced and learning can be promoted through Functional Multilingual Assessment (FMA): a holistic approach aimed at making students' potential visible through the use of multiple languages and methods in assessment, while also emphasising assessment’s role as a tool for learning and not only evaluation. In tto, this is about using Dutch and English, as well as learners’ home or other languages. We will particularly focus on use of FMA in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in tto.
The project is a collaboration between ICLON Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, and two schools (Stedelijk College Eindhoven and Wolfert Tweetalig, Rotterdam), and is supported by Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education). Funding is provided through a Knowledge for Education of the Future small research grant from the Dutch National Education Institute (NKO).
What you will do
• Establishing and leading researcher-practitioner partnerships (RPPs) in schools, including:
o Forming the RPPs, including teachers in STEM, Dutch language, and English language;
o Providing professional development for the teachers participating in the RPPs;
o Exploring literature and practice regarding FMA, together with teachers;
o Designing, implementing and evaluating FMA interventions in STEM, in scientifically rigorous ways;
o Communicating with schools regarding the organisation of research activities.
• Managing and carrying out the research, including:
o Literature research
o Designing the studies
o Recruiting participants
o Collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data
o Preparing and storing data packages for sharing
• Writing (international) scientific and professional publications;
• Giving presentations at (inter)national scientific and education-oriented conferences and meetings;
• Actively engaging in outreach activities and disseminating findings to educational professionals and the general public;
• Active participation in the research team involved in this project, and in the ICLON research group.
Where you will work
The postdoc researcher will be based at ICLON Graduate School of Teaching, in Leiden. Due to the practice-based and collaborative nature of the research, a degree of travel within the Netherlands (e.g. to the participating schools) will be required.
ICLON is an interfaculty center within Leiden University. The board includes deans from the faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science and Mathematics. Approximately 120 employees work at the ICLON.
ICLON:
- Provides university programs to become a teacher in secondary education;
- Offers continuous education development for teachers at secondary schools;
- Introduces primary and secondary school students to science;
- Conducts scientific research in the field of secondary and higher education.
For more information about ICLON, see
Teacher education and professional development - Higher education development - Leiden University
What you bring
This project will involve working collaboratively with teachers to develop and implement FMA practices, and evaluate their contribution to fair assessment and to learning of both content and language. The focus will be on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in bilingual secondary education (tto) in the Netherlands. Accordingly, we are looking for a candidate who has:
- A PhD (completed or nearly completed) in educational sciences, applied linguistics, or another related field OR a PhD in a STEM field, plus experience and affinity with education;
- Enthusiasm, empathy and ability to engage with plurilingualism and plurilingual contexts;
- Experience in teaching and/or teacher professional development training, including educational design;
- Ambition and ability to work in partnership with teachers and other researchers;
- Experience with both qualitative and quantitative research methods is preferred;
- Experience and/or affinity with bi- or multilingual education is preferred;
- Experience and/or affinity with STEM education is beneficial;
- Strong social, organizational, and self-regulatory competencies;
- Strong communication skills (written and oral) in English and preferably also in Dutch, since data-collection (e.g. interviews) with teachers and learners can be in both English and Dutch.
What we offer
- The postdoc position will be for 0,5 fte over a period of 4 years. The initial appointment will be for one year, starting on 1 September 2026, with an extension of three years after positive evaluation of capabilities and compatibility.
- A salary of a minimum of € 4.728 and a maximum of € 6.433 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale 11);
- A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
- If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
- A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop and a mobile telephone (if applicable for the position).
For more information about employment conditions, see Application process and working conditions - Working at Leiden University - Leiden University
What we find important
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. We strive to be an open community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to fully develop themselves. We consider an inclusive academic environment, where students and staff can share their experiences and viewpoints, to be essential for the development of talent.
Want to apply or find out more?
Candidates are kindly asked to take into account that the first‑round interviews will take place on 13 May, and the second‑round interviews, if applicable, on 21 May 2026.
- We believe mobility is very important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.
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A pre-employment screening (references, diplomas, certificate of good conduct (VOG)) may be part of the selection procedure.
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Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid