Full Professor of School Education Focusing on Research into the Teaching Profession and Educational Participation

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)

The Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) invites applications for a

Full Professor of School Education Focusing on Research into the Teaching Profession and Educational Participation
(salary group W3)

at the Department of Education at the Institute of Educational Science. This is a full-time and permanent position to be filled by the earliest possible starting date.

We seek to appoint a leading expert with an internationally visible profile in research and teaching in the area of school education. The successful candidate will focus on the particular challenges of the professionalization of teachers with a particular focus on encouraging educational participation among children and young people as well as the development of schools in structurally disadvantaged areas. The professor will have a track record in empirical research on learning and instruction in general and professionalization in particular. The professor will be expected to become actively involved in research at FAU on the topic of human rights. We expect high publication activity, in particular in peer-reviewed journals, as well as extensive experience in raising (competitive) third-party funding.

Teaching duties will cover courses in school education for teacher training programs (Lehramtsstudiengänge) at FAU, in particular for lower secondary schools (Mittelschule). We expect the professor to take the heterogeneity of pre-service teachers into account, particularly in view of their educational biography, previous experience, academic socialization, and specific learning needs. The professor will be required to participate in the master’s degree program Empirical Educational Research. We also expect active involvement in collaborative research, participation in the FAU Competence Center Teaching, and active involvement in the Center for Teacher Education.

The person to be appointed will contribute to the Excellence Cluster ”Transforming Human Rights“ at FAU by developing innovative concepts for anchoring educational participation in the school context, focusing in particular on professionalizing teaching.

Successful candidates should demonstrate an excellent academic track record in research and teaching at the highest international standards. They should have substantial research experience abroad and/or international cooperations as well as experience in managing research projects and in raising third-party funding. A university degree and an outstanding doctoral degree as well as a passion for education and relevant teaching experience are prerequisites. Candidates who are able and willing to teach in both English and German are preferred. The position also requires additional postdoctoral qualifications. These should be in the form of a habilitation (postdoctoral thesis) or equivalent academic qualifications. These qualifications may also have been achieved in a non-university context or through a junior faculty position (for example as assistant professor). We expect candidates to have a teaching degree and a minimum of three years teaching experience at a school or comparable educational institution.

The successful candidate should demonstrate academic leadership, the ability to support early career researchers and to drive FAU’s strategic agenda. FAU pursues a policy of intense student mentoring and therefore expects its teaching staff to be present during lecture periods.

FAU offers an outstandingly productive research environment as well as a passionate and multi-disciplinary scholarly community within a vibrant institutional network.

In its pursuit of academic excellence, FAU is committed to equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity. FAU is a family-friendly employer and responsive to the needs of dual career couples.

Please submit your complete application documents (CV, list of publications, list of third-party funding, copies of certificates and degrees) online at https://berufungen.fau.de by October 12, 2025, addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology. Please contact the Dean at phil-berufungen@fau.de with any questions.