SDU Metaverse Lab invites applications for a three-year PhD fellowship focusing on research into pedagogy, learning and volunteering in technology education – with particular emphasis on bridging the gap between voluntary associations and the formal school system (primary and secondary level).

The PhD project is affiliated with Teknologiskolen (School of Technology), a voluntary association with over 10 years of experience as technology educators for children and young people. The project investigates how the knowledge and practice built up within the association can be systematised, strengthened and transferred to the formal education system.

Further, the PhD project will have access to existing school collaboration within our Danish-German Interreg project, STEPS.

The project is hosted by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Southern Denmark, reflecting a core ambition of the PhD: to investigate how hands-on, technology-driven learning experiences can spark and sustain young people's interest in technology, engineering and digital problem-solving – both within voluntary associations and in the formal school system.

Background

At its heart, the project is driven by a belief that early, engaging encounters with technology matter. When children and young people experience technology as creative, meaningful and accessible – rather than abstract and intimidating – they are more likely to pursue technical subjects and careers. SDU Metaverse Lab and Teknologiskolen have spent decades building exactly that kind of experience. This PhD aims to understand it, articulate it, and help bring it into schools.

Also, Teknologiskolen has for more than a decade taught children and young people about technology, programming and digital understanding – driven by volunteers with a passion for the field. This experience represents a unique learning environment that differs significantly from formal school education: it is informal, relationship-driven and motivated by curiosity rather than grades.

This PhD project will investigate and develop this learning environment across three overarching areas of focus:

Teaching and communication in the voluntary association

• How do we teach and communicate today, and how can we improve?

• How do volunteers facilitate learning, participation and motivation in non-formal technology education settings?

• What characterises the learning culture of Teknologiskolen, and how does it differ from formal school settings?

Conditions for volunteers

• How do we support and develop our volunteers as educators and role models?

• How do volunteers develop pedagogical competencies through participation in Teknologiskolen?

Knowledge transfer to primary and secondary schools

• How can more than 10 years of experience in technology education be translated into concrete resources and methods for use in the formal school system?

• Under which conditions can knowledge and practices from community-based technology education be successfully integrated into formal teaching?

Main Objective

The project aims to:

• Map and analyse existing teaching practices and learning culture within Teknologiskolen's voluntary association

• Identify what works – and what can be improved – in the communication and facilitation of technology learning in a voluntary, non-formal context

• Investigate the conditions, motivations and development needs of volunteer technology educators, including mentoring dynamics and intergenerational knowledge transfer

• Investigate how non-formal technology education can increase motivation and interest in STEM subjects and technical career pathways among children and young people in primary and secondary school

• Develop and test concrete methods and technical learning materials that can transfer the association's experience into teaching contexts in primary and secondary schools

• Contribute to the broader research field of non-formal learning, technological literacy and voluntary sector pedagogy

Expected Results

• An empirically grounded analysis of teaching and learning culture in Teknologiskolen

• Concrete recommendations for strengthening the role, wellbeing and professional development of volunteer educators

• A practical, research-based catalogue of methods and specific technical learning sequences that can support technological literacy in primary, secondary and high school teaching

• Evidence-based recommendations for how voluntary technology education can complement and strengthen STEM teaching in the Danish and German school systems, with particular attention to increasing young people's engagement with technical subjects and higher education pathways

• Academic publications as well as dissemination aimed at both practitioners and the research community

Qualifications

Applicants should be able to document experience and interest within:

• Pedagogy, educational science and/or adult education

• Learning design, didactics and non-formal or informal learning environments

• Mentoring, knowledge transfer and intergenerational learning processes

• Qualitative and/or quantitative research methods, including empirical fieldwork

• Knowledge dissemination across research and practice contexts

Knowledge of the Danish and German school systems is an advantage. Applicants should hold a master's degree in a relevant field – such as education science, pedagogical theory, adult education, humanistic informatics or equivalent. Experience from voluntary association work, mentoring or community-based education is an advantage.

Workplace Description

The project is anchored at SDU Metaverse Lab, an interdisciplinary research environment focused on technology, learning and society. The lab brings together researchers and PhD students across disciplines, and the position is developed in close collaboration with Teknologiskolen and its network of volunteer educators, schools and partners.

The SDU Metaverse Lab is part of the Maersk McKinney Moller Institute at the University of Southern Denmark – one of Denmark's leading engineering research environments with decades of experience in technical education and research. The institute spans a wide range of technical disciplines, including robotics and autonomous systems, software engineering, drone technology, energy technology, and human-centred computing. This breadth of technical expertise forms an important resource for the PhD project, ensuring that the educational content and methods developed are grounded not only in Teknologiskolen's 10+ years of hands-on experience with young learners, but also in cutting-edge engineering research and practice.

You will become part of an engaged, cross-disciplinary team where research meets practice – drawing on both the institute's deep technical knowledge and Teknologiskolen's unique experience in making technology accessible, exciting and meaningful for children and young people. Your work will have a direct impact on children, young people, volunteers and teachers alike.

Further Information

For further information, please contact Jacob Nielsen at jani@mmmi.sdu.dk, Associate Professor at the SDU Metaverse Lab, Maersk McKinney Moller Institute, University of Southern Denmark.

If you experience technical problems, please contact our email support.

Application

Before applying the candidates are advised to read the Faculty information for prospective PhD students and the SDU information on how to apply.

Assessment of candidates is based on the application material, and the application must include: 

• Motivated application. 

• Curriculum Vitae.

• Master’s and Bachelor’s degree certificates or equivalent, including transcripts of grades (original and an official English translation). 

• Completed TEK PhD application form for 5+3 applicants. Find the form at the Faculty website.

• Completed TEK PhD form for calculation grade point average. Find the form at the Faculty website. 

• An official document describing the grading scheme of the awarding universities (if not Danish). 

• Only for applicants from programmes that evaluate thesis/examination project by approved/not approved: An official written assessment of the thesis or dissertation project from the grade giving institution. The statement must clearly state that the candidate has been among the top 30 pct. in the graduation class for the study programme.

• List of publications and maximum 2 examples of relevant publications (in case you have any publications).

• References may be included, you're welcome to use the form for reference letter at the Faculty website.

• A statement/documentation of other qualifications relevant to the position may also be included.

All documents must be in English and PDF format. CPR number (civil registration number) must be crossed out. All PDF-files must be unlocked, allow binding and may not be password protected. 

SUBMISSION GUIDE: Motivated application must be uploaded under ‘Cover letter’ (max. 5 MB), Curriculum Vitae must be uploaded under ‘Resume’ (max 5 MB). All other documents must be uploaded under ‘Miscellaneous documents’ (max 10 files with a maximum 50 MB per file). 

The application deadline is July 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM/23:59 (CET/CEST) 

Assessment and selection process

Applications will be assessed by an expert. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU.  Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation.

Read about the Assessment and selection process.  

Enrollment and employment terms

Appointment as a PhD fellow is a 3-year salaried position, and the monthly gross salary incl. pension is 37.075 DKK. If you have relevant postgraduate experience, you may be placed on a higher salary step.

The preferred start date is as soon as possible and will be agreed with the successful candidate. 

Applicants must hold a master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish master's degree) at the time of enrollment and employment. Employment is contingent on enrollment approved by the PhD School. Enrollment will be in accordance with Faculty regulations and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities (PhD order). Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state including the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described therein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). 

Salary is determined in accordance with the applicable collective agreement and based on objective and gender-neutral criteria, including the content of the position, responsibilities, and qualification requirements. As an applicant, you are entitled to information about the starting salary and salary range for the position. This information will be provided during the recruitment process. SDU does not collect information on applicants’ previous salary. Further information on salary and taxation. 

Persons employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a “self-organizer”.

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The University of Southern Denmark wishes its staff to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position. SDU conducts research in critical technologies, which, due to the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer, is subject to a number of security measures. Therefore, based on information from open sources, background checks may be conducted on candidates for the position(s).

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information.

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.