Docent in Body and Movement in Pedagogical Contexts

Are you focused on developing research in close interaction with professional education, practice and the professions we educate for? Do you want to help further develop a national research environment on body, movement and participation in pedagogical contexts? Then the position as a docent in Body and Movement in pedagogical contexts may be for you.

We are looking for a highly qualified researcher who will take a central role in the development of our research environment around body, movement and participation. You will be employed at the Research Center for Pedagogy and Participation under the Research Area for Pedagogy and Formation. Here you shall develop, lead and conduct research, contribute to building research environments and create coherence between research, education and practice. You will also contribute to teaching in the professional master's programs, the teacher and educator education and the continuing education programs.

Research field

In the professional education colleges, research is developed in close contact with practice and education. For us, it is especially the teacher education, the social educator education, the professional master's programs as well as the continuing education programs that form the basis for the research. The collaboration sharpens our view of the questions that engage the professions and strengthens opportunities to bring new knowledge into play across research, education and practice.

In the Research Center for Pedagogy and Participation, participation is the central axis. Participation is about being involved and is a central ideal in pedagogical practice. We investigate what happens when this ideal meets everyday life in early childhood facilities, schools, social pedagogy, clubs, psychiatry and other pedagogical contexts.

In our research, body and movement are closely connected with participation. We investigate how movement, play, sport and sensorimotor experiences shape people's possibilities to participate in communities and create meaning in everyday life. We are particularly concerned with the tensions that arise between people's different prerequisites and the institutional frameworks within which pedagogical practice unfolds.

When the focus is on body and movement in pedagogical contexts, we research, among other things, the following:

• movement, play and sport as forms of participation and formation
• the body’s and the senses’ significance for learning, well-being and relationships
• joy of movement, communities and inclusion in pedagogical practices and their organization
• development and critical exploration of pedagogical knowledge about body, movement and participation

As a docent in the area

As a docent you will play a central role in further developing the research field and strengthening the research environment around body, movement and participation.

We seek a researcher with strong experience in ethnographic and participatory research methods and with a clear research engagement in body, movement and participation in pedagogical contexts.

You have developed research close to practice and have documented experience in creating knowledge together with children, young people, professionals and organizations, knowledge that has created change and development in practice. At the same time you have a strong theoretical profile in areas such as movement pedagogy, body phenomenology, enactive perspectives (4E), formation, physical education didactics or related research fields.

You are concerned with how play, movement and bodily experiences contribute to learning, well-being, belonging and opportunities for participation. You are also concerned with how research can strengthen professionals' understanding and contribute to developing courses of action in relation to the challenges that the professions experience in practice.

As a docent with us you will have responsibility for

• developing, conducting and bringing in external funding for research and development projects within the field
• developing and maintaining strong national and international research collaborations
• contributing to the development of the center's overall research environment through sparring, supervision and research leadership
• strengthening the interplay between research, education and practice
• keeping an eye on new research, societal and political agendas relevant to the field
• publishing and communicating high-quality research nationally and internationally
• contributing to building research capacity through supervision of PhD students, adjuncts and less experienced researchers
• supporting a strong research culture characterized by quality, collaboration and responsibility

In addition to your key role in the research center, you contribute to the development of research-based teaching and the flow of knowledge between research, basic education, professional master's programs and continuing education programs.

Who are you?

We expect that you

• have a PhD or equivalent research qualifications
• have substantial experience in independently developing, leading and carrying out research and development projects
• have documented experience in securing external funding
• have extensive experience with practice-oriented research in collaboration with children, young people, adults and professional actors
• have a strong publication and dissemination profile aimed at both research communities and the practice field
• are actively involved in national and international research networks
• have experience with supervision and research capacity building
• can develop new knowledge in close interaction with the professions and translate it into value for practice and education
• have strong competencies in research-based teaching and experience in linking research, theory and professional practice

Workplace

Primary workplace will be at one of VIA’s campuses in Central Jutland.

Application and attachments

If you want to apply for the position, please attach the following materials to your application:

• CV including documentation of education/continuing education, research, professional and teaching experience, as well as academic merits and positions.
• Publication list including three selected publications you want included in the assessment. These three publications should be clearly indicated on page 1 of the publication list in prioritized order. The hiring committee and the assessment committee will take these three publications and their inter-prioritization into account in the assessment, so you may motivate your choice in the application
• The publications should be attached as far as possible in the electronic application. If the files are too large, they can be emailed to [email protected] or sent in physical form in 5 copies to VIA, Hedeager 2, 8200 Aarhus N, Att HR.
• A research plan. The research plan may be a maximum of three A4 pages and may address the following topics:
• Visions and ambitions
• Plan and objectives in the short and long term
• National/international networks and what they contribute
• Reflection on the applicant's career development after completing the PhD
• Funding strategy

Salary and terms of employment

Depending on your educational background, the appointment is made in accordance with either the applicable agreement for academics in the state or the joint agreement for LC/CO10 and the organizational agreement for teachers at business academies and professional colleges.

The appointment is covered by the Decree no. 414 of 27 April 2025 on the job structure for teachers at higher education institutions at business academies, professional colleges, Denmark’s School of Media and Journalism and maritime educational institutions, as well as Decree no. 413 of 27 April 2025 on lecturer qualification, lecturer assessment and docent assessment.

Link to the job structure

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/414

Link to the lecturer qualification decree

https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/413

The position is a 6-year fixed-term contract with the possibility of extension and the possibility of reverting to a lector position.

Appointment requires a positive docent assessment.

Are you interested?

Would you like to know more about the position or the appointment procedure, you are welcome to contact the center manager Lotte Junker Harbo [email protected] or by telephone 87551933.

Apply through our online recruitment system. We must have your application no later than 25.10.2026.

It is expected that the recruitment and assessment process will take 4-5 months after the application deadline.

After the professional assessment, interviews will be held with selected and qualified candidates. We expect to hold interviews in late February/early March 2027.

WE are VIA

VIA is one of Denmark’s largest educational institutions with locations across the Central Denmark Region. We educate and further educate, among others, teachers, nurses, engineers, designers and many more. We develop education in close collaboration with practice. We are a workplace with flexibility, freedom and good opportunities for development. If you are curious about what it is like to work at VIA, you can read some of our stories here .

At VIA we value competence and talent in all forms. We believe in the strength of diversity and welcome everyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or background. We therefore encourage everyone to apply for the position and become part of an inclusive community.