Doctoral Candidate in the Project "Core Practices in Physical Education, Teacher Education, and Continuing Professional Development" (100%)

About the job

For the Institute of Movement, Sport and Health (IBSG-PHSG) we are seeking a doctoral candidate for the international research project "Core Practices (CP) in Physical Education, Teacher Education, and Continuing Professional Development (CP4PE)" starting 1 February 2027 or by arrangement.

CP4PE is a collaborative project funded in the SNF-DFG-WEAVE context involving PHSG and the universities of Augsburg, Potsdam, and Hamburg. The three-year project investigates central core practices (CP) for effective physical education and develops tools for research, training, and continuing professional development of teachers. At the St.Gallen location, the focus is on classroom management and feedback. The project start date is 1 February 2027.

You can look forward to the following tasks:

• Participation in the CP4PE research project (especially development of CP-related tools, coordination and implementation of data collection and rater training, cross-location project coordination tasks)
• Presentation of research results at conferences
• Collaboration on scientific publications
• Dissertation within the framework of the project
• Possibly teaching in the initial and/or continuing education of teachers

This is what we imagine your profile to be:

• University degree with very good results (Master’s or equivalent) in sports science (or a related discipline) with a focus on sports didactics and/or sports pedagogy
• Experience in empirical research on physical education and/or the teaching profession
• Solid knowledge of quantitative research methods
• Very good German skills and good English skills for international collaboration and scientific publication activities
• High team, cooperation and communication skills, independence, reliability and scientific commitment
• Teaching diploma and teaching experience as a sports teacher desired

These advantages do we offer you:

We offer you an interesting and challenging position in an ambitious, internationally networked research team. You will work closely with researchers at several university locations and with experts in sports didactics and educational research. The position is limited to three years and is subject to cantonal employment conditions. If suitable, there is the possibility of continued employment after the project is completed.

Information about the CP4PE research project can be found at www.proforis.ch and in the following publication:

Baumgartner, M., Berthold, C., Langer, W., Meier, S., & Gerlach, E. (2026). Core practices for physical education in German-speaking countries: An exploratory sequential study as a starting point. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 56(3), 558–569. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-026-01140-6 

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