Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Unit Self-Directed Learning

North West University

Location
Potchefstroom, North West
Minimum qualification
Bachelor's degree
Closing date

First listed . Last checked at source .

In brief

Overview This is a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Research Unit Self-Directed Learning, located within the Faculty of Education at North-West University (NWU), South Africa. The position is funded by the North-West University and is initially for one year, with the possibility of extension for up to three years based on satisfactory performance. The appointed fellow will be hosted by the Research Unit and is expected to reside in Potchefstroom, Mafikeng, or Vanderbijlpark, depending on the mentor/host academic's location. The Research Unit's vision is to promote self-directed learning (SDL) to foster life-long learning across all education sectors through excellent research. Its mission involves conducting relevant research on strategies and contexts for 21st-century SDL skills, optimizing research outputs, supporting academic staff, providing quality postgraduate training, and sharing knowledge to promote SDL practices. The research focuses on the promotion of SDL in all education sectors, aiming to propose strategies for diverse contexts and broaden the body of SDL scholarship internationally and on the African continent. What you will do The postdoctoral fellow will be expected to significantly contribute to the research outputs related to the central scholarly focus of the Research Unit. This will involve engagement with research areas such as: * Assessment to support Self-Directed Learning (SDL) * Blended learning to support SDL * Cooperative and Problem-based learning to enhance SDL * Cognition and metacognition to enhance SDL * Indigenous knowledge and contextualised learning to enhance SDL * Scholarship and praxis for SDL * Play-based learning to enhance SDL * UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and Open Educational Resources to enhance SDL Requirements (from the original advert) The postdoctoral fellow must: * Have completed a doctoral degree in education research within the last five years at a university other than the North-West University. * Be willing to significantly contribute to the research outputs related to the central scholarly focus of the Research Unit. * Demonstrate evidence of scholarly performance, including a relevant publication record, preferably ISI-listed or IBSS-listed journal articles. * Demonstrate English language proficiency, as well as sound conceptual and writing skills. Who should apply Ideal candidates are doctoral graduates in education research who have completed their degree within the last five years from a university other than North-West University. Applicants should demonstrate a strong scholarly performance with a relevant publication record, preferably in ISI-listed or IBSS-listed journals. Proficiency in English and strong conceptual and writing skills are also required. This role is suitable for individuals eager to make significant contributions to research on self-directed learning across various educational contexts. Deadline 30th October, 2026 Reference Original posting: https://www.myjobmag.co.za/job/postdoctoral-fellowship-research-unit-self-directed-learning-north-west-university Source: myjobmag

Summary drafted with AI assistance from the original advert. The advert itself is the authority — how we use AI.

Job description

Introduction * Suitable candidates are invited to apply for the position of a postdoctoral fellow at the Research Unit Self-Directed Learning within the Faculty of Education at the North-West University NWU, South Africa. This postdoctoral fellowship is funded by the North-West University and is a one-year position, but the contract can be extended for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance during the previous year. The Research Unit will host the appointed fellow, who will be expected to reside in Potchefstroom, Mafikeng or Vanderbijlpark depending on the location of the mentor/host academic for the duration of the contract. Information on SDL is available at https://education.nwu.ac.za/research-unit-self-directed-learning/home and for even more information on the North-West University, please visit http://www.nwu.ac.za/ . Our vision is to promote self-directed learning SDL that will lead to life-long learning in all education sectors through excellent research. Our mission is furthermore: To conduct relevant research on strategies and contexts that contribute to SDL skills for the 21st century with its unique 4IR demands; To optimise the quality of our research outputs and to disseminate the results thereof locally and internationally; To support academic staff to develop relevant knowledge and to gain international recognition; To provide quality postgraduate training in order to promote SDL in all education sectors; To share our knowledge - where possible through open licenses or in the public domain - to promote SDL practices. To conduct research on SDL for community engagement In our research, we focus on the promotion of SDL in all education sectors. We aim to propose strategies for diverse contexts which can contribute to the development of SDL skills. The aim is to broaden the body of scholarship of SDL internationally and on the African continent. Job description We do research about: * Assessment to support SDL * Blended learning to support SDL * Cooperative and Problem-based learning to enhance SDL * Cognition and metacognition to enhance SDL * Indigenous knowledge and contextualised learning to enhance SDL * Scholarship and praxis for SDL * Play-based learning to enhance SDL * UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and Open Educational Resources to enhance SDL Minimum requirements QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS The postdoctoral fellow - * must have completed a doctoral degree in education research within the last five years at a university other than the North-West University; * must be willing to significantly contribute to the research outputs related to the central scholarly focus of the Research Unit; * must demonstrate evidence of scholarly performance including a relevant publication record preferably ISI-listed or IBSS-listed journal articles; and * must demonstrate English language proficiency, as well as sound conceptual and writing skills. Deadline:30th October,2026

Before you apply

  • Confirm the requirements and closing date on the original listing (myjobmag). SPANi lists vacancies from other sites and may not reflect last-minute changes.
  • Legitimate employers do not charge application, registration or training fees.
  • Don't send your ID or bank details before you have confirmed the employer is real.

How to spot a job scam

Before you apply

  • Read the full advert and confirm you meet the minimum requirements before applying.
  • Tailor your CV headline and most recent experience to the job title and key skills.
  • Note the closing date and reference number, and keep a copy of what you submit.
  • Apply only through the employer or job board link — never pay to apply.

Similar roles

Get new science & research jobs in north west by email

Free. No account needed. Unsubscribe with one click.

We only use your email to send this alert. See our privacy policy.