Research Associate: Toddlers, technology and talk: Understanding how very young children learn language and literacy at home in a digital age (1566-22)

Will join on an indefinite contract. 

However the role remains contingent on external funding which for this role is currently for 1 May 2023 - 30 April 2024.  

We are seeking to appoint a Research Associate to conduct research in a ground-breaking early childhood study. You will be working primarily with Professor Julia Gillen at Lancaster University, and other team members, 0.4FTE (2 days per week).

The role

Toddlers, tech and talk: understanding how very young children learn language and literacy at home in a digital age is an ESRC funded project which began in June 2022. It is led overall by Professor Rosie Flewitt at Manchester Metropolitan University and involves Co-Investigators at Strathclyde University, Queen’ University Belfast and Swansea University as well as Professor Julia Gillen at Lancaster. This project investigates how the home lives of children aged three and under intersect with digital technologies in diverse families in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 

You will undertake interviews with parents and legal guardians of young children, and qualitative fieldwork with families at home, in diverse communities.  You will be involved in data collection, site liaison, secure data storage, data transcription and analysis, preparing and submitting data for archiving and report writing, amongst wider dissemination activities. This work will also involve collaborating with the wider project team in England, N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  Throughout the project, you will work to ensure the highest ethical standards are maintained.  

Skills and experience

You must hold a postgraduate degree in early childhood or related discipline and have experience of qualitative/ethnographic/participatory research. This post is suitable for applicants with expertise in young children’s talk and literacy, and experience in researching sensitively with children and their families at home. Experience in working with multilingual communities would be welcome but is not essential.

You will be knowledgeable about very young children’s learning and you will be familiar with using qualitative research techniques such as video and audio recording equipment and software, online meetings and data management systems and protocols. You will have excellent communication skills and experience of presenting complex information orally and in writing.    

You should also have a strong track record of working as part of a research team, of using your initiative and judgement to work independently, and the ability to build relationships and establish networks with internal and external contacts. Knowledge of more than one language spoken in the UK would be an advantage but is not essential.  

Further information on Lancaster University can be found at https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/

Further information on the Department of Linguistics and English Language can be found at https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/linguistics/ 

For informal conversations about the role contact Professor Julia Gillen j.gillen@lancaster.ac.uk

Closing Date: 10 Feb 2023

Department: Research

Salary: £29,619 to £34,308 pro rata