The National Institute of Education invites suitable applications for the position of Research Associate on a 12-month contract with possibility of renewal at the Centre for Research in Child Development (CRCD).

Project Title: Development of a Holistic Progress Tool for the Early Childhood Sector

Project Introduction:

This project aims to develop a “Holistic Progress” (HOP) Tool that early childhood (EC) educators can use to observe and document children’s holistic development in the second year of kindergarten. Phase 1 of the project focused on the development of the first cut of the teacher-completed HOP Tool (HOP V1) and preliminary tool completion guide. In Phase 2, HOP V1 was piloted with K2 educators and will be refined into HOP V2 based on psychometric data and stakeholder feedback. In Phase 3, HOP V2 will be piloted with a new sample of EC educators of K2 children and child outcomes assessments will be administered to examine validity evidence. In Phase 4, focus group discussions will be conducted with EC educators to gather feedback on the HOP Tool and develop the user guide. 

Requirements:

• Master Degree in psychology, early childhood education, or a related field
• Proficiency in statistical analysis and familiarity with software like R, SPSS, or Mplus
• Experience conducting assessments with preschool children
• Experience with designing instruments or assessment tools and psychometric analysis
• Experience with preparing and administering questionnaires using online survey software like Qualtrics or Redcap
• Experience with project management and data management
• Excellent communication skills, with ability to collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams and project stakeholders
• Background in research methodology, with experience in designing and conducting empirical studies

Responsibilities:

• Lead the preparation of protocols and instruments for administering child assessments with preschool children
• Supervise and train research staff on conducting assessments with preschool children
• Co-lead participant recruitment and coordination with preschools
• Co-lead data collection with early childhood educators, preschool children, and parents
• Lead data management tasks (including cleaning, coding, and analysis)
• Conduct data analysis using quantitative (e.g., psychometrics) and qualitative methods
• Write/prepare research reports and presentations independently
• Prepare ethics documents for institutional review boards
• Manage day-to-day operations and meticulous record keeping of the research project
• Manage research-related administrative work, e.g., purchase of materials or equipment for research
• Perform other tasks as required by the Principal Investigator

Application

Applicants (external and internal) will apply via Workday. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Closing Date

Closing date for advertisements will be set to 14 calendar days from date of posting.

Hiring Institution: NIE