PhD Position Academic Skills, Teamwork, and Student Success Across the BSc Electrical Engineering

Join us in investigating how BSc Electrical Engineering students develop academic skills, teamwork, and project performance by applying learning analytics methods using multi-cohort consented learning data.

At TU Delft, the Electrical Engineering Education section warmly invites applications for a PhD position focused on improving student success in project-based engineering education.

Job description

The project will use multi-cohort learning data from the BSc Electrical Engineering programme to understand how students develop academic skills, teamwork competences, and project performance from the first year through to the Bachelor Graduation Project. The programme has access to four-year consecutive cohorts of consented student data, including university grades in theoretical and project-based courses, BuddyCheck peer-evaluation scores, project outcomes, and first-year progression and retention/BSA information. These data provide a unique opportunity to study learning trajectories across the curriculum and identify where targeted support can have the greatest impact.

This PhD will investigate how early academic adjustment, prior preparation, teamwork experiences, and peer evaluation interact over time. The research will focus on three connected areas.

1. Analyse the transition into university engineering education by identifying typical adaptation pathways and linking them to first-year progression and retention.
2. Model the development of project performance and academic skills across the BSc curriculum, from the introductory course to the Bachelor Graduation Project, to determine whether later project success is mainly shaped early on or whether recovery, catch-up, and growth are common.
3. Evaluate BuddyCheck as both an assessment instrument and a learning tool, with attention to feedback quality, fairness, validity, and improvement in later projects.

Please note that this is a six-year PhD position, which includes two years of educational support duties. As part of these duties, the PhD candidate will contribute to teaching activities in the BSc Electrical Engineering programme. These activities may include delivering lectures and instructional sessions, supporting laboratory teaching, and contributing to the BSc Electrical Engineering Integrated Projects (IP1, IP2, and IP3). The candidate will also be required to obtain the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ/BKO) during the appointment.

The candidate will work at the intersection of engineering education, learning analytics, assessment, and academic skills development. The project is connected to ongoing educational innovation initiatives, including tools for better use of BuddyCheck results and learning dashboards for student support.

We are looking for a motivated candidate with an interest in engineering education and student success. Suitable backgrounds include electrical engineering, engineering education, learning analytics, educational sciences, data science, or related fields. Experience with quantitative methods, statistical modelling using the python programming language, learning analytics, or text analysis is an advantage.

This PhD contributes to TU Delft’s mission to educate future-proof engineers by strengthening retention, teamwork, academic skills, and project-based learning in the BSc Electrical Engineering programme.

Job requirements

You have:

• A Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering.
• A Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Embedded Systems.
• Previous experience in teaching either professionally or in the form of internships, and familiarity with the Dutch secondary and higher education system and curriculum.
• A strong interest in electrical engineering education and learning processes in education, plus a minor degree or certification in education.
• Affinity with both technical and educational research, such as data analysis.
• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
• Strong analytical, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Excellent command of Dutch and English.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering, and design. It delivers results in education, research, and innovation to address challenges in energy, climate, mobility, health, and digital society.

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines that reinforce each other and drive the technology used in daily life. The faculty offers strong opportunities for ground-breaking research, educates innovative engineers, and provides excellent labs and facilities within an international environment.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 6-year period of employment in principle, in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5-year contract includes an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months, followed by an additional contract for the remaining 4.5 years assuming performance requirements are met.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff, and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related, and research skills.

TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.