Education And Technology Researcher at African Population And Health Research Center (APHRC)

Duties / Responsibilities

The Researcher will lead and contribute to high-quality research projects that investigate the intersection of education, technology, and digital innovations, to generate evidence to inform policy and practice in African education systems. The specific responsibilities of this position are:

• Strengthen APHRC’s knowledge base on the use and the impact of technology in education, including responsible use and scaling of AI and other educational technologies in African basic education.
• Lead or co-lead research studies, including rigorous evaluations of the use of digital technologies (and other technologies) in African basic education.
• Contribute to project management, policy engagement and strategic planning within the Human Development Theme and the Center at large, ensuring that research findings are translated into actionable recommendations for policymakers, educators, and education technology developers.
• Secure funding through successful proposal development and maintain strong partnerships with local and international stakeholders.
• Evaluate the efficacy, equity, and ethical implications of digital technology, particularly in low-resource environments. This includes contributing to APHRC’s work in education and technology as well as AI.
• Investigate the adoption, use, and impact of digital learning platforms, mobile learning applications, and other technologies aimed at improving foundational literacy and numeracy, teacher effectiveness, and equity in education.
• Synthesize research evidence to develop frameworks for integrating digital technology in education, and engaging with ministries of education, EdTech hubs, civil society, and international partners to promote evidence-based policy and practice.

Key Responsibilities

The Researcher’s duties will be dependent on the level of appointment (Postdoctoral, Associate Research Scientist, Research Scientist, or Senior Research Scientist).

• Provide leadership to scientific research teams or projects in the area of education and technology, including AI in education. Oversee data quality and analysis, ensuring robust, ethical, and rigorous research practices.
• Lead and contribute to the development of research proposals and fundraising for projects within the Human Development Theme.
• Mentor young researchers (e.g., research officers, interns) and facilitate sessions in the Center’s training programs as needed.
• Secure and manage the necessary human, financial, and material resources for the assigned project and/or program.
• Contribute to policy engagement and the Unit/Theme’s strategic planning activities.
• Represent the Center at high-level national, regional, and international forums, including technical working groups and expert committees.
• Prepare and contribute to institutional publications, including policy briefs, research briefs, fact sheets, research reports and peer-reviewed journal articles.

Qualifications and Experience

• A PhD in a relevant discipline, such as education and technology, machine learning in education, educational data science, curriculum and instruction with a focus on technology, or a related field.
• Proven experience working in a research institution or similar settings, conducting high-quality research on education, digital technology, and/or AI. A track record of leading or managing research programs or projects is essential.
• Strong quantitative and/or qualitative research skills; experience with mixed methods is an added advantage. Proficiency in relevant data analysis software (e.g., STATA, SPSS, R, Python, NVivo, or ATLAS.ti) is required.
• Excellent scientific writing skills, as demonstrated by a record of peer-reviewed publications and successful grant proposals.
• Fluency in English is mandatory; proficiency in French is an added advantage.
• Strong proposal writing skills and a demonstrated ability to win research grants.

Desirable

• Experience conducting impact evaluations of education interventions, particularly those involving technology.
• Familiarity with African education systems, including foundational literacy and numeracy assessment tools (e.g., EGRA/EGMA).
• Knowledge of qualitative and mixed-method approaches for evaluating EdTech innovations.
• Successful candidates may be appointed at the Postdoctoral level (0-2 years after PhD), Associate Research Scientist (3-5 years after PhD), Research Scientist (6-11 years after PhD) or Senior Research Scientist (12+ years after PhD) levels, depending on experience and track record. These positions are classified under Internationally Recruited Positions (IRP).