University Professor of Didactics of Physics

Organisation/Company: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Department: The Institute of Physics

Research Field: Physics » Other

Researcher Profile: Leading Researcher (R4)

Positions: Other Positions

Country: Germany

Application Deadline: 8 Jun 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Berlin)

Type of Contract: Permanent

Job Status: Full-time

Hours Per Week: 40

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme

Reference Number: 00225-08-W3-js

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is one of the largest universities in Germany. Thanks to its location in the Rhine-Main science region, the university can exploit its full potential and showcase its dynamic innovative power. Its status as a comprehensive university allows for multidisciplinary learning and teaching, paving the way for internationally renowned, interdisciplinary research. Almost all of its faculties and departments are located on a single campus close to the Mainz city center, creating a lively academic culture for researchers, teaching staff, and students from all over the world.

The Institute of Physics at the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science invites applications for the position of University Professor of Didactics of Physics. The position is to be filled as soon as possible.
Salary grade W 3 LBesG | Civil servant (tenured)

We are looking for an internationally recognized individual with outstanding scientific and didactic expertise to represent the field of physics didactics in research and teaching with a forward-looking approach.

A key responsibility of the professorship is to establish and lead a Center for Science Education, which coordinates activities in physics education, fosters interdisciplinary synergies with the didactics of mathematics, computer science, and the natural sciences, and serves as a bridge between research and practice.

This professorship offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of physics didactics and science teacher training at JGU in the long term.

Further tasks:

• Establishment of a third-party funded research group to develop innovative and practice-relevant approaches in physics didactics. A key focus is building research collaborations within JGU, the Rhine-Main universities, and at national and international levels.
• Design and implementation of courses that provide both theoretical basics as well as experimental and practical skills for teaching physics. Close cooperation with physicists and key stakeholders in teacher training, such as the Teacher Education Center, is expected.
• Active contribution to teacher education by integrating subject-specific science and subject-specific didactics and engaging in student-focused initiatives such as NaT-Lab and research-based teaching-learning laboratories. Developing and implementing innovative best-practice approaches for teacher education, training, and the continuing professional development of science lecturers at the university level is desirable.

Minimum Requirements:

• A relevant doctorate as well as outstanding scientific qualifications and expertise in the didactics of physics, proven by publications and successful acquisition of third-party funding.
• Proven teaching experience, especially in the training of teachers in the natural sciences.
• Experience in setting up and managing interdisciplinary projects or research collaborations.
• Knowledge of the German language at least at level C2.

In addition to the general requirements according to public services law, applicants must meet the recruitment requirements stipulated in Section 49 of the Hochschulgesetz of Rhineland-Palatinate.

The applicant should have practical teaching experience at schools. If no proof of teaching experience is provided, it must be gained in the first three years according to a target agreement. Proof of this experience will also be examined during the evaluation at the end of the first three years.

The state of Rhineland-Palatinate and JGU are committed to close personal mentoring of students and therefore expect teaching staff to have a strong presence at the university. A cooperative, team-oriented and proactive work attitude, strong communication skills, and the willingness to assume responsibility – including further professional development in accordance with JGU’s leadership guidelines – is also expected.

Additional Information

JGU firmly supports making family and career compatible and promotes its employees’ further professional development with an extensive human resources development offer.

JGU is diverse and welcomes qualified applications from people with varied backgrounds.

JGU aims to increase the number of women in research and teaching and therefore encourages female researchers to apply.

Candidates with severe disabilities and appropriate qualifications will be given priority.

The on-site presentations and interviews as part of the selection procedure are scheduled for June and July 2025.

Selection process: Please apply by 08.06.2025 at the latest using the online application portal of Johannes Gutenberg University, which you can reach via the following link:

You can upload your application, including your cover letter, resume, certificates, diplomas, teaching philosophy (including a summary of your previous teaching activities), independent third-party funded projects, publication list, research plan, and up to three key publications here.

Number of offers available: 1

Company/Institute: Institute of Physics at the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science

Country: Germany

State/Province: Rhineland-Palatinate

City: Mainz

Postal Code: 55112

Street: Saarstraße 21