Education And Technology Researcher

Role Overview

This researcher will work at the meeting point of education, digital tools and evidence generation, designing studies that show how technology—including artificial intelligence—can be used responsibly in African basic education. The post sits within APHRC’s Human Development Theme and involves turning findings into practical guidance for ministries, schools, educators and EdTech developers. The work matters because education systems need locally grounded proof of what actually improves literacy, numeracy, teaching quality and fairness before adopting or scaling new technologies. The scope of the post will vary by appointment level—Postdoctoral, Associate Research Scientist, Research Scientist or Senior Research Scientist—with greater leadership expected at senior levels.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct or share leadership of empirical studies and impact evaluations covering digital learning platforms, mobile learning tools, AI and emerging classroom technologies in African basic education.
• Set the research direction for education technology by mapping evidence gaps, testing assumptions and prioritising questions about responsible use, equity, ethics and scaling.
• Oversee study design, sampling, data collection, quality control, analysis and reporting, ensuring ethical and methodologically sound practice.
• Produce policy briefs, research briefs, fact sheets, reports, peer-reviewed journal articles and other outputs that make findings usable for ministries, educators and EdTech developers.
• Manage project teams, budgets, timelines and material resources, and contribute to strategic planning within the Human Development Theme.
• Write grant proposals and cultivate relationships with funders and local and international partners to sustain the education and technology portfolio.
• Convene or participate in technical working groups, expert committees and high-level national, regional and international forums to advocate evidence-based policy and practice.
• Mentor research officers, interns and early-career colleagues, and deliver sessions in APHRC’s training programmes when needed.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Doctorate in education and technology, machine learning in education, educational data science, curriculum and instruction with a technology emphasis, or a closely related area.
• A track record of research in a research institution or comparable environment, focused on education, digital technology and/or AI.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or manage research programmes or projects.
• Robust quantitative and/or qualitative skills; mixed-methods experience is a plus.
• Comfort with data analysis software such as STATA, SPSS, R, Python, NVivo or ATLAS.ti.
• Strong scientific writing, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and successful grant proposals.
• English fluency required; French fluency is a plus.
• Demonstrated success in writing proposals that attract research funding.
• Desirable: experience running impact evaluations of education interventions, especially technology-focused ones; knowledge of African education systems and foundational literacy and numeracy tools such as EGRA and EGMA; familiarity with qualitative and mixed-method designs for assessing EdTech innovations.

Why Join

This role offers a chance to build and lead a distinctive research portfolio on education technology and AI in African basic education. You will work with policymakers, EdTech hubs, civil society and international partners, contribute to APHRC’s Human Development Theme, and help mentor researchers while representing the organisation in high-level forums.