11. The role of educational materials and teaching practices in shaping knowledge and understandings of gender/ sex among aspiring medical practictioners

Host

University of Copenhagen

Duration

36 months

The research

This research project aims to:

1. Audit knowledge and implicit theories about sex and gender among aspiring medical practititioners (i.e., medical students), their correlatesand consequences
2. Audit curricula and teaching practices around sex, gender, and treatment of trans and gender diverse individuals acrosskey courses in the medical education, and
3. Develop alternative models of gender/ sex education that are accurate both with respect tobiology and with respect to the needs and identities of patients that might seek gender affirming care

Medical practitioners receive education that should – ideally – equip them with a solid factual basis for understanding how sex and gender interrelate, and for advising appropriate treatment pathways for those who seek gender-related care, including trans and gender diverse patients. This project will interrogate that ideal while also considering the role of social and cultural factors in shaping the acquisition of knowledge about gender/ sex. Triangulated audits, combinging quantitative surveys and qualitative/ observational methods, will assess:

1. Levels of knowlegde and understanding of gender/ sex among cohorts of medical students, their correlates and consequences, and
2. The models of gender/ sex conveyed through teaching materials (e.g., curricula, textbooks) and classroom practices

Through assessing the state of knowledge and the educational environment that produces knowledge, the project further aims to developand test teaching materials that could address identified gaps and contribute to more positive interactions between medical practitioners and individuals seeking gender-related treatments or care. Secondment to Vrije Universiteit Medical School will facilitate access to medical students and opportunities to pilot new educational materials.

Your experience

Candidates should have:

• A Master’s degree in psychology or a neighbouring field related to the research project
• Familiarity with the relevant academic literatures
• Excellent higher education track record and scientific curiosity
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research designs and treatment of resulting data
• Knowledge and experience withrelevant data analysis software (e.g., SPSS, R, NVivo)
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving abilities
• Strong academic writing skills
• Fluent spoken and written English

 In addition, the following experience would be helpful, but not essential: 

• Knowledge of variations of sex characteristics and issues facing gender diverse  
• Experience with outreach, stakeholder engagement and community involvement

The position

The Department of Psychology at the University of Copenhagen is one of the leading psychology departments in Northern Europe and covers a broad range of psychological approaches and disciplines in research and teaching. The Department has over 100 members of staff, and over 50 PhD students. The research of the department is organized in three broad sections with associated post-graduate (PhD) students and postdocs. The sections are “Clinical, Health, and Humanistic Psychology”, “Cognition and Neuropsychology”, and “Social, Cultural, Organisational, Personality and Educational (SCOPE) Psychology”. This project will be situated within the SCOPE section under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Morton. Research withinSCOPE covers theoretical and applied topics and spans multiple methodological perspectives, including qualitative, quantitative, laboratory and field research.

For further information about the Department, including research groups and researchers, please see: psychology.ku.dk.

For more information about the PhD programme at the University of Copenhagen, see: psychology.ku.dk/phd_programme/