- CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS
The Quality Talk research team is seeking an undergraduate research assistant to work on our federally funded research project housed in the College of Education. This employee will provide support for various research activities, including literature searches, data management, and processing and analyzing data.
The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and is aimed at enhancing mathematics teacher educators’ capacity to support preservice teachers developing pedagogical knowledge and skills through reasoning-intensive mathematics discussions. The model and professional development approach used in the project, Quality Talk, has been shown in previous studies to increase teachers’ discussion-based pedagogical content knowledge and efficacy as well as students’ critical-analytic thinking and reasoning.
Responsibilities include deidentifying and processing video discourse data, as well as data management tasks such as scanning, scoring, and ensuring data integrity. Other research tasks may also be assigned. Training for these skills will be provided as needed.
Compensation for this part-time position starts at $15/hr
Required Applicant Prerequisites:
- Enrollment in a relevant undergraduate program (e.g., Education, Human Development, Psychology, Mathematics, or Statistics)
- Successful completion of CITI Training
- Commitment to working 30 hours/per week
- In-person work on the UP campus of Penn State in a group setting
Preferred Applicant Qualities:
- Knowledge and/or prior experience with elementary and/or high school mathematics, science, and English language arts teaching and learning
- Prior research experience in any of the following: web design and development; online engagement; video coding and analysis; curriculum development; instrument and scoring rubric development; data management; and/or qualitative data analysis
Applicants must apply online. Questions regarding this position can be directed to Emilee Herman ([email protected]). Applicants should express interest by May 12, 2025, but materials will be accepted until the position is filled.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster
PA State Labor Law Poster
Penn State Policies
Copyright Information
Hotlines
Skills Required
- Enrollment in a relevant undergraduate program (Education, Human Development, Psychology, Mathematics, or Statistics)
- Successful completion of CITI Training
- Commitment to working 30 hours per week
- In-person work on the UP campus of Penn State in a group setting
- Successful completion of background check(s)
- Knowledge and/or prior experience with elementary and/or high school mathematics, science, and English language arts teaching and learning
- Prior research experience (e.g., web design and development; online engagement; video coding and analysis; curriculum development; instrument and scoring rubric development; data management; qualitative data analysis)
Penn State University Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Penn State University and has not been reviewed or approved by Penn State University.
-
Retirement Support — Employer contributions to SERS and the TIAA Alternate Plan are described as significant, with supplemental retirement options available. Feedback suggests these choices and contributions create strong long‑term value.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Full‑time employees accrue over 24 sick and vacation days annually, with additional university holidays and a winter break. Feedback suggests this depth of leave supports work–life balance.
-
Inclusive Benefits Coverage — A 75% tuition discount extends to employees, spouses, and dependent children up to age 26 across resident instruction, World Campus, and Penn College courses. Feedback suggests this broad eligibility meaningfully enhances total rewards, especially for families.
Penn State University Insights
What We Do
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our nearly 88,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. From access to state-of-the-art resources to interdisciplinary pursuits in collaborative atmospheres, a Penn State degree is more than an education. The experiences and knowledge gained here will form the foundation for the lives our students build. Their contributions to the world begin with a Penn State degree. We Are Penn State.
