Research Commentary: A Call for Postdoctoral Positions in Mathematics Education

In many STEM-related fields, graduating doctoral students are often expected to assume a postdoctoral position as a prerequisite to a faculty position, yet there is no such expectation in mathematics education. This phenomenon is likely due in large part to an abundance of faculty positions; however, it may also result from the field’s perspective on postdoctoral positions. In this commentary, we call on the mathematics education research community to consider the importance of postdoctoral fellows, and we make the case that prioritizing postdoctoral positions could afford mutual benefits to the postdocs, to faculty mentors, and to the field at large.