Provo MTC PhD Research Intern; Unpaid Part-Time | Language Performance Assessment

Position: Provo MTC PhD Research Intern (Unpaid Part-Time) | Language Performance Assessment
Job Description

This position is central to the missionaries' role to 'Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.' The Research and Evaluation team seeks a PhD-level Research Intern to support the initial phases of a large-scale speaking assessment proof-of-concept project.

The intern will contribute to early-stage assessment development activities, including construct refinement, rubric finalization, task review, and preparation for pilot testing. The intern will work closely with senior research staff and receive ongoing guidance throughout the term.

Responsibilities

Assessment Design and Construct Work

• Support refinement of the speaking construct definition and intended score interpretations

• Review analytic rubric dimensions and level descriptors for clarity, coherence, and alignment with the construct

• Assist with documentation of scoring principles and interpretive guidance

Task and Item Review

• Participate in review of speaking prompts for construct alignment, appropriateness, and coverage

• Assist with mapping prompts to task families and proficiency expectations

• Support identification of gaps in the initial item pool

Validity and Reliability Planning

• Contribute to planning for content validity, construct representation, and early reliability analyses

• Assist with preparation of materials for SME review and cognitive labbing

• Help draft sections of technical documentation related to validation strategy

Research Support and Documentation

• Support cognitive labbing activities (e.g., administering protocols, documenting participant feedback, summarizing findings)

• Support preparation of pilot protocols, scoring guides, or research artifacts as needed

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Current enrollment in a PhD program in:

Educational Measurement / Psychometrics

Applied Linguistics

Educational Psychology

Program Evaluation

A closely related field

• Strong foundational knowledge of:

Assessment design principles

Rubric-based scoring

Validity and reliability concepts

• Ability to analyze and synthesize research findings

• Strong written communication skills, especially the ability to explain technical concepts clearly

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with performance assessments, especially speaking or writing

• Familiarity with rater-mediated scoring or rubric development

• Exposure to AI-supported or automated scoring, or interest in ethical use of AI in assessment

About Us

Church employees find joy and satisfaction in using their unique talents and abilities to further the Lord's work. From the IT professional who develops an app that sends the gospel message worldwide, to the facilities manager who maintains our buildings- giving Church members places to worship, teach, learn, and receive sacred ordinances-our employees seek innovative ways to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.

They are literally working in His kingdom.

Only members of the Church who are worthy of a temple recommend qualify for employment. Apart from this, the Church is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment decisions on any basis that would violate U.S. or local law.

Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, national origin, color, gender, pregnancy, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other legally protected categories that apply to the Church. The Church will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities.