Nontobeko Prudence Khumalo
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I am Nontobeko Prudence Khumalo a senior lecturer and an acting HOD in the Faculty of Education, Department of Languages and Social Sciences at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU). I teach both undergraduate (B. Ed) and postgraduate students (PGCE) and supervise Postgraduate students. I have occupied different positions ranging from coordinating the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education funded Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) both from the Provincial and the University side. I hold a Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) degree in Curriculum and Instructional Studies from UNISA. I have co-authored several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. I have also presented at several local and regional conferences. I was a visiting student at the University of Colombia: Teachers College in the US from January to March 2020 and her visit was cut short because of COVID-19. I serve in many committees, including, Research, Teaching, and Learning as well as Community Engagement. My research interests are curriculum management, teacher education, assessment in education, academic literacy, and online learning.
My project
Social justice is multidimensional it needs multiple solutions, so as the stew which needs different ingredients. My contribution to the potjie is that of carrots. They do not only add colour and flavour, but they are nutritious as well, they are especially known for promoting healthy vision. Hence, without student engagement, our education is dull and is of no benefit to society at large. My project is on student engagement. The aim of the project is to help students to understand the importance of them taking an active role in their learning not only in the classroom but at the faculty level as well as in the broader Higher Education context. Student engagement offers students access to possibilities, access to lecturers thinking, and access to university policies, resources, and capabilities for human well-being. The focus of the project is on the following:
There is a strong relationship between teaching and research (these two need to be interwoven), these are co-roles, hence students need to be engaged in their own learning.
As lecturers, we need to build a connection between what students come with and what we have and can offer to them (Epistemic access), universities should be places where students are allowed to grow and where their needs are catered for.
Students should have a sense of ownership and responsibility for their education, we need to open spaces for sharing and collaborating while strengthening materials and course design. We need to co-design with them, hear their views and be prepared to learn from them.
We need to monitor if students are involved and give timely and constructive feedback to produce students who are self-determined, and empowered, irrespective of their background.
Student engagement should be a sustainable project as much as the focus of this project is on students registered for the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) which is done over a period of one year, the learnings from this group will be used for future groups so that it becomes a sustainable project.
The whole faculty need to be involved to make our PGCE students a force to be reckoned with by them grasping the principles of teaching as soon as possible.
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