Faculty of Education
Prof Irma Eloff, Dean
Telephone number: 012 420 3513
Fax number: 012 420 4215
E-mail address: irma.eloff@up.ac.za
Message by the Dean
Some of the best educational researchers on the
continent of Africa make the Faculty of Education at the
University of Pretoria their home. Consequently, this
Faculty is where one will find leading studies on values
and human rights in education, reading performance
of South African children, foundation phase education,
effective support to vulnerable communities, career
adaptability, the pride and commitment of teachers,
portraits of teachers in science and mathematics, as
well as studies in distance education.
The footprint of the Faculty’s research extends well
beyond South Africa’s borders, with regional studies
in Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and other African
countries. During 2010, the Faculty of Education
boasted the highest number of NRF-rated researchers
in education in the country. While strengthening the
capacity of the Faculty to deliver top-quality teachers
to the system, the research priority remained a primary
driver in the Faculty’s operations.
In 2010, Prof Liesel Ebersöhn was chosen to represent
South Africa on the World Education Research
Association (WERA) and Prof Saloshna Vandeyar
received the Senior Researcher Award of the
Education Association of South Africa (EASA).
The Faculty launched seven major book publications in
education in 2010. The publications include two books
by Prof Kobus Maree, Career counselling – methods
that work and Shaping the story – a guide to facilitating
narrative career counselling. Prof Liesel Ebersöhn’s
book, Microscope to kaleidoscope – reconsidering
education aspects related to children in the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, presents 13 empirical studies conducted in
the context of HIV/AIDS. The two books of Ms Maryke
Mihai and Dr Alta Engelbrecht, Afrikaans ons taal –
onderwysersgids and Afrikaans ons taal – huistaal, are
well known for their positive impact on quality teaching
in Afrikaans in Grade 3. Dr Ina Joubert’s book, South
Africa is my best world, was published internationally.
This scholarly book depicts the experiences of
citizenship of South African children.
The brave new world of education by Prof Annemarie Hattingh, Prof Johannes Slabbert and Prof Thea de Kock
challenges traditional notions of teacher education and broadens the scope of self-reflection by teachers.
At the annual Research Indaba for Postgraduate Students two keynote speakers, Prof Michael Wingfield (Director of
the Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute) and Prof Michael Samuel (Dean of Education of the University
of KwaZulu-Natal) inspired the future educational researchers in the Faculty. Postgraduate students in the Faculty
received awards in categories ranging from best completed PhD (Andile Dube), to best completed MEd (Janna
Beukes). A second-year student, Akani Mabasa, won the award for best scholarly engagement during discussion
times.
Three more researchers received NRF ratings at the end of 2010. Prof Kobus Maree received a B3 rating, Dr Carien
Lubbe-De Beer a Y2 rating and Prof Neil Roos a C2 rating.
The Faculty is home to the editorial office of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)-listed academic journal, the
South African Journal of Psychology, led by Prof Kobus Maree as editor in chief. At the end of 2010, the Faculty was
also awarded the next term of service for the esteemed accredited journal, the South African Journal of Education,
with Prof Liesel Ebersöhn as editor in waiting.
The Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria is fully committed to growing the exceptional talent of young
people and students in education. It is embracing the many challenges of delivering teachers, researchers and critical
thinkers who can make real contributions in the education sector – nationally, as well as in the global context.
Prof Irma Eloff
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