Projects | Research Unit Self-Directed Learning

LIST OF RESEARCH PROJECTS: 2024

Title of research projects	Participants
Reflective practice in action: Disrupting the 'apprenticeship of observation' of student teachers in Work Integrated Learning through authentic teaching-learning experiences	Prof N Petersen, Dr Adri Du Toit, Dr E Kung, Dr G Sekano, Ms M Annandale, Ms A Masunungure
Introducing self-directed learning principles to promote Northern Cape teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and skills	Dr Adri Du Toit, Dr Annalie Roux, Dr Gordon Sekano, Prof Magda Kloppers, Mr Francois Papers, Dr Eddie Nkanyani, Ms Effiness Kamanga, Dr Jan Kruger, Dr Albert Kemp, Mr Kamohelo Mokhako, Mr Hendrik Du Plessis
Cultivating self-directed learning in History Education: Exploring the integration of Age of Empires III as a game-based learning tool for History student teachers	Prof Byron Bunt, Mr M Stack, Dr Lance Bunt
Innovative curriculum design: Bridging the theory-practice divide in work integrated learning to foster self-directed learning	Dr A Du Toit, Dr D Kruger, Prof A Golightly, Ms E Kamanga, Dr C Mayombe, Ms Faren Mc Carthy, Prof D van Tonder, Dr V Petzer, Ms Christelle Kruger, Prof E Mentz, Dr A Lubbe, Mr Christoph Kaka, Dr S van Zyl, Ms Fotiene Avrakotos-King, Mr F Papers, Ms Lettie Botha, Ms Merna Meyer, Ms Ewie Erasmus, Ms Linda Hesse
Empowering self-directed learners through digital innovation and open educational practices	Prof D Laubscher, Dr C Bosch, Dr M Mdakane
Incorporating entrepreneurship education into the well-being framework of Life Orientation in South African high schools	Dr A Du Toit, Dr L Botha
Exploring Open Educational Practices (OEP) to foster self-directed learning (SDL) through technology-based Communities of Practice for STEM teachers	Dr RK Mafa, Prof D Laubscher
ICTs for Engineering Graphics and Design: Towards self-directed learning	Dr A Kemp, Mr Louis Oosthuizen
Community-driven open education resources initiative: Fostering self-directed learning in under-resourced schools	Prof D van Tonder, Dr E Erasmus, Dr V Petzer (Accounting), Mr C Kaka (Business Studies), Mrs L van Schadewijk (Accounting), Mr H Bosch (Economics), Me M Bila (Economics), Mr N van Deventer (History), Mr I Mabelebele (History), Dr E Erasmus (Music), Mrs Nozipho (Music), Mrs L Hesse (Visual Arts), Mr D Olivier (History)
Isiqalo esitsha! A new season for contextualized science education in Khayelitsha schools	Prof Josef de Beer, Prof N Petersen, Dr D Kruger, Dr S Mthembu, Dr M Ramulumo, Prof E Mentz, Dr K Samuel
Empowering sustainable development through game-Based Learning: A case study using the OER game 'Prosper' in the GREAT project	Prof B Bunt, Prof D Laubscher, Prof D van Tonder, Dr L Bunt, Prof D Griffiths (UNIR University), Prof P Hollins (Bolton University
Curriculum, teaching and learning: In pursuit of teacher self-directed learning support	Dr M Verster
Fostering global citizenship through Science Education, Visual Literacy and Indigenous Knowledge in Early Childhood	Dr M Ramulumo, Prof B Bunt

LIST OF RESEARCH PROJECTS: 2023

Title of research projects	Participants
Self-directed learning development through a Massive Open Online Course for higher education: Implications and recommendations	Prof Elsa Mentz, Prof Marietjie Havenga, Prof Dorothy Laubscher, Dr Anitia Lubbe, Dr Sukie van Zyl, Dr Marisa Verster, Dr Byron Bunt
Scaffolding work-integrated learning excursions toward realising the South African vision for intercultural competence, equity and inclusion	Dr Adri Du Toit (NWU), Prof Neal Petersen (NWU) and Prof Iman Chahine (University of Massachusetts Lowell).
The effectiveness of process-oriented guided inquiry learning in enhancing self-directed learning readiness when facilitating topics in Physical Sciences in selected South African and Zimbabwean secondary schools	Dr Charles Mamombe, Prof Washington Dudu
Self-directed learning praxis: Curriculum implementation and scholarship in context (Volume 12 or Volume 13)	Prof Charlene Du Toit-Brits
Diverse educational contexts and facets of research on metacognition and motivation to enhance self-directed learning	Prof Bernadette Geduld
Self-directedness regarding literary and non-literary texts	Prof E Vos, Mrs Marike Annandale, Ms Carmen du Plessis, Mr Duncan Ruiters, Ms Nadine Fouché-Karsten, Matthys Uys, Ms Carmenita Bansen, Renier Benson (MEd-student) Dr Janneke de Jong-Slagman (Ndl), Dorit Barchana-Lorand (Israel)
Open educational resources in a blended learning environment to promote deeper self-directed learning of South African Computer Science education teachers	Dr S Van Zyl, Dr C Bosch, Ms Fotiene Avrakotos-King, Mr Francois Papers, Mr Averil Gorrah, Dr Sonto Mthembu
Stemming the tide of barriers in Mathematics learning in resource-constrained learning contexts: The case of Self-directed learning (SDL) skills to support secondary teachers in implementing mathematical resilience	Dr N Kunene, Dr G Sekano
A multimodal heuristic to develop and monitor in-service teachers’ self-directed professional competence in selected UDL programmes	Mr J Sibanda, Dr M Mdakane, Mr C Els , Prof D Laubscher
Artificial intelligence, Bloom’s taxonomy, and critical thinking: The ABCs of assessment pedagogy	Dr A Lubbe, Prof E Marais, Dr D Kruger

LIST OF RESEARCH PROJECTS: 2020-2022

Title of research projects	Participants
Utilising cooperative- and problem-based learning to let student teachers explore the tenets of science, indigenous knowledge and pseudoscience	Prof Neal Petersen, Dr Anitia Lubbe, Prof. N. Petersen, Prof. W. Dudu, Dr. B. Samuel, Mr. J. Sebatana, Dr. D. Kruger, Dr L. White, Ms E. Pretorius
The quality of verbal questioning to support Self-Directed Learning in Intermediate Phase classrooms	Prof Deon van Tonder, Mrs. Yolanda Fourie, Mr. Nicolaas van Deventer
Engaging pedagogies to address perennial issues in Science Education in South Africa	Prof Neal Petersen, Josef de Beer, Prof Manu Prakash (Stanford University US); Dr Lounell White, Donnovan Kruger,
Enhancing in-service teachers’ mindfulness as an imperative for self-directed curriculum as praxis	Dr M Verster, Prof Bernadette Geduld, Prof Nncedisi Maphalala
The extend and in which way the MOS learning school model contribute to the enhancement of self-directed learning	Prof E Mentz, Me Alta Greeff, MR Johan van Lill, Mr Wikus Breetzke, Prof Josef de Beer, Prof Christo van der Westhuizen, Prof Jako Olivier, Prof Charlene Du Toit-Brits, Dr Anitia Lubbe.
The affordances of change laboratories for sustainability of self-directed teacher professional development programmes	Prof E Mentz, Prof Josef de Beer, Prof Kobus Mentz (CI), Prof Neal Petersen (CI), Mnr Tswakae Sebotsa
Empowering science teachers in Gauteng Province to infuse indigenous knowledge in their teaching of curriculum themes, and enhancing self-directed learning	Prof JJJ de Beer, Prof Elsa Mentz, Prof Neal Petersen, Mnr Tswakae Sebotsa, Mnr Nicholas Thambe
Towards self-directed multimodal learning of metaliteracy for open educational resource use and creation	Prof J Olivier, Dr D Laubscher; Dr A Dhakulkar; Prof TE Jacobson; Prof JP Mackey
Cooperative learning in a socratic adaptive system to enhance Self-Directed Learning (CLASeS)	Prof CP van der Westhuizen, Dr Roxanne Bailey, Dr Dorothy Laubscher, Prof/Dr Per Bergamin, Mnr Christof Imhof, (FFHS) Ondersteuningspersoneel: Dr Gerhard Du Plessis, Kobus Le Roux, Rassie Louw, Liana Venter en Santie Pieterse
Experiences of online remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these experiences reveal lecturer self-directedness	Dr Sifiso Mahlaba, Prof Elsa Mentz
Self-directed learning for the realization of the significance of multiple solution tasks (MSTs) in South African preservice teachers` geometry problem solving	Dr Sfiso Mahlaba, Dr Annalie Roux
Technology-supported cooperative learning to enhance Self-Directed Learning	Prof E Mentz, Dr R Bailey, Dr C Bosch, Prof Dorothy Laubscher, Prof C van der Westhuizen, Dr W Van Niekerk, Dr Sukie van Zyl, Dr A Lubbe.
Multimodal multiliteracies in support of self-directed learning	Prof Jako Olivier, Dr E Vos
Multimodal learning and Open Educational Resources (OER)	Prof Jako Olivier
Short course title: Open Educational Resources and Practices	Prof Jako Olivier
Fostering Aspects of Self-Directed Learning through Personalized and Adaptive Instruction Design in Online Learning Environments (SDL-PAID)	Prof C van der Westhuizen, Prof Per Bergamin (FFHS)
Geography teachers’ self-directed learning abilities, their involvement in self-directed professional development activities and the implementation of active teaching and learning strategies.	Prof Aubrey Golightly
The effects of cooperative learning on solving authentic mathematics problems: A case for self-directed learning.	Dr S Mahlaba
The effect of utilizing a historically themed trading card game on self-directed learning in a 3rd year BEd history module.	Dr B Bunt
Developing effective habits of mind for self-directed learning through a blended learning gamification strategy in a 4th year BEd module.	Dr B Bunt
Pedagogies of play to enhance selfdirected learning	Dr B Bunt Dr D van Tonder Dr M Kloppers Dr C Kruger Dr J Stoddard (University of Wisconsin) Prof. D Schaffer (University of Wisconsin) Mr L Bunt
Nurturing self-directed learning through an open game-based renewable assessment approach	Dr B Bunt Prof J Olivier
Establishing the merits of a school-wide community of practice project utilising teaching strategies for the development of self-directed learning.	Dr D van Tonder
Self-directed induction programme for beginner teachers.	Dr D van Tonder
Teacher preparedness for entrepreneurship education in the context of South Africa	Dr D van Tonder Dr A du Toit
Shifting toward an entrepreneurial mindset for lecturers across faculties at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)	Dr A du Toit Prof Lalini Reddy (Cape Peninsula University of Technology); Prof Iman Chahine (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
Solving real-world problems in problem-based contexts to enhance mathematics students’ self-directed learning skills.	Dr T Jordaan, Prof M Havenga
Technology readiness as a tool to enhance Self-directed learning (SDL) in a Constructionist Learning Environment (CLE)	Dr P Chewachong Akih, Prof E Mentz
Digital Humanities Open Educational Resource Champions project	Dr D Laubscher (agreement between South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) and the Faculty of Education
Open educational practices for self-directed learning (Changes approved)	Dr D Laubscher Dr L Olivier; Dr C Bosch; Dr B Bunt; Dr A Dhakulkar; Mr A Gouws; Dr D Laubscher; Dr A Lubbe; Mr S Mahlaba; Mr S Motloung; Dr A Roux; Dr M van Vreden; Dr S van Zyl Remove Prof J Olivier and Dr L Olivier as members. New members: Dr A Williams; Dr M Kloppers; Dr J Auerbach; Prof C Du Toit-Brits
Towards the development of self-directed reasoning skills: The affordances of Thinking Maps	Ms Erika Potgieter Dr Magda Kloppers
Exploring continuous assessment and SDL in pre-service teacher training	Dr A Lubbe Prof Maryna Reyneke, Mrs Marike Annandale, Ms Effiness Kamanga
The affordances of SDL skills and attitudes through machine-based adaptive attention guidance	Prof E Mentz Dr. Roxanne Bailey (UJ), Prof. Dr. Per Bergamin (FFHS/NWU), Dr. Ioan-Sorin Comsa (FFHS), Nonhlanhla Gumbi, MSc (UNIZULU), Dr. Martin Hlosta (FFHS), Dr. Petrus Kok (UNIZULU), Dr. Donnavan Kruger (NWU), Prof. Dr. Mncedisi Maphalala (DUT), Dr. Sukanya NATH, MSc (FFHS), Dr. Tansu Pancar (FFHS), Prof. Dr. Christo van der Westhuizen (UJ)
Die rol van ekskursies in die professionele ontwikkeling en selfgerigte-leer van eerstejaar B.Ed. studente-onderwysers aan die NWU	Prof N Petersen Editorial members: Prof Neal Petersen, Dr Adri Du Toit, Prof Elsa Mentz, Prof Robert Balfour Authors of publications: Dr Anitia Lubbe, Prof Iman Chahine, Mr Gordon Sekano, Prof Jako Olivier, Prof Josef de Beer, Dr Byron Bunt, Prof Grieta Hanekom, Dr Marry Mdakane, Prof Ferdinand Potgieter, Dr Corne Kruger, Dr Lounell White, Dr Jessica Pool, Adv Rene Koraan, Dr Yolande Heymans, Ms Ninette Crous, Dr Getsia Zaxzo, Ms Rhea Koch.
Self-Directed Learning (SDL) as an enabler in the teaching and learning of Mathematics Education modules at the North-West University during the Covid-19 pandemic	Dr SA Tachie Dr T Moloi Dr A Roux
Programming of robots in problem-based contexts to enhance students’ self-directed learning. 2019-2022	Prof M Havenga
2022-2025 Robotics for the 4IR: Towards self-directed multimodal learning.	Prof M Havenga