Cum laude Masters for students from Memory and Teacher Development Studies project

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Four Masters Students from the School of Education who participated in the Memory and Teacher Development Studies research project recently graduated cum laude.  

Mr S’phiwe Madondo, Mr Sifiso Magubane, Ms Fatima Malek and Ms Leighandri Pillay all conducted innovative educational research that brought together two academic domains: Memory Studies and Teacher Development Studies.  

The student researchers used the methodologies of self-study of practice and narrative inquiry, together with a range of creative and participatory research methods including personal narrative writing, drawing, artefact retrieval, poetry and collage.  

The Memory and Teacher Development Studies project was conceptualised and lead by Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan and Dr Daisy Pillay and was funded by a Teaching and Learning Competitive Grant from the University Teaching and Learning Office (UTLO).  

Madondo, Magubane and Malek were supervised by Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan and Ms Leighandri Pillay was supervised by Dr Daisy Pillay. 

Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan and Dr Daisy Pillay commented: ‘We are delighted that these four students will be graduating cum laude. This academic recognition is very well deserved. The students have worked diligently and shown consistent initiative and perseverance.’ 

‘The examiners of the students’ theses commended them on producing timely and enlightening studies that demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of qualitative research methodologies. They also highlighted the originality of approach and range of data generating demonstrated in each of the studies.  

Madondo said, ‘I'm feeling very proud and excited to be awarded a distinction for my hard work.’ While his colleague Magubane added, ‘I feel extremely happy, obtaining cum laude has lifted my self -confidence about my research abilities and it has taught me about the importance of the healthy relationship between the teacher (my supervisor) and the learner (myself).’ 

His research looked at the development for a flair for English written communication among isiZulu-speaking grade six learners. ‘Through this self-study, I came to understand that the development of flair for written communication demands support from all significant stakeholders in learners’ education. Another important lesson that I drew from this study is that creativity should form an integral part of the teaching and learning process of written communication.’  

Magubane explored how as a teacher he could cultivate intrinsic motivation among learners to make learning Technology more enjoyable and interesting for them. ‘I was concerned because learners in my school seemed demotivated. Through my study, I discovered that the use of multiple strategies of teaching and including game elements and fun in the teaching and learning process helped to enhance learners’ motivation.’  

‘Engaging in self-study gave me a chance to consider how and why I respond the way I do to certain situations that I face as a teacher. I have learned that providing care and support for learners is central to intrinsic motivation, especially when learners experience many demotivating factors in their daily lives.’

Ms Fatima Malek stated that graduating Cum Laude is the most exhilarating feeling. ‘I feel that I can scream out in joy that every dream can become a reality once your heart is embedded in it!  

She looked at understanding and attending to the emotional curriculum in her practice as a teacher within the Foundation Phase (grade 1-3). ‘Taking a humanistic perspective in my study allowed me to understand the emotional curriculum as a process of attending to the inter-related emotional, academic and social needs of learners.’ 

‘Through this self-study research, I became aware that there is a need for learners to obtain not only academic support at school, but also the emotional support that was mostly lacking in my own schooling, but that I did receive at home.’ 

After three years of sacrifice and burning the midnight oil Ms Leighandri Pillay’s hard work has paid off. ‘I feel a sense of accomplishment and I am proud of my contribution to the field of narrative Inquiry. Self-motivation, dedication and determination has earned me this sweet success which is priceless.’ 

Her research looked at an understanding of the personal-professional selves of Novice Teachers (NTs) teaching in a Private Catholic School in Durban. The study documents the lived lives of NTs. ‘By reconstructing the narratives of three NT participants, I was able to get glimpses into their meaning-making of selves, what they do, think, feel and act within the context of a Private Catholic School.’ 

‘A unique, flexible self, creative, non-traditional self and activist, reflective self is how these NTs sustain themselves, through exercising agency in the classroom and with learners. In the absence of induction and mentoring, NTs in this study formed informal collective learning relationships and individual learning relationships to discuss, manage and cope with the everyday challenges. Through improvising and working spontaneously NTs are able to rethink and rework their meanings and are therefore able to reconstruct their identities.’

Melissa Mungroo