Prof LJ (Louis) van Niekerk

Office number: AJH 6-20
Telephone: 012 429 4778
e-mail address:   vnieklj@unisa.ac.za

Qualifications:

• BA,
• PGCE,
• FDE,
• HonsBEd,
• MEd (Teaching Media),
• DEd (Curriculum Studies)

Field of specialisation:

• Curriculum Studies,
• Teacher Education,
• Open & Distance Learning,
• Education Theory

Research interest:

• Narrative Theory
• Curriculum Leadership

Professional positions and awards:

• President of NADEOSA 2010 –
• Consultant Editor: SA Journal for Higher Education
• Editorial Committee: African Education Review
• Programme manager: Hons BEd 2004 -2008; PGCE 2010 – 2011
• Manager: Teaching & Learning, College of Education 2011 -

Projects:
Curriculum development for teacher education through open & distance learning

Publications:

Articles:

• Investigating the role of current theories of education in distance education universities. 1998. Progressio. vol. 20, no.2.
• Recontextualising Outcomes Based Education. 2000. South African Journal for Higher Education. 14(3) 90-100.
• (De)constructing globalisation. 2001. South African Journal for Higher Education. 16(1) Co-author: E. Venter.
• “Don’t kill the messenger” Hermeneutics and the assessment of qualitative research. 2002. Education as change. 6(1)32-42.
• Learner assessment in practice: lessons from the NPDE. 2003. Perspectives in education. 21(1) co-authors: S M Mothata and T Mays.
• Implementing the online learning community in Africa: a Unisa case study. 2003. African and Asian Studies. 2(4) 2003. co-authors J F Heydenrich and P Higgs.
• Distance education as a function of African community. 2004. South African Journal for Higher Education. 18(3).
• Professional development of teachers: critical success factors. 2005. Koers 70(2). Co-author: G.M. Steyn.
• Curriculum as narrative: implications of Ricoeur’s narrative theory for curriculum theory. 2005. Education as Change 9(1). co-author: W. F. Söhnge
• Reconsidering the role of power, punishment and discipline in South African schools. 2011. Koers Co-author E. Venter.
• The role of community in curriculum development for ODL in an African context 2010 32(2) co-authors P. Higgs, B. van Wyk

Book Chapters:

• Stuart, J.F. (ed.), Van Niekerk, L.J., McDonald, M.E.W. en  De Klerk, D. 1985. Didactics: an orientation for first year students. Johannesburg: Macmillan.
• Freysen, J.B., Briel, R.M., Potgieter, C., Van Graan, E.S.J. & Van  Niekerk, L.J. 1989. Media                 Science. Kempton Park: Audio Visual Aids.
• Van Niekerk, L.J. 1996. Learning content. (in  Jacobs, M. ed. 1996.Teaching dynamics: A participative approach.  Johannesburg: Heinemann. )
• Teaching. 1997 (in Lemmer, E . M. en Badenhorst, D.C. eds.  Introduction to Education for South African Teachers. Cape Town: Juta.)
• Hermeneutics and educational discourse. 1998. (in Higgs, P (ed.) . Metatheories in Educational Theory and Practice.   Johannesburg: Heinemann).
• The university: a case of spontaneous deconstruction. 1998. (in De Beer, C.S (ed.) Unisa as a distinctive university for our time. Pretoria: Unisa. p. 73-88)
• The role of current theories of education in distance education. 1998. (in De Beer, C.S (ed.) Unisa as a distinctive university for our time. Pretoria: Unisa. p.103-116)
• Aspects of lifelong learning. 2000. (in Lemmer, E.M. (ed.) 2000. Contemporary education: global issues and trends. Cape Town: Juta)
• Implementing the online learning community in Africa: a Unisa case study. 2004. (in N’Dri T. Assié-Lumumba (ed.) co-authors J F Heydenrich and P Higgs. International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology: Cyberspace, Distance learning, and Higher Education in Developing Countries. Leiden: Brill.