Project Leader: Prof VP Mahlangu
Catalytic Niche Areas: Student Support and Co-Curricular Activities; Open and Distance Learning
Brief description of project: This ongoing project, initiated in 2023 and currently active as of 2025, is based at a prison facility in Namibia. The primary focus of the project lies within the niche area of student support for incarcerated learners—specifically, individuals who are pursuing academic qualifications while serving time in custody. The project explores how these incarcerated students engage in e-learning, often facing unique and significant challenges due to their restricted environment. It seeks to understand the various forms of support they receive from their respective universities, including academic, technical, emotional, and administrative assistance. By examining these support mechanisms, the project aims to highlight best practices, identify gaps in current service delivery, and suggest strategies for enhancing the educational experiences and outcomes of incarcerated students. Ultimately, it contributes to broader discussions around access to education, rehabilitation, and reintegration within the Namibian correctional context.
Project Leader: Prof M.S. Sepeng
Project members: Dr SJ Rapeta and Prof SS Khumalo from the Department of Educational Leadership and Management
Sub-project: Empowerment of South African School Heads on Conflict Management in the Foundation Phase in Ga-Rankuwa.
Brief description of project:
• Provide support to school heads in making meaningful teaching and lifelong learning for educators by improving their leadership skills. It seeks to improve learning for all learners, especially learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, by managing and leading the schools better in Ga Rankuwa. This initiative would foster a positive student-teacher experience during the teaching and learning process in schools.
• The project is relevant and related to the module ELM5903. ELM5903 is a leadership module that mainly focuses on Human Resource Management.
The subproject is linked up with NA1 - Knowledge generation and human capital development in response to knowledge generation and leadership skills development of South African School leaders, and NA2 - The promotion of democracy, human rights, and responsible citizenship.
Project Leader: Prof RI Lumadi
Catalytic Niche Areas: Student Support and Co‑Curricular Activities; NA2- Promotion of Democracy, Human Rights & Responsible Citizenship
Brief description of project: Management of learner discipline
Principal investigator, project team members and external collaborators:
Members: Prof M Lekhetho, Prof MT Lekalakala, Dr SKC Mataboge.
Non-funded
How the project serves/ responds to needs of stakeholders beyond academic: Intervention through a workshop with all principals: The project directly engages with school leadership by conducting an intervention through a workshop with all principals in the participating region. This initiative addresses real-world challenges faced by educational leaders and seeks to build their capacity in evidence-based leadership practices. By involving stakeholders in co-designed interventions, the project ensures that outcomes are relevant, applicable, and grounded in local context.
Project Leader: Prof LL Toolo (Principal Investigator)
(Catalytic Niche Area: Feminist, womanist and Bosadi theorisations)
Brief description of project: To determine the low number of girls and young women in the STEM fields and to identify strengths and/or limitations in the current institutional arrangement for girls and young women, to enhance their performance in the STEM
How the project serves/ responds to needs of stakeholders beyond academic: Intervention through a workshop with all principals, collaborations through the mentoring programme among educators, principals, and circuit managers, who are involved in the teaching of STEM subjects in primary and secondary schools
Last modified: Wed Feb 18 15:16:41 SAST 2026