PLANNING AHEAD: ACADEMIC GOALS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS

The planning of my academic goals for the next three years involves a strategic approach to personal and professional development, research endeavours, teaching innovations, community engagement, and contributions to the UWC academic community.

 

In terms of learning and teaching, my goal is to continuously improve my teaching effectiveness and student engagement. I intend to incorporate innovative teaching methods, such as flipped classrooms, collaborative learning activities, self-directed learning and technology-enhanced instruction, to create an interactive, empowering and supportive learning environment. I will seek feedback from students and colleagues to assess the effectiveness of my teaching strategies and make necessary adjustments to enhance student learning outcomes.

 

In terms of research, I aim to further establish myself as a respected scholar in the field of educational psychology, specifically sexuality education. This involves setting specific research goals, such as publishing one peer-reviewed article per year in reputable journals, presenting at national and international conferences, and securing external research funding (through my NRF rating application that I plan to submit within the next year). I plan to collaborate even more with colleagues within the department and across other universities to broaden the scope of my research and enhance its impact. I plan to supervise more students to completion, specifically PhD students.

 

I aspire to contribute to the academic community through service and leadership roles. This includes actively participating in departmental committees, mentoring more junior faculty members and graduate students, and engaging in outreach activities to promote the department's initiatives and foster partnerships with schools and community organisations.

 

A key part of my vision includes expanding my involvement in community engagement by strengthening partnerships with local schools and the WCED, particularly in the area of sexuality education and Life Orientation. I aim to create sustainable initiatives, such as professional development workshops and support networks for Life Orientation teachers, to bridge the gap between research and practice and empower educators to better support their learners, especially concerning the more efficient delivery of sexuality education.

 

I also plan to continuously pursue professional development opportunities to stay current with the latest trends and developments. This will involve attending workshops, seminars, and training sessions, as well as seeking out mentorship and networking opportunities within and outside the university. I aspire to ultimately become an NRF-rated researcher.

 

My focus will be to work towards promotion to associate professor within the next three years. This ambition is grounded in my consistent efforts to demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, supervision, leadership, and community engagement.