Future Researchers (4th Edition) by University of the Western Cape

May 2022

4th Edition

FUTURE RESEARCHERS Locating research that advances sustainable development goals. (SDG)

FOREWORD Welcome to the fourth edition of this publication themed, “Locating Research that Advances Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. Universities including The UWC and other institutions of higher learning, have an important role to play in the achievement of these SDGs. Leadership, Research and Innovation are critical in driving the 2030 Agenda. In this edition our emerging researchers share their research ideas, as they pertain to SDGs and views on topics such as: (1) Academic Literacy (AL); (2) Mitigating Heart Disease by Developing Physical Activity; (3) Digital Transformation with a specific focus on Digital Innovation; (4) Early Childhood Development (ECD); (5) Inclusive Online Environments in the Health, Education, and Financial Space; (6) Theoretical Assessments in an Undergraduate Programme, and (7) Legislative Response to Cybercrime. All these research stories shared by our emerging researchers, evidently shows that The UWC continues to contribute scientifically in, “Locating Research that Advances Sustainable Development Goals”. Below we highlight the importance of some of the areas of research being conducted: •

Literacy is a cross cutting theme in all SDGs. Literature has highlighted that literacy is important in economics (higher skills lead to economic growth); social development (women’s empowerment); political science (growth of democracy, national identity), education (literate parents foster literate children). The role higher education plays in academic literacy is thus cross-cutting in driving the SDGs and this work is important for us at UWC as we offer support to our students.

•

Mitigating heart disease through promotion of physical activity is aligned to SDG target 3.4: by 2030, which aims to reduce by one third premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases through prevention and treatment, and to promote mental health and well-being. This is a key element of health promotion and is an area for interdisciplinary research.

•

Digital transformation has been identified as a cross-cutting theme in the institutional operating plan. The role of digital transformation and sustainable development is an ongoing debate and by contributing to the debate we make our voices heard.

•

Early Childhood Development (ECD), aligned to SDG 4; “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” It is specifically mentioned in target 4.2: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.” (www.un.org,2022). Therefore, this area of development is key for UWC.

All these research stories shared by our emerging researchers, evidently shows that The University of the Western Cape continues to contribute scientifically in, “Locating Research that Advances Sustainable Development Goals” It is for this reason that our Research and Innovation Mission is, “Making Research and Innovation Count Through Connecting Possibilities 2021-2025”. Through these publications, we continue to highlight UWC’s interdisciplinary research strengths, while building critical mass in areas that are globally relevant and strategically important.

THE PHD JOURNEY I have successfully supervised 20 PhD students over my academic career and this might not be many in academic years but the journey has been amazing. Doing a PhD is not the same as doing a master’s degree. When you are busy with a masters’ degree, you are busy learning to master the art of research and when you decide to do a PhD, you are contributing new knowledge to the body of knowledge. Suddenly, you must find your voice and be bold in this journey. Each PhD student that I have supervised experienced life and life’s challenges in different ways whilst completing their PhD. In walking through this journey of doing a PhD, it can be a lonely one and if you don’t find good support, it can make the journey an unpleasant one. Your first support base is your supervisor. Choosing a good supervisor for this PhD journey is important. It is not only about the academic gravitas of your supervisor but also the soft skills that they will bring to this journey. So, choose a supervisor who will be by your side for the next 3 to 5 years very well. Your supervisor is important but surrounding yourself with other PhD students is just as important. Find likeminded people that will understand your challenges but will also celebrate your victories. Find people with whom you can engage and bounce ideas off and who are willing to share their own experiences. As you navigate through this PhD journey you will face life challenges and it will be your support team that will carry you through. They may be one step ahead of you in one area and a step behind you in another but guiding each other through the journey is rewarding. Thus, I always say “throughout our lives we will have experiences to share that can encourage others and build the next person, and be willing to share your story.” This PhD journey is an interesting one and many times we want to put a time frame of 3 years with deadlines that are not always met.

My advice to you is to be gentle on yourself, yes set timelines and goals but allow things to unfold on its own. Your journey is your own so carve out your own path. Do not try to walk the same path as another person – it will never be the same. I have found supervising PhD students very rewarding but realised that my role is more than just supervisor but also mentor, coach and sometimes just an advisor. Reminding students that the PhD journey is not linear, there are valley moments and there are mountain moments, but each moment helps build you as you strive towards the blue gown moment. My PhD journey set me on a path to becoming the academic I am today. I hope that as you read this reflection, you will take some of the tips to make your journey better or even more so make the journey better for someone else.

Prof José Frantz Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation

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Development Rewarding

Quality FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

DR. CAROLIEN VAN DEN BERG experiences. Before the students embark on these projects, we give them a framework in terms of potential problems they need to explore. Many problems they face are interlinked, so looking at these issues from multiple angles is really important. So partnering with students, local community representatives, and NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) to try and explore these problems and come up with potential solutions within the social digital innovation space is one of our areas of focus.

Give us a brief overview of the research that you’ve done so far? I come from an information systems background, and before I joined the university, I worked in the industry for a number of years. My main focus has always been in the area of digital transformation, with a specific focus on how to apply digital innovation and implement collaborative projects for the social good. My research has become more interdisciplinary with an aim of going to a more transdisciplinary focus where I partner with other practices. Currently, we are working on a transdisciplinary project between information systems and urban planning in order to look at digital social innovation, focusing on sustainable development goals (SDGs) within local communities. Within this, our main focus is looking at SDG elevens (sustainable cities) and then going into local communities and exploring what problems they have with a link to sustainability. However, we’re doing it in a collaborative way where we use our students to do interdisciplinary projects by going into their own local communities, and applying their ideas within their own lived 4

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Another area that I focused on is digital entrepreneurship, which links to what was previously said. We are also trying to create start-up incubators for digital entrepreneurs. The students are getting the necessary skills to form businesses in the digital space. Another area I’ve also looked at is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Ethics. Embedding ethics into Information Systems is also a challenge that I’ve looked at, which all connects to the bigger project, a concept called, Society 5.0. Society 5.0 is an emerging concept that has been worked on in Japan. The crux of this idea is an emphasis on emerging technologies like robotics, AI, the Internet of things, etc, in order to see how we can bring in the social component. To add quality to the lives of individuals through the advancement of such technologies is a concept that I am also excited about. Balancing economic advancement with social problems and integrating the digital and physical space is vital for how we want to go about things. Which research fund did you apply for? The only real funding that I’ve been successful with was NRF funding when I completed my PhD The fund assisted me with some time off to complete my PhD and I also received NRF funding for conferencing and international engagements. Besides that, I haven’t been successful with any other funding programme, national or international. The funding process is still one that we are working towards. Due to its complexity, it takes time, and it’s not something

I am particularly strong at doing. With the collaborative project that I am working on, we are exploring different ways of finding more international collaborations, and that potential route of funding will go a long way in helping us with the work we are doing. How has the funding helped you with your research? The funding I received helped me in terms of teaching relief. It also helped with international conferencing, which is also really helpful, and that happened when we could still travel without restrictions. That has not been active over the last two years, but hopefully, that is something that we as researchers can do again. What were the motivations for carrying out this research? I think for me it’s always exploring and finding new ways of doing things. I spent some time doing work in future studies and I am always looking to the future, and that’s why I’m so interested in technology. Another huge motivator for me has been my students and working with them and their journeys within this. Much of the research that I do, I do with my students in terms of student projects. The area of sustainability has become so important, and topical to the point that the more I research this subject, the more I realise that we can’t do anything else, and that’s been a real motivator for me, thinking about the futures of my children and generations to come. What has kept you going during your research? When you’re working on any project, especially with people, there will be low points where the ideas you might be working on simply don’t work, or don’t attract the right sort of attention. That kind of rejection forced us to rethink and relook the critique we receive from some of our work, to see how we could possibly apply some of these ideas to what we are doing and change. Going into the future, that is the sort of attitude that all of us need to have. I think because we’ve all had the rug pulled up from under our feet because of COVID-19 lockdowns, it’s taught us the value of change and learning new knowledge. Another factor that has kept

me going, has been the people that I’ve worked with. If I had to do this alone, it would have been extremely hard to find that resilience, but by collaborating with others, we’re able to help one another in moments of weakness. By doing this, we’ve formed strong collaborative partnerships, which really help in getting started and getting things done. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? What inspires me is the collective, different voices, and different methods of doing things. The research we are doing now is interesting because often you think you understand a problem until you hear it from the people on the ground. When they start talking, engaging and telling their stories, then you hear these issues from different perspectives. My students also inspire me through their voices and show me that there are different ways of looking at this subject matter and unpacking knowledge within it. Teaching students in the process whilst taking them along on the journey and in helping them become real change agents in our society also give us hope. What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or best thing that has happened to you as a researcher? When presenting your research at a conference in front of subject-matter experts, thinking about how am I going to best answer questions is very scary to me. It’s imposter syndrome and one always feels like they don’t belong in a certain environment. However, I also think that time eases some of those concerns the more experience you gain. Although most experts aren’t quick to snap at ideas, I usually find that other people are quick to criticize my work. I remember when I had to present at a conference once and the people I had to present to weren’t really in my field. And by the end of it, they couldn’t stop being critical, and at the time I was caught off guard. That is what I find scary, presenting and not knowing how people are going to receive what I offer. FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-grad student?

Describe your experience as a supervisor in one word?

An important thing that I wish I did more, was to collaborate and also find a mentor. The moment I started collaborating with other academics, it happened by chance while doing professional development courses, and that for me was a great thing because you know you’re not on your own and because of that, you can begin copublishing, with other academics in other fields, which is brilliant. Joining together takes the competitive nature out of academics because while we are together, we are all focused on a single set of goals. Find someone that can really help you during the process and take you on board. Many people would say that is the role of a supervisor, but a supervisor doesn’t always have the capacity to play that role. Finding an individual that can mentor you and help you navigate the waters is key.

Development and learning.

Another piece of advice I would give is, to be adaptable, and develop a thick skin during this process. Don’t see rejection as something to take personally, but see it as a learning opportunity and analyse what you can learn from the feedback you are given. One last thing I’d like to add, be optimistic, take chances, and don’t be scared. What impact did COVID-19/lockdowns have on your work? Before COVID, I graduated in 2018 and then I was really on a good trajectory with my research then COVID came and everything came to a halt. Suddenly, I was locked down in a small house with my two young children and my husband working from home. I had to become a home school teacher and teach my students as well. This made research almost impossible and the wheels completely came off. Although I tried to get up early in the morning to continue with my own work, it was difficult, and the focus just became about survival. The fact that I couldn’t engage and see people face to face, was very hard. 6

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What have you done since completing your PhD? Since completing my PhD, I’ve continued the research that I’ve done before, expanding on it and getting more experience, so for me now, getting to the next level I need to up my publications and increase my international collaborations. I’d also like to get some funding, and although there was some funding in the pipeline, it just didn’t work out once COVID started.

“What inspires

me is the collective, different voices, and different methods of doing things.

”

SAGWADI MABUNDA as cyber-crime. What I did to address this was to propose a two-part framework for determining what I call ‘true cyber-crimes. I found that there are certain crimes that should not be in the cyber-crimes act, while true cyber-crimes that don’t form part of the act should be in the act. For example, hacking is a true cyber-crime, cyber-fraud is not a true cyber-crime. The reason is, cyber-fraud has always existed and is made easier because of the internet. However, cyberfraud is not computer-dependent. Along with this, one would find that it doesn’t meet the criteria to be classed as a cyber-crime.Therefore it should not be in the cyber-crimes act. Which research fund did you apply for?

Give us a brief overview of the research that you’ve done so far? My name is Dr. Sagwadi Mabunda, I graduated with my PhD. in December 2021 and my research topic was the South African legislative response to cybercrime. I am 29-years-old and I come from Limpopo. Currently, I am a lecturer at the University of the Western Cape lecturing criminal law and I am also an admitted advocate with the PAN African Bar Association of South Africa (PABASA), based in Sandton, Johannesburg. In my research, I looked at the legislative response to cyber-crime in South Africa and that would include the cyber-crimes act. When I started my research, it was still the cyber-crimes & security bill of 2015 and since then, it’s evolved over the years, and by the time I completed my studies, the bill had been signed into law. The fundamental question I wanted to address was whether the act lived up to the international standards of how cybercrime is legislated. Before I could do that, I needed to determine the definition of cyber-crime. In many cases, people speak about cyber-crime without knowing what it means. A general definition that most people would give is one that consists of people doing criminal activity on the internet and defining that

I started my PhD journey in 2016 and during that year, although I didn’t get funding, I ended up working for the Dean as his research assistant and I was able to pay my rent. In the second year of my PhD, I applied for the NRF and thankfully I got it. Although this was the case, I only received two years of funding for this three-year contract because I had already completed a full year of my PhD. How has the funding helped you with your research? The funding had made an incredible difference. The highlight of the funding is that it has allowed me to pay for living costs, and attend conferences. I’ve done conferences in Namibia and Botswana, due to the financial assistance the fund gave me, in order to travel. At the end of the day, I was able to publish three journal articles, and two conference papers, and I honestly believe that the funding from the NRF made a huge difference. Access to the funding was also user-friendly and I didn’t really experience any hassles, and I would encourage anyone to seek this type of funding. What were the motivations for carrying out this research? When I was doing my Master’s in transactional criminal justice, there were four modules, which included international criminal law, transactional justice, international anti-money laundering, and international anti-corruption law. In my antimoney laundering law course, our professor FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

gave us an assignment about trafficking. While I was doing that research, I came across a documentary on YouTube called, ‘Selling the girl next door’. This documentary was a description of how young girls are trafficked with the use of the internet. The documentary also went deeper into talking about sex trafficking, human trafficking and the dark web. From that assignment, I made the decision to learn more about cybercrime, and that is how it started. With regards to my motivation, I have always been fascinated with criminal law, and cybercrime was the latest manifestation of crime. From more conventional crimes like theft and murder to now doing nefarious things on the internet like evading prosecution. I wanted to discover more about the cybercrime bill which had just been tabled in 2015 and in 2016 when I started doing my PhD, I got the opportunity to discuss it as it was being created, and during that period three or four different versions that I had to align my research too. That was also a factor of motivation for me because I knew that by the time I finished, I would already be an expert at something that people would only start thinking about years down the line. The fact that is viewed as an international crime also gave me added motivation to do this and gain expertise that most people would not have. In addition, I also proposed frameworks from the research of others, to making it my own and I was able to think about these concepts in a different way. What has kept you going during your research process? It’s been a combination of many things. I’ve had a strong support structure that included my parents, friends, supervisors, and the faculty. Much of this process was me doing what I needed to do. There were times when there was no motivation, and during those times, I would draw strength from my mother. She was the one who helped me see the end goal and wearing my blue gown, after all; is said and done. Being able to talk to my closest friends and work through my thought process with them, helped clarify my mind and ideas. Many people have this idea that pursuing a PhD is going to consist of constant work with minimal sleep. For me, that wasn’t always the case. In some instances, I would produce work after positive feedback, and in other instances, I wouldn’t work for weeks 8

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at a time due to mental fatigue. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? If I had to boil it down to one thing, I would say it’s the pursuit of knowledge. It’s one of the things that I’ve always gravitated towards. For example, when I was six months old allegedly, my nanny left me at the neighbour’s house, and when my parents came home from work, I was just there. After that, my parents thought it best that I go to creche, and since then, I’ve been in school for 29 years. What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far? The best thing about having embarked on this research journey is that it has allowed me to travel. Being a black girl from Limpopo, travelling is not something that happens to us. Going into this research field has opened so many doors and opportunities to travel. During this period, I’ve been to England, Italy, Germany twice, Brazil, Botswana, Namibia, Dubai, Durban, and Cape Town. Visiting all those places does not happen without me pursuing my research studies. Travelling is always something I wanted to do, and that is something that doesn’t happen to us. Growing up in Limpopo, the only idea of travelling that I had was people travelling from Limpopo to Johannesburg. So when I went on a plane for the first time, it was a big deal because, ‘what is a passport?’ One of the main reasons I continue to write papers is to push for more opportunities to travel abroad, expand my mind and meet new people. What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-graduate student? The biggest thing that I had to come to grips with was what exactly does it mean when you are doing your PhD? My supervisor told me early on that I am no longer consuming knowledge, I am creating knowledge. It took me a while to understand what that meant, but essentially it meant that you need to go further than what exists already. One of the only ways to create knowledge is to do your research, be confident in your abilities, and get into the mindset of knowing that you are creating knowledge. Don’t doubt yourself, and trust in your own ideas. During this process, there

For me, it’s never been a chore to be in school, and I’ve found comfort and “solace in being in a learning environment. The fact that people like Elon Musk are constantly building their knowledge base is insane. The fact that there are so many things that we have no knowledge of gives me the motivation to say,

”

‘Let’s’ go find out’. were times when I had to push back against my professor. I had to develop the courage to advise on my knowledge of cybercrime, and educate him in certain instances due to my expertise. The robust discussions I had with my professor really helped me gain even more respect for him. By the end of this process, he came out knowing more about this topic and I came out with all the skills and the wealth of knowledge that he he had given me. It is very important to not dwell in that imposter syndrome phase. Most of us experience this, particularly when we do something new. Understand your deficiencies, strengths, and work well with your supervisor. When you think about your supervisor from a logical perspective, their credibility is based on your success. If you fail in the end, your supervisor also fails as a consequence. Understanding that will place matters into perspective, and help you understand what the goal for you is. For me, my relationship with my supervisor was no stroll, however, in the end, I valued the process I went through with him because I learned so much. The goal was clear, and we left our egos at the door, our emotions didn’t cloud the process. In order to be successful in doing this level of research, you must be willing to go through these peaks and troughs. If you enter this process with a level of arrogance and an unwillingness to learn, you will not be successful. Humility and understanding your strengths and weaknesses will go a long way in helping you attain your goal. And as I said before, always remember that you are creating knowledge. Your thesis needs to stand on its own because if it’s weak, it will be ripped to shreds. And another piece of advice, publish as often as you can from your thesis. What impact did COVID-19/lockdowns have on your work? For me, COVID came at the tail-end of my research. I was waiting to be examined when

COVID hit, but it was tough. Lockdowns meant that people weren’t working at the rate they had previously been working at, people weren’t available, and the general health of those you worked with was uncertain. For instance, one of my examiners lost a few people during the pandemic and it meant that he could only examine my work after about three months. That waiting process was excruciating because I had been doing this for around five years, and the goal was to finish as soon as possible. Another awful side-effect of the pandemic was the loss of opportunities. However, even during adversity, everyone worked hard to make these processes as streamlined as possible. Even though my qualifications took over a year to finalise, I’m just glad it’s over. Describe your supervision experience in one word? Adventure. Most of the supervision experience was a rollercoaster on my end, needing to adapt very quickly. I had to handle my emotions when I was praised and criticized for my work. Contesting both extremes has been a lot to handle, but I am really thankful that my supervisor handled things well. He was always level-headed in his praise and critique of my work, and overall he was brilliant. What does the future hold for you once you complete your PhD? I want to start a think tank. A portion of my research was something called ‘The Capable Guardian’. I want to create a think tank that creates ‘The Capable Guardian’. I don’t know what that would look like, but that’s the big dream. The smaller detours toward the big dream are small writing. I love writing and attending conferences because I get to travel. I am also thinking of doing my post doctrinal, but I need to sleep for a year or two, and then see where I’ll do my post doctrinal. The think tank is the golden goose. FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

GHALEEL ACHMAT ment Programme Towards Transformation (ADAPTT). The programme is a Department of Higher Education (DHET) supported initiative. Funded under the DHET University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP). ADAPTT is constituted by five universities, namely, the University of the Western Cape; Cape Peninsula University of Technology; Rhodes University, and the Tshwane University of Technology, with the University of Missouri and the University of Illinois being our US consortium partner institutions.

1. Give us a brief overview of the research that you’ve done so far? My research overview stems from my master’s research project which entailed conducting physical assessments among 277 firefighters in Cape Town in order to identify the prevalence of coronary artery disease risk factors. Since my master’s graduation, I registered for my PhD and explored risk factors leading to heart disease among firefighters in the Western Cape. The aim of my PhD is to mitigate heart disease by developing physical activity guidelines for firefighters experiencing coronary heart disease and multiple health risk behaviours in the city of Cape Town. During this time, two articles have been published as I am developing this niche area, whilst two more articles are under review. Which research fund did you apply for? I applied for the Academic Doctorate Advance-

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Furthermore, each South African consortium nominated two university staff members in various fields. These staff members are being supported towards the completion of our Ph.D. The candidates have also benefited from participation in professional development courses such as writing for a publication, grant writing skills, postgraduate supervision, and research skills. How has the funding helped you with your research? The funding has helped me tremendously during my research journey. Upon arrival, I was more clinical and practically involved in research and knew very little about the nuts and bolts of the research process. What the scholarship program taught me was to develop my research area which is health promotion in the public sector. Participation has allowed me to contribute to our institution as I researched the University of the Western Cape by writing and publishing seven articles in various fields of sports science. I have subsequently applied the information through tone and applied for NRF funding for honours students. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful however I’ve learnt so much during the process. Furthermore, I’ve applied the skills obtained during the supervision

workshop to all the students I’m supervising. Thus far three master’s students have graduated and 12 honours students have successfully completed mini-thesis research projects whilst on the ADAPPT program. Something I’m proud of, as we continue working together in sharing our knowledge to impact change in Mzansi. What were the motivations for carrying out this research? I’ve also been interested in becoming a medical doctor or assist people in healing or some kind of medicine. At the same time, I’ve been passionate about sports and played soccer and cricket as a kid all the way through to my tertiary education. My first year at UWC made me think about combining my two interests. During my studies, I became enthusiastic about exercise medicine and interested in the SRES department’s collaboration with the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services. So, I thought why not combine my interests in exercise medicine, heart disease, and health risk behaviours and develop my niche area in tactical athletes such as our firefighters in the city. What has kept you going during your research process The easiest thing to do...is to stop. However, this journey has taught me to keep grinding. I’ve learnt so much through the program and developed holistically as a human being. Family, wife, colleagues, friends, neighbours, and a solid support structure have provided motivation for me during the tough times. However, towards the latter part of my journey, I become a father to a beautiful baby boy, Abdul Haadi and that is my biggest motivation to complete my studies and share knowledge with students and more importantly, spend time with my baby boy! 6. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? There are so many people who I’ve engaged with and drive me to continue with my studies, knowingly and unknowingly. It would be wrong to

mention names and omit one because somehow everyone has provided me with inspiration. My inspiration comes from meditating, doing grounding/ earthwork, and going to the beach. Engaging with leaders and my mentors provides helpful discussions to progress. Furthermore, mentally stimulating conversations with family, friends, and colleagues have been a huge help for me.

What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far? Recently, whilst on a writing retreat with the ADAPTT team, my laptop crashed. Panic stations occurred as I had sat all morning completing my data analysis. Tak Wing assisted and advised the laptop was old. Later that evening Makhaya Malema took me to Prof Sur Bassett’s home who lived close by to use her laptop. Unfortunately, the data was not retrieved, so I started writing my scoping review protocol article related, which is now under review at BMJ open. What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-grad student? The advice I would give is to pursue studies with a clear game plan and stick to your study timeframes. It’s truly an honour and privilege for us to be in this position. By upskilling and empowering ourselves we have a responsibility to our communities, families, and Mzansi to create an environment that is in a better state than we left it. A solid support structure in terms of supervisors, family, and work is strongly recommended. What impact did COVID-19/lockdowns have on your work? The pandemic caused major disturbances to my studies, in this instance permission to conduct the studies which usually took 21 days took just over nine months. This impacted my data collection being delayed however this time was then used to conduct my three scoping reviews. Describe your supervision experience in one word? Resourceful.

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What does the future hold for you once you complete your PhD? I’m excited about what the future holds as a PhD at the University of the Western Cape. There is enormous career growth in the field of biokinetics and sports science but also during my PhD journey I was fortunate to network and collaborate with colleagues from various disciplines through the ADAPTT scholarship. With the extra time available I look forward to engaging these networks and providing a

sustainable environment for myself and others in the industry by increasing my publication output and impacting an underutilised area in the biokinetics field specifically in community biokinetics. In addition, I’d like to thank Prof. Frantz, Prof. Leach, Prof. Kanaley, and Dr. Erasmus for the tremendous amount of support and encouragement and for providing me with this opportunity to contribute to my personal and professional development.

“The easiest thing to do...is to stop.

However, this journey has taught me to keep grinding. I’ve learnt so much through the program and developed

”

holistically as a human being.

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LUTASHA NDESI Give us a brief overview of the research that you’ve done so far? I recently completed my PhD research where the title of my dissertation was, ‘An assessment of the Academic Literacy (AL) modules offered at the University of the Western Cape: Towards an embedded hybrid academic literacies model’. This study was about new incoming students academic development needs and induction to higher education studies at a historically black university in the Western Cape province in South Africa. The overall purpose was to assess four of the seven faculties’ academic literacies modules in order to ascertain, whether they provided holistic support to first-year students who the university admits to its respective undergraduate degree programmes. The study had three objectives. The first objective was to determine each faculty’s academic literacies module’s theory and practices. The second was to evaluate the four modules to determine if they were addressing the needs of first-year students holistically. The third and last objective was to arrive at an embedded hybrid academic literacies model that faculties could use within their specific contexts and disciplinary fields. Which research fund did you apply for? With help from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research & Innovation ( DVC: Research & Innovation) and her team’s support, I successfully applied for funding from the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) Black Academic Advancement Programme (BAAP). How has the funding helped you with your research? The funding opportunity provided me with the funds to contract an associate lecturer as a substitute to grant me the necessary time off from teaching to complete my PhD research for an entire academic year. During this academic year, I realised that no amount of funding will assist you to complete your research project(s) if you do not remain focused, disciplined, and consistent in setting up a daily workable routine

for yourself and sticking to it. What were the motivations for carrying out this research? The motivations for the study stemmed from my experience of having worked for more than 15 years with a diverse populace of first-time students in higher education observing and experiencing their challenges firsthand. These challenges included adjustment from high school to university, expansion of identity formation (at university, in the family, and in local communities), socio-economic factors, being a first-generation student, academic factors including coping with a more intense workload, time management, learning in a language besides one’s mother tongue, lack of self-esteem and confidence to mention a few. I wanted to understand who the students are and where they come from to inform my pedagogical practices drawing from their day-to-day authentic indigenous knowledge and how they make sense to create meaning in

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an academic context and beyond. What has kept you going during your research process? My faith, the belief in myself, the support of my family, friends, colleagues, and the institution I work for, UWC has kept me going to see my PhD research project to completion. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? My greatest inspirations are my students who believe in the power of a dream to obtain their respective university qualifications often against all odds. The right to education inspires me together with special mentors. What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far? One of the funniest moments was when my daughter, 10, and son, 12, came up with a new title for me, namely, ‘Dr. Mamma’, although they could not understand why I would be referred to as ‘doctor’ if I don’t work in the medical field. The scariest incident which happened to me as a researcher thus far, has been the experience of having lost my mother on the eve of submitting my PhD dissertation for examination and having to let go of a significant relationship in my life whilst in the process of completing my research project. What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-grad student? • You are capable of achieving anything your

heart and mind can perceive. • You cannot say that you have learnt something if you have not made the effort to share it with others. • Believe in the power of your dream. • Focus + discipline + routine = success. • Surround yourself with seasoned mentors. What impact did COVID-19/lockdowns have on your work? It had both a positive and negative impact on my research work. The positive impact was that I could spend more time thinking, reflecting, and writing. Whereas the negative impact was having to juggle far more responsibilities as a female researcher brought about by an unjust and unequal patriarchal system. Describe your supervision experience in one word? Phenomenal! What does the future hold for you once you complete your PhD? I intend to conduct further research with the assistance of a post-doctoral scholarship/ fellowship locally or internationally. I have already been granted the opportunity to present some of my research internationally where I look forward to contributing to UWC’s vision of being a research-led institution as my research aims to enhance my learning and teaching in pursuit of enabling transformative and sustainable community involvement and upliftment for people as well as the environment.

“My greatest inspirations are my students who believe in the power of a dream to obtain their respective university qualifications often against all odds. The right to education

”

inspires me together with special mentors. 14

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ELSABE HUYSAMEN somebody had to ask me, ‘Well, tell us what assistance you needed?’ I wasn’t able to tell them. It was partly financial, partly motivational, partly guidance, so I couldn’t phrase it. When I read about the DTS programme and the modules it offered in the first year, I thought, ‘Well, that brings about what I need.’ I just felt like it made sense for me to apply for it at that stage to give me a kick-start and that adrenaline injection to get going with my studies again. I didn’t know Prof Frantz at the time, but I knew she was the DVC of Research and Innovation. From reading what the programme was about, I thought I had nothing to lose by applying for it.

Give us a brief overview of the research you’ve conducted so far? The research title of my doctrinal studies is, ‘The future of prohibition on indirect, unfair discrimination as part of South African antidiscrimination employment law: A competitive reflection.’ Hopefully, through my answers to the questions, I’ll unpack my research and the research title so that ultimately the reader can get a good sense of what it’s about. I am doing my research at the University of Stellenbosch (LLD- Legum Doctor- Doctor of Law) because that’s where my supervisor is. My proposal was accepted without any changes at the beginning of 2020, which doubled as my first year of registration. I am working towards completing my doctorate and submitting it by the end of 2022. Chapters one to three have been submitted to my supervisor. I am currently busy with chapters four and five, which deal with the South African perspective. That’s analysing them together, and I hope to submit chapter four by the end of November 2021. Why did you apply for the DTS (Developing The Scholar) programme? When I applied for the Developing The Scholar in 2018, I was at a stage with my doctorate where I wasn’t making any progress and felt stuck. I needed assistance to make progress, but if

Secondly, I believe in grabbing all opportunities that come your way, so I applied for many scholarships in the past for international conferences and similar programmes. The worst thing that could happen is to receive a rejection, and on the flip side, if the response is successful, imagine the opportunities that arise from that. I have been successful with many past applications, for various things, and all have been beneficial. It includes my doctorate studies, teaching obligations, and matters around my research concerning my articles. So I am a firm believer in, ‘Just ask.’ The worst-case scenario is only rejection, but there is always more to gain from the application if it is successful. How has the funding helped you with your research? The programme has helped me with my research a tremendously . If I had to sum it up, it would be ‘a lot’. The DTS research is not based on monetary funding, but all other kinds of assistance through various modules are applied. When academics apply for funding, we tend to think that funding is reduced to financing and that isn’t the case. Monetary funding in the programme was a small part, however, the non-financial aspect had the largest impact. Let’s start with the financial funding. Within the DTS programme, I was successful with regards to funding which helped me undertake a research visit to Canada during March 2020, just before the lockdown happened. That visit was valuable, and given the lockdown, the value of that visit had even more value in my case. Canada is one of my four major comparative jurisdictions, including the United FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

States of America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The United States and Canada are the two most important jurisdictions. Doing research from South Africa, finding information on Candian-specific sources was extremely difficult. In the cases where I found Canadian sources, they were written in French, which I don’t read, speak, or understand. Because of that, going to Canada was vital for me if I had any hope of completing the Canadian chapter and doing a comparative study in any meaningful way. That is where the DTS funding came in. Prof Frantz came up with a plan to get me there, which was amazing in itself. Unfortunately, due to President Ramaphosa’s announcement concerning the first lockdown in March last year, I had to cut my trip short and return to South Africa. Despite this, I still managed to get all the relevant sources I needed. However, when push came to shove, I had to find a way to capture these sources. I decided to take photos of textbooks on my phone so that I had the information with me once I was back home. With regards to the non-monetary side of the DTS programme, we had a good batch of workshops, some were one-day workshops, but in many instances, they were two to three-day workshops. It allowed us to go with our DTS group, Prof Frantz, and the various speakers. The idea was to get away from our personal and work circumstances to enter a space that entailed you and your studies and focus entirely on your research. It was also about getting the time and tools to do your research through these various workshops, speakers, discussions, and modules that the Prof taught personally. If it wasn’t for those factors, I wouldn’t have been able to get my proposals submitted and approved at the beginning of 2020. I believe that my work wouldn’t have been accepted on the first submission. Because of that specific timing, and tools we received, I was able to successfully do that, which saved me at least a year in my studies. In an earlier interview, you said that the DTS programme had changed your life, what was life-changing about it? It kick-started the completion of my doctoral studies. Before the DTS programme, I wasn’t even sure about the exact topic I wanted to do at the time. Now at the end of this process, I am looking at completing my doctorate during the

course of next year, which three years ago seemed like a lifetime away. The programme changed my life in terms of my studies and progress. The programme also allowed me to travel abroad and publish as an academic. It changed my life by making me a better researcher, academic, and supervisor. So holistically, the Elsabe from four years ago as an academic and an individual is not the same person you see today. The individual today is a much-improved version. What has kept you going during your research process? I genuinely have a love for research. If I had to choose between lecturing and research, I always joke and say, ‘I love my students, but I would love to focus only on research.’ When I do what I love, it doesn’t feel like work, and that is what research is for me. Because I love doing it, I am always motivated to do it. Obviously seeing concrete results like getting articles published, having the doctorate proposal approved, and now with the finish line nearing more and more, that also motivates you. You have to see that you’re working and see something by the end of a three to five year period. During that time there have to be tangible things that you observe, progress and achievements that you’ve made, and successes that you’ve had. Those successes, like having articles published and travelling abroad, has added to my love for research. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? What inspires me the most are successful people, more specifically, academically successful women. I always look at people in the law facility and leaders such as Prof Frantz. I look at these women and think, ‘They’re still fairly young, have families, in positions of leadership, and they reached these areas of prominence because of hard work and research.’ They’ve got doctorates, published articles, and they are keynote speakers. To me, those are successful academic women, and it inspires me immensely to think that I can also do that. I doubt myself, asking whether I can reach those heights and fill those shoes. However, when I look at them, they are no different from you and I, and yet they’ve managed to make a success of themselves, and that inspires me. I describe these women as ‘normal’ people who have been very successful, and that is what inspires me because I can see

myself in them, and I know if they can do it through hard work, I should also be able to do it. What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or the best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far?

goal of writing 200 words a day, and when you add that over five days, you suddenly have 1000 words. And after four weeks, that 1000 words become 4000 words, and before you know it, you’re writing 15 000-25 000 words.

I am generally unaware of what happens around me when I am focused, and because of that, I tend to do things that don’t make sense to other people. The scariest and best thing to happen to me so far was the first time I received an email saying that my article had been cited by a publisher. That, for me, was an awesome feeling. A few seconds later, that was followed by the scariest moment because I began to ask the question, ‘What was cited and what was actually said?’ Were comments negative toward my work, and would they think that I was wrong? That was very scary and remains scary every time I get a notice that somebody cited my work.

What impact did COVID-19 have on your work?

What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-gradstudent?

Describe your supervision experience in one word?

The lesson I would like to share with researchers and aspiring post-graduate students is to look at people who you believe are successful and see them as normal people. They achieved their goals through hard work, and if they can do that, so can you. I have had students ask me in the past how I have a Masters’ degree, publish articles and lecture, while having a family. I always tell my students that I am just like them. Just a few years ago, I sat in the same seats. Although I don’t necessarily see myself as a success, I got to where I am today through hard work, pure dedication, and a boatload of grace. Whenever I engage with my Masters’ students and they tell me about the challenge of completing a minithesis, I always tell them to come back to me once they’ve completed their work, and often instead of struggling to write too little, they often struggle to limit the quantity of work they produce. I always tell my students and myself that when approaching a Masters’ thesis, look at it like eating an elephant. And how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. That is what I do with my own studies. For example, set a daily

The word best describing this experience would be, ‘Rewarding’.

The impact it mostly had was that I didn’t progress as far and as much with various aspects of my work. With schools being closed last year, and even when schools partially opened again, looking after kids at home was not easy to juggle, in addition to getting all my work done as a full-time employee. On a good day, I would usually work between eight to nine hours. Now you throw in COVID-19, all the added responsibilities, and the emotional issues, it just became hard. So all-in-all, the largest impact COVID-19 had on my work was that I did not get as much done as I would have wanted to.

What does the future hold for you once you complete your LLD (LegumDoctor- Doctor of Law)? I am looking forward to that day because there are so many things I want to do and want to focus on. I love doing my LLD (Legum DoctorDoctor of Law), but as I said previously, I am very much a results-driven person, and I want to see things grow and develop. It’s difficult for me to spend three to five years on this project and only get a degree at the end. I want to see stuff in the meantime. Once I get this LLD, I am going to publish as much as I can from the LLD and get those accredited publications in and get an RF rating as soon as possible. I would say that those are my biggest two aspirations once the LLD is completed. I also want to introduce my area of study (Discrimination law and employment) as a module at the postgraduate level in the law facility, this is something that I have discussed with my HOD (Head of Department), and there is space for that. I want to get the LLD.

“What inspires me the most are successful people, more specifically, academically successful women.” FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

JANENE MARAIS working on submitting the full scoping review and interviewing parents who have children with intellectual disabilities as well as health care professionals who work with or have experience working with children who have intellectual disabilities. In my professional capacity, I have worked on and contributed to a book chapter titled ‘Community health workers as key contributors to self-management programs’. This chapter was in collaboration with Prof J Frantz, LJ Johnson, and ZN Mvelase. I have also published an article titled ‘Achievements and challenges for higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid review of Media in Africa’. This article was published in collaboration with IK Sonn, M Du Plessis, CD Jansen van Vuuren, NV Roman, and E Wegner.

Give us a brief overview of the research that you have done so far. For my PhD my research focuses on the emotional well-being of parents, specifically, parents who have children with intellectual disabilities. In my research on the background of the health and well-being of parents who have children with intellectual disabilities, I found that parents caring for their child(ren) with intellectual disabilities experience many difficulties and overwhelming emotions related to their child’s disability. There are however, few support interventions available to parents who are caring for their child with intellectual disabilities. To address this shortcoming my Ph.D. aims to contribute to the body of knowledge by developing a support programme that provides emotional support to parents who have children with intellectual disabilities. For my PhD thus far, I have looked at and submitted my scoping review protocol which looks at support programs for parents of children with intellectual disabilities. I am currently

An article that is currently in the process of being published is one that I wrote with Prof J Frantz and M Du Plessis which looked at academic leadership programs in institutions of higher education, where we explored the views of academics who were on the programme, this was done in collaboration with Prof J Frantz and M Du Plessis. Which research fund did you apply for? In 2020 I was in the Developing the Scholar programme and in 2021 I was part of the Developing the Early Career Researchers programme. These programmes were workshopbased. A brief overview of some of the workshops that I attended was: Developing a research profile, proposal writing, writing for publication, and grant proposal writing. How has the funding helped you with your research? The different workshops that I attended really helped in my capacity development and strengthened my academic writing capabilities. As a result of the programme I have a clearer understanding of how to go about conducting my research. The programme has also introduced me to a group of people that I would never have

process might seem daunting at first, “Thebut in the end, it will be worth it.”

DVC: RESEARCH & INNOVATION MAGAZINE

met unless I was part of these programmes. I can also turn to other academics when I am facing difficulties in my research and with some, I have even developed friendships beyond the workplace. What were the motivations for carrying out this research?

and capabilities, but those who I have met at the different workshops have also been a big motivator as we were all going through this journey together. We could talk about our varying experiences and keep each other motivated through developing a community of practice.

I have always personally believed that not only is the health and well-being of children important but more so vital that the health and well-being of parents be prioritised. Parents guide, mold, encourage and support their children so that children are able to master their developmental tasks and grow up to be functioning and wellrounded adults. However, if parents are burnt out, stressed, and feel despondent because they feel that they are unable to successfully parent their child that has challenges due to their mental

Who is your biggest inspiration(s)/ what inspires you?

health or disabilities not only negatively impacts the health of the parents but inadvertently affects the children and their development. I believe that through my research I will not only be able to make a difference in the health and well-being of parents who have children that have intellectual disabilities but that my research will also directly impact the lives of their children.

parents through them and their daily struggles and how when they are healthy and well they are in a much better place to parent their children. My nieces and nephews are also my biggest inspiration. I want them to always aspire to do their best, work hard and stay determined during the tough times. I believe that if I am successful in my work and reach my goals, they will one day be able to take inspiration from me.

What has kept you going during your research process? I have been blessed to have a really good support system that has enabled me to stay motivated. My family, husband, and best friend have been my biggest motivators. They encouraged and motivated me when I felt despondent and just did not want to carry on. They have supported me through their constant words of encouragement, reading through my work, and being there for me emotionally.

My biggest inspiration has to be my family. Not only are they my support system and motivate me to keep going and do my best, but they are also my biggest inspiration. My brother and sister have already started their own families and are raising children of their own. They may not be my target audience in relation to my research, but every day I see the importance of the health and emotional well-being/wellness of

What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or the best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far?

Secondly, my supervisors are instrumental in me staying motivated. They have always been available to me when I needed guidance throughout my PhD journey and staying on top of my workload without getting overwhelmed.

The best thing has to be the wonderful people I have met on this journey. I was lucky enough to be part of both the DTS and DECRP programmes and as a result of the various workshops. I had the opportunity to meet many different researchers and academics. Those who are on a similar path and with whom I can and do share experiences. It has been instrumental in combating feeling isolated. I also had the opportunity to work with senior and experienced researchers and academics which was an exciting and rewarding experience.

Being on the Developing the Scholar (DTS) and Developing the Early Career Researcher Programme (DECRP) has also been invaluable in keeping me motivated. Not only has the programme strengthened my research skills

What inspiring lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-grad student? You are going to encounter many challenges and feel discouraged during your PhD journey, when this happens it is important to take a step FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

back, refuel and try again. The PhD journey can feel very isolating at times, and it helps to find your people. Surrounding yourself with those on a similar journey can really improve the experience. Your people can be really helpful through this process, bounce ideas off, talk to when you are feeling despondent, or just be a community of practice, keep you going and making this journey less lonely. Research allows you to learn and develop. You are not meant to be an expert at the beginning of the process but rather discover new things and add new knowledge and contribute to the field. It is about persevering through the tough times, enjoying and celebrating victories small or big. Research allows for personal and professional development and growth. What impact did Covid have on your work? A major part of my PhD has and is happening during the Covid 19 pandemic. I believe that the biggest impact Covid has had on my work is just the feeling of isolation. For a large part of my PhD journey, I have not been able to access campus or be around others that are themselves on their PhD journey. Secondly, Covid has also impacted my research; part of last year when I was supposed to be accessing

mental health hospitals for my interviews I was unable to conduct any of my interviews, as we were not allowed to access the hospitals due to the Covid restrictions. I have also needed to rely on technology to remain in contact with my supervisors and friends a lot more during this time. I am still currently relying on technology to remain in contact with my supervisors and I have not had a face-to-face supervision session with them since the start of the pandemic. Describe your supervision experience in one word? Supportive. What does the future hold for you once you complete your PhD? I am keen to expand my research in the field of parental well-being in the face of child mental health and disabilities. I would like to be able to implement the programme that I am developing and hope that it will make a positive impact in the lives of parents who have children with intellectual disabilities. I am also eager to expand my research skills and knowledge and to keep on growing and developing personally and professionally.

“I have always personally believed that not only is the health and

well-being of children important but vital that the health and well-being of parents

”

be prioritised.

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FAZLYN PETERSEN Give us a brief overview of the research that you conducted? My research areas and supervision include the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) for development (ICT4D). My current work is focused on creating more inclusionary online environments in the health, education, and financial space. In health, I have focused on using technology to improve diabetic selfmanagement for people of lower socioeconomic status. My educational research explores the use of a data-free instant messenger to create more inclusive online environments for students who are excluded due to the high costs of data and devices. My supervision is aligned with scholarly calls for investigations on the exploitation of ICT tools to improve digital financial inclusion. Which research fund did you apply for? I obtained funding in 2019 to support the completion of my PhD through the NRF black academics advancement programme. I also received UCDG grants to assist my educational research. How has the funding helped you with your research? The funding allowed me time off from a labour intensive teaching workload to complete my PhD. The time off also allowed me to prioritise my research output. My research output in accredited journals and conferences is currently improving as my focus was to complete my thesis first. What were the motivations for carrying out this research? Many people are excluded from the digital economy due to a prevalent digital divide and a lack of digital skills. I want to use my ability to be forward-thinking and design technology to help solve societal challenges.

What has kept you going during your research process? My drive for creating inclusive environments ensures quality and buy-in from users. My ability to involve users increases their ability to take ownership of IT solutions and allows for greater sustainability. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? I am inspired when I see communities involved in the design process. This is the reason for using human-centred design. This allows the collaboration with users and communities to lead the design process for creating their IT solutions. What

the

funniest/scariest

most

embarrassing or best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far? I had a presentation at the Western Cape Department of Health. My PhD focused on

FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

diabetes, as it is an area I care deeply about because I was diagnosed with juvenile-onset diabetes at the age of seven. I believe that my research should not only supply a piece of paper for my wall but should be making a difference in the lives of others. I used the meeting with the Department of Health to provide my PhD findings as well as practical recommendations that would not require significant funding to implement. What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-grad student? It is natural to feel despondent, tired, and demotivated. Having a support system in place where you can vent and scream when you need but keep pushing forward. One word at a time is all you need to write. Have patience with yourself. If I can finish with a chronic condition, two children, and big class sizes, so can you!

What impact did COVID-19/lockdowns have on your work? I generally spend more time teaching and learning than I do on my research. I have learnt to become more creative and combine the two. My research prioritisation is still a work in progress though. Describe your supervision experience in one word? Rewarding. What have you done since getting your PhD? Lecturing in Information Systems

“I am inspired when I see communities

involved in the design process. This is the reason for using human-centred design. This allows the collaboration with users and communities to lead the design process for

”

creating their IT solutions.

DVC: RESEARCH & INNOVATION MAGAZINE

INGE SONN How has the funding helped you with your research? The funding has helped in numerous ways from being able to pay for my fees to conducting data collection and having a research assistant helping me in data collection, data capturing, and transcribing, has been incredible. What were the motivations for carrying out this research? I have always been fond of working with children. When practicing as a paediatric occupational therapist prior to working at the university, I would invite the parents to join treatment sessions. At times, I could see that it was challenging for the parent because they weren’t always sure of what to do. I’ve also had friends and family ask me to show them how to get their babies to sit or crawl especially if the baby wasn’t doing it by the time they should. Parents became anxious and worried, and parent-child play interaction and relationships would be affected. Give us a brief overview of the research that you’ve done so far? My research is predominately done in Early Childhood Development (ECD), more specifically in play and the parent-child play interaction and relationships. My PhD study focuses on developing guidelines for parents to engage in developmental play in the first 1000 days of the child’s life. However, conducting research on ECD cannot be done without parents, caregivers, and the community environments they reside. Furthermore, I have a great interest in understanding ECD, parent-child play interactions, relationships, and communities by looking at it from different theoretical standpoints such as Jean Ayres’s Sensory Integration Theory, Global citizenship education, Attachment theory, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological systems theory, and Human Capabilities theory to mention a few. Which research fund did you apply for? Over the course of my degree, I have received NRF funding support via my supervisors as well as funding from the UWC DVC.

Everyone is unique and develops at their own pace. However, the common misconception is that all parents instinctively know how to help their children reach developmental milestones. The situation changes more so if the child has developmental or congenital disabilities. I remember a time when I was at the mall. The dad had his baby sitting in the front section of the trolley. He was looking around and the baby was staring and smiling at his dad. That moment when the baby stares at the parent, and the parent makes eye contact with the child, is such an important moment in the child’s development. I decided to pursue this research because I wanted people to know these things. And the importance of play, and how early childhood influences the rest of a child’s life and the world around them. What has kept you going during your research process? I am going to be completely honest. The research process is a wonderful experience. It is very rewarding. However, as with learning anything

FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

new, there are moments of frustration, but you get through it because deciding to pursue one’s PhD is a big step and journey that you take on your own. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide how you want it to go, taking into consideration all the sacrifices that will be made in the process. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? I would have to say women’s leadership at the university. I see how they navigate through the successes and challenges by working here. They are blazing the trail for early career researchers and novice academics. It makes me feel proud to be a woman. And my mom worked in academia and attained her PhD I saw the hours she put into completing her thesis. It was a wonderful experience to attend her graduation as a family. And finally, I’d like to mention my son. I want to create and leave a legacy of continuous learning through him long after I’m gone. What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far? As a researcher, the best thing for me was the data collection process pre-COVID-19. My colleagues and I would travel to very rural areas, usually using Google maps. Google maps usually give the fastest routes, but taking Google’s advice wasn’t always necessary. We ended up driving through mountainous areas with no signal. We made it to our destination safely, but it was a bit scary. Besides that, I really enjoy speaking with and interacting with all kinds of people from different communities. I enjoyed learning about people and their experiences. It enriched my understanding of human nature and resilience. What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-grad student? It is of utmost importance to find at least one postgraduate student/researcher that is on the same journey, and with whom you feel most comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings. If not, it can be a very lonely process and people can become despondent. Every step and every achievement within the research process needs to be celebrated. Have a cheerleader in your corner, that celebrates with you every step of 24

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the way. Try to have a relationship with your supervisor/s. You will be spending at least one to five years together. What impact did COVID-19/lockdowns have on your work? Well, there were two sides to it. Firstly, I couldn’t go out and collect data from certain areas because of the lockdown. So, there was a short delay there. At times, it was lonely not being able to be on campus or being around like-minded people. Sometimes just being in the correct environment makes one feel inspired! But I adapted as I am sure everyone did. I eventually got used to working virtually and finding creative ways to manage my emotions and research process. Describe your supervision experience in one word? Kindheartedness. What does the future hold for you once you complete your PhD? I intend to collaborate with international universities and travel. I want to present my work at conferences and share it with communities, non-governmental organisations, governmental organisations, and the communities I collected data from. I believe in giving back to the communities, in a way that is most beneficial to them. I’d also like to help fellow postgraduate students through their process, in whichever way I can.

“My research is

predominately done in Early Childhood Development (ECD), more specifically in play and the parent-child play interaction and relationships.

”

GABIEBA DONOUGH Which research fund did you apply for? I am currently on the University Staff Doctoral Programme Fund. How has the funding helped you with your research? This programme is an excellent initiative that supported me as a researcher resulting in my productivity through various coaching and mentoring sessions; a researcher who is able to contribute to UWC in terms of the national and international knowledge output in the higher education context. It also improved my research scholarship and helped me to build research confidence by allowing me to obtain feedback from experienced researchers. The programme provided great relief enabling me to focus on my research. What were the motivations for carrying out this research?

Give us a brief overview of the research that you’ve done so far? My PhD focuses on the Development of best practice guidelines for theoretical assessments in an undergraduate programme. More specifically the design of assessments. I conducted a Scoping Review to establish what the current documented best practices in assessment design at higher education institutions are. The findings were written up, submitted, and accepted by the South African Journal of Higher Education as a manuscript. I presented the paper ‘Theoretical assessment design’ as a Teaching and Learning session at an international conference at the University of Hertfordshire. That paper was well received. I further continued to conduct a Document Review to establish what was reported by the internal and external moderators on the design of final assessments. My second article resulted from this and was submitted to Curations. I am also in the process of submitting my abstract to the South African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE) annual Conference.

Several things motivated me to pursue this research. One motivation was the ‘Fees Must Fall’ student-led protest movement. As a lecturer during the protests, I was concerned about the quality of assessment, as we had to transition from traditional to online assessments as a matter of necessity. When I started to read about the topic, there were concerns on a national and international level. Hence, the conceptualisation of my research started. What has kept you going during your research process? Balancing family life, academic life, and research life is not easy. My husband and two daughters who are my pillars of strength, comfort and kept me going. I maintain my mental health through prayers and athletics. “Be so humble on the ground with forehead touching the floor, while your spirit reaches the heavens”. God sees everything you are doing, so always have a pure heart; He will open doors for you at the right time. Kindness is not a weakness but is the most powerful tool to uplift everyone around you. Who is/are your biggest inspiration(s)/what inspires you? I am a source of inspiration for myself. If I may FUTURE RESEARCHERS @ UWC

“Continue pursuing your goal, it is never too late. Age is nothing but a number. At times when it seems hard and difficult to achieve, just continue step by step, day by day.

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paraphrase the DVC: Research & Innovation that one should first be able to lead yourself before leading others. Before I can inspire others, I inspire myself. I also get inspired by positive women who stand strong in their shoes and crown other women with many crowns. Which academic accomplishment do you value most? As an academic, I value integrating and demonstrating transferable skills. I started my profession in 1994 where I’ve gained valuable experience and skills in quality health care, which lead to my passion for education, trauma, and emergency care. I started at the University of the Western Cape in 2010 first as a clinical supervisor, with the intention to share my knowledge, skill and experience with undergraduate students, as I am passionate about quality health care and the state of our health system. I love sharing information that would lead to a caring healthy community and efficient health care. My postgraduate diploma in both Education and Management ensured that I had a foundation and the necessary skills as a lecturer and coordinator. Through my Master’s Degree topic, my passion for quality teaching can be seen; which focused on clinical supervision. One of my recommendations, based on the results and gap, was that an induction programme was needed for clinical supervisors which would prepare them for their educational supervisory role. This aids in quality training of students.

What lessons can you share with an aspiring researcher/post-grad student?

What is the funniest/scariest or most embarrassing or best thing that has happened to you as a researcher so far?

What does the future hold for you once you complete your PhD?

My first objective was a very tough learning curve and very difficult to complete. However, after several tiresome months of hard work and submission to the journal, receiving the 26

last words from the Editor in Chief: “Thank you for an excellent submission Gabieba” shot me to the moon. I felt like Neil Armstrong who walked on the moon, or at least my head was in the clouds. I was elated and overjoyed with the accomplishment. Yet again it shows that a simple line of words, kind words, was so powerful it uplifted me to push forward.

DVC: RESEARCH & INNOVATION MAGAZINE

Continue pursuing your goal, it is never too late. Age is nothing but a number. At times when it seems hard and difficult to achieve, just continue step by step, day by day. There will be times when you can do double the work, and then there will be times when the pace is slow. Don’t be too hard on yourself, instead, take a mental break and continue afresh to push on and stay positive. What impact did COVID-19/lockdowns have on your work? COVID-19/lockdowns were difficult for everyone in different ways. Through many health challenges, I remained positive because I could continue research from home. Assessments during COVID-19 reminded me of the ‘Fees Must Fall’ era, and reminded me why this research was important to me. Describe your supervision experience in one word? Quality.

I intend to continue with a PhD project to implement these developed guidelines ensuring quality assessment in the programme is upheld even in instances where there are institutional or statutory changes to a programme.

Please send your feedback and suggestions to: Dr. Lwando Mdleleni Tel: 021 959 4187 Email: lmdleleni@uwc.ac.za