From Teacher to University of the Witwatersrand PhD Graduate: SA Woman Shares Journey
- An inspiring young South African woman continues to relish the fruits of her hard work
- The 31-year-old tells Briefly News about the formidable journey she undertook to conquer her doctoral degree at the University of the Witwatersrand
- Moratoa Trinity Mokoena was previously a teacher before taking on the field of higher education
A formidable young woman is excited about obtaining her PhD in Technology Teacher Education, specialising in Industrial Arts Teacher Education at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Source: UGC
Moratoa Trinity Mokoena posted about her inspiring doctoral journey online, which started during the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and ended in December 2023.
PhD graduate sheds light on topic
The young newly minted doctor, who was born in Limpopo and raised in Pretoria, tells Briefly News that aside from starting her journey during the pandemic, the contagion played a fundamental role in her studies and the research topic she pursued:
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“My PhD focuses on the University of the Witwatersrand’s Drama for Life Department and how five of their Applied Drama and Theatre educators (lecturers) navigated teaching and learning during COVID-19. More importantly, amidst a digitally divided South Africa.
“The [research] questions became, ‘how do we negotiate a characteristically embodied, immersive, and participatory pedagogy from a screen, manage inherent digital disparities, and honour the integrity of the pedagogy through various strategies and available platforms.”
The 31-year-old recognises the timeliness, novelty, and pertinence of her topic, especially considering online learning being a staunch reality universities, colleges, and even high school and primary school educators needed to cope with during the various lockdown periods.
University of the Witwatersrand graduate shares journey
Lovely Moratoa explains that before taking on the field of higher by pursuing her master's and doctoral qualifications and working as a lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology, she was a high school educator:
“Following my first job as a Grade 10 to 12 Dramatic Arts educator at my alma mater, Lyttelton Manor High School, I developed a keen interest in research in arts education and wanted to use my teaching experience to explore the possibilities that exist within the move to digitisation.
“I then left [my teaching post] after three years to pursue my Master of Arts in Applied Drama and Theatre, which I obtained Cum Laude, and made my transition to a Higher Education Institution as a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Theatre, Arts and Design.
“Apart from a PhD being the ‘natural’ step to embark on once you’re in that environment; my love for academia, curiosity for future-centric educational practices, and the desire to make valuable contributions to the Arts and Culture educational sector were significant driving forces.”
The dedicated emerging academic notes that she would love to grow in the field and eventually become a rated researcher:
“I’d love to build my research publication record, present this research globally, and impact as many lives as I can - whether it’s in academic spaces, or as a content creator.”
Soweto woman bags PhD in astromony
Briefly News previously reported on an inspiring woman from Soweto who is passionate about the field of astronomy and holds a doctoral degree from UCT in the scientific specialisation.
Tshiamiso Neo Makwela opened up to Briefly News about the journey that led to her undertaking the field.
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Source: Briefly News
