Dr Dean van der Merwe

Deputy Head of Department & Senior Lecturer
Name: Dean van der Merwe
Location: GNA 228, Robert Sobukwe Building Soweto Campus
Department of Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Staff  Staff Members

Contact Details:
Tel: +27 11 559 5515

Email: deanvdm@uj.ac.za

About Dr Dean van der Merwe

Dean is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg. For the past nine years, he has taught various modules in the Department of Childhood Education. Before transitioning to academia, he spent two years teaching at a primary school.

He began his academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Foundation Phase Education from the University of Johannesburg in 2013. He later earned a BEd Honours degree, a Master’s degree, and a PhD from the same institution.

Dean’s research focuses on teacher education and development, with a particular interest in how best to prepare pre-service teachers for the profession.

Awards and recognition

Winner: University of Johannesburg 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition (2021)

Winner: Vice Chancellor’s Most Promising Young Teacher Award (2022)

Accredited publications

Gravett S, Lang R and van der Merwe D (2022) Lesson design in preservice teacher education drawing on a science of learning perspective. In Gravett S and Petersen N (eds) Future-proofing teacher education. Voices from South Africa and beyond. London: Routledge, pp. 63-77.

Gravett S and van der Merwe D (2023) Learning-centered lesson design and learning about teaching in a pre-service teacher education course. Cogent Education (10): 1.

Gravett S, van der Merwe D, Ramsaroop R, Tshabalala P, Bremner C and Mello P (2023) Mixed-reality simulation to support practice learning of preservice teachers. Education Sciences 13(10): 1062.

Koekemoer C, Carolin A, McCarthy K and van der Merwe D (2025) Using WhatsApp to teach close reading: The case of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. Changing English: 1-14.

Masunga D and van der Merwe D (2023) English Literature in the Grade R Classroom: Exploring the Implementation of the Children’s Literature Curricula in Selected ECD Centres. Scrutiny2.

Mokwena E, van der Merwe D, Ndabezitha L (2024) Teachers’ enactment of project-based learning within the Ecubed project in Grade Four Life Skills Classrooms. The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning 19(2): 111-124.

van der Merwe D (2022) Preparing pre-service teachers to guide and support learning in South African schools. South African Journal of Childhood Education 12(1): 1-10.

van der Merwe D (2018) Aspects of academic language proficiency of intermediate phase teacher education students. South African Journal of Childhood Education 8(1): 1-10.

van der Merwe D (2025) Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators. African Journal of Teacher Education and Development 4(1): 1-9.

van der Merwe D and Levinge-Lang (2023) The lessons learnt from emergency remote teaching to strengthen a course on lesson design. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice 20(2): 1-18.

van der Merwe D, Ramsaroop S, Fonseca K (2024) Teacher educators’ coaching experiences in a mixed-reality simulation intervention. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education.

Non-accredited publications

van der Merwe D (2022) Lesson design for teaching through dialogue, drawing on the science of learning. In Gravett S (ed) Teaching for learning in a fast-changing world. Johannesburg: The University of Johannesburg, pp. 39-56.

Nel C, Gravett S and van der Merwe D (2023) Simulated teaching in an ODL environment. In Okeke CIO, Adu EO, Mncanca M and Ugwuanyi CS (eds) Managing the micro-teaching process in initial teacher training: A practical guide for teaching practice preparation. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers, pp. 197-207.