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Associate Professor of Science Education, Head of Department
Name: Lydia Mavuru
Location: B Ring 434 Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
DSTE Staff, Department Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education Staff Members
Contact Details:
Tel: +27 11 559 3490
Email: lydiam@uj.ac.za
About Prof Lydia Mavuru
Prof Lydia Mavuru is an Associate Professor of Science Education. She holds a PhD in Science Education, and an MSc in Biology Education for which she was awarded two book prizes for her excellence. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Science Education, a Bachelor of Education majoring in Biology, and a Diploma in Education specialising in science. She is currently the HoD for the Department of Mathematics Science and Technology Education. Prof Mavuru teaches in both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. She supervises Honours projects, MEd and PhD studies focusing on the following areas:
- Language in science teaching and learning
- Integrating indigenous knowledge and socio-scientific issues in teaching science topics
- How sociocultural backgrounds foster gender stereotypes
- How socialisation influences gender behavioural patterns in science classrooms
- Use of advanced technologies to foster interactive learning in science classrooms
- Role of distributed embodied cognition in developing learners’ visuo-semiotic reasoning in sciences learning
Research Interests
Socio-cultural perspectives in science teaching and learning with the intention of making science concepts more relevant and accessible to learners of diverse socio-cultural backgrounds through:
- Integration of students’ and learners’ sociocultural backgrounds (beliefs, experiences and practices) and indigenous knowledge in science teaching and learning.
- Gender-responsive pedagogies in science teaching and learning.