Postgraduate Studies and Research

Welcome to the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State. This is the home of distinguished researchers, lecturers, and students who have joined the strive-for-knowledge generation. Next-generation leaders in all sectors of education (from the pre-school sector to institutions of higher learning) will benefit from the information about our postgraduate programmes, our achievers, scholarly activities, new doctorates, and projects. We are committed to providing dynamic leadership to the ongoing development of graduate education and research and to embark on these vehicles for knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.

Director of Postgraduate Studies and Research


Professor Mokhele-Makgalwa

Professor Matseliso Mokhele-Makgalwa’s research interests lie in the area of Teacher Education, particularly the research on professional development of mathematics and science teachers. Her research star has continued to rise from her humble beginnings as a Research Assistant at the University of Pretoria, a Research Officer at the ETDP-SETA, a Research Manager at the Human Sciences Research Council, a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Africa and Research Associate Professor at the University of Fort Hare. She has presented numerous papers at local and international conferences and she has published various articles in South African and international scholarly journals. She has successfully supervised Masters and PhD students to completion. She has been invited to a number of international universities such as Michigan State University (USA), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), University of Zimbabwe, Kenyatta University (Kenya) and Polytechnic of Namibia as a visiting scholar. She is a recipient of multiple academic awards including the coveted National Research Foundation (NRF) rating, travel award from the prestigious American Educational Research Association (AERA) and Resilience in Research Award for UNISA women in Research. She also received an award from the Department of Science and Technology as a Distinguished Young Woman Scientist in Social Sciences for her outstanding contribution to building South Africa’s scientific and research knowledge base. She is currently a member of the South African Young Academy of Sciences (SAYAS). Mokhele-Makgalwa is not only passionate about her own research, but takes a keen interest in supporting women researchers in particular, to break into the research and publications environment.

Staff: Postgraduate Studies and Research