Reflection Narrative, Dr Ina Gouws: Curriculum Renewal
Dr Ina Gouws

“Winning the Curriculum Renewal Award has been a wonderful honor, and I am truly grateful for the recognition. This process has taught me the value of perseverance, collaboration, and the joy of thinking and planning for curriculum content that would benefit our students and our community.

When I embarked on the task of curriculum renewal, I recognized the need for a paradigm shift for the teaching of Public Governance as a discipline. The ever-evolving landscape of Governance demanded a curriculum that was responsive, inclusive, and forward-thinking. This realization became the catalyst for change, propelling me to develop new Public Governance modules for our Postgraduate Diploma as well as brand new undergraduate modules for our Bachelor’s Programme. The outcomes of these modules also ensure that the UFS Graduate Attributes are appropriately addressed.

Embarking on this journey I owe this achievement to the collaborative efforts of a passionate network of educators and stakeholders in Public Governance. Together, we delved into discussions, brainstormed ideas, and challenged each other's perspectives. The diversity of opinions and expertise resulted in new modules that incorporated rich content for Public Governance. I sought to create modules that nurtured curiosity, critical thinking, and a love for learning about Public Governance. By integrating interdisciplinary approaches, project-based learning, and real-world applications, we aimed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills which enrich the current curriculum.

The way forward now is to roll out the modules from 2025 and to start projects to observe and evaluate the impact of the new modules on the student’s learning process in the greater curriculum for Public Governance. This award is not just a recognition of my work but a celebration on the collaboration of our team in the Programme for Governance and Political Transformation but hopefully also with our students whom I am certain will embrace the new modules as constructive additions to the curriculum.”


 
 

 

FACULTY CONTACT

T: +27 51 401 2240 or humanities@ufs.ac.za

Postgraduate:
Marizanne Cloete: +27 51 401 2592

Undergraduate:
Neliswa Emeni-Tientcheu: +27 51 401 2536
Phyllis Masilo: +27 51 401 9683

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