17 December 2025
|
Story Anthony Mthembu
|
Photo Kaleidoscope Studios
Enid Oguoma obtained a PhD in Curriculum Studies during the University of the Free State’s (UFS) December 2025 graduations.
Walking across the graduation stage during the University of the Free State (UFS) December 2025 graduations,
Enid Oguoma dedicated her PhD in Curriculum Studies to her family – near and far – but especially to her late mother, who she said always supported her dreams.
Oguoma, who received her PhD on 11 December 2025, described this achievement as a mixture of joy, relief, and triumph. “I feel grateful for the journey and amazed at how far God has carried and cared for me – and a deep sense of victory for myself and my children who witnessed my resilience,” said Oguoma.
Passion for Curriculum Studies
Oguoma pursued her doctorate in Curriculum Studies because of her passion for ensuring that learners with learning barriers can access the curriculum. In fact, her thesis, titled: Exploring interactive approaches in the teaching and learning of chemical equilibrium, focuses on, “how science student teachers can use different ways to teach the topic of chemical equilibrium so that all learners can access the curriculum”, she explained. These teaching methods include talk-and-chalk, discussions, demonstrations by the teachers, experiments by learners, and physics, education and technology (PhET) simulations. Therefore, she highlighted that, “The study contributes to the lesson plan template and situational analysis renewal at the university where the study took place.”
Furthermore, to fulfil the above passion, Oguoma actively supports learners with learning barriers to obtain concessions in the Free State and Eastern Cape departments of education (DoE). As such, she is proud of the fact that several learners have received learning disability grants through her input.
Working towards further impact
Now that she has completed her doctorate, she expressed that it will assist her to apply in practice on a regular basis what she has been researching for nearly six years. “I will be able to train teachers on how to provide quality education by using various teaching approaches; for instance, by using PhET simulations in science classes, teachers will be shown how learners can benefit. Therefore, it will be easier for learners to grasp abstract concepts, because teachers will be shown how to use teacher-centred and learner-centred approaches,” she explained.
Furthermore, she plans on uplifting Adventist education in Bloemfontein. According to Oguoma, there is one Adventist school in the Free State that caters for Grade R to Grade 7 learners – Aurum Adventist Academy. It focuses on developing the head, hand, and heart based on the educational principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is also a mainstream institution that assists learners with literacy challenges. Therefore, as a curriculum support specialist, she “endeavours to work with teachers and departmental officials in supporting all learners with or without barriers to access the curriculum”.