Nomthandazo Mangena

My name is Nomthandazo Gladys Mangena, and I am currently a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Johannesburg, majoring in Psychology and History. I am currently a tutor for Education Studies and English for Teaching and Learning, as well as a peer mentor for first-year students.

My teaching philosophy is based on the constructivist approach. I believe that learners are active participants, not just recipients of knowledge who need to be filled with information. Instead, learning should be learner-centred, allowing learners to be active participants in their own learning through authentic tasks that build on their existing knowledge. This elicits independent learning. The teacher takes on the role of a facilitator by providing scaffolding, as proposed by Vygotsky, while empowering learners to become emancipated from within.

I am passionate about becoming an Educational Psychologist because I believe in Walker's capability approach, which is rooted in human development, developing individuals as whole human beings rather than capital development. This further influences me to become an inclusive pedagogical practitioner who is able to accommodate every learner, regardless of their gender, race, culture, or religion, allowing each learner to reach their self-actualisation.

Outside academics, I enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes, as well as creating content for TikTok.