School of Education

Asheena Singh-PIllay

Asheena Singh-PIllay

Leadership
AL: BE.d Programme
Member of Community Engagement Committee

Position

Academic Leader, Senior Lecturer

Discipline

Technology Education

Email

pillaya5@ukzn.ac.za

Contact Number

031-260-3672

Campus

Office Address

Room UH103

Degree held

  • PhD (Science Education) UKZN
  • PG Dip HE, UKZN
  • Masters (Science Education) UKZN
  • BSc, UNISA
  • JSED, Springfield

Experience

  • I am a lecturer in the Discipline of Technology Education, Science and Technology Education Cluster, School of Education (Edgewood Campus). I have served as the Academic Discipline Head of Technology Education in 2014. For the past 31 years, I have been involved in the field of Science and Technology Education as high school teacher of Physical science, Life Science and natural science and as a lecturer of technology education at UKZN.  I serve as an examiner for the national Life Sciences Olympiad.
  • I have also served as an administrator and research assistant on Project Sustain, a 6 million Norwegian Krone project funded by NUFU. The project aimed at the promotion of Sustainable Science and Technology programs at tertiary institutions in South Africa, Malawi and Zambia. I worked with a team of national and international researchers.
  • I am a researcher on the safer learning environment project, which was funded by the NRF (2014-2016). I also work on the UTLO support project.
  • I have served as an internal examiner of PhD and Master’s thesis of UKZN. I have examined master’s thesis for UNISA.  I have moderated the ACT qualification in environmental education and Plant biology for UFS. I have reviewed abstracts for the following conferences SAARMSTE, SAERA, UTLO. I have reviewed articles for SAGE Open, Eurasian Journal of Math, Science and Technology Education.
  • I am a member of SAARMSTE 2008- to date.

Research interest

  • Design process in technology education
  • Assembly drawings and sectional drawings in engineering graphics and design
  • Technical and vocational education and training
  • Socially responsible Science and Technology education
  • Sustainable development and green technologies
  • Curriculum/policy issues in STE
  • Practical work  and process skills in STE
  • Gender and STE
  • School –industry – community interfaces
  • Indigenous Knowledge systems (IKS)
  • Service learning
  • Student engagement in STE
  • Community based participatory action research
  • Actor network theory

Teaching interest

  • Service learning
  • Practical work in STE
  • IKS
  • Curriculum  in STE
  • Research in STE
  • Project based learning
  • Sustainable development and technology
  • Natural and life sciences
  • PBL/Community engagement
Selected

Publications

  • Chirikure, T., James, A., Nzimande, N., Singh-Pillay, A. & Naicker, I.   A microscope, a stone, a cap and a lampshade: Objects as conduits for recognizing teaching practices as teacher leadership in higher education. In D. Pillay, K. Pithouse-Morgan & I. Naicker (Eds.), Object Medleys: Interpretive possibilities for educational research (pp. 147-162). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
  • Singh-Pillay, A., Alant, B.P., & Nwokocha, G. (2017).Tapping into Basic 7–9 Science and Technology Teachers’ Conceptions of Indigenous Knowledge in Imo State, Nigeria.  African journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology education, 21(2): 125-135.
  • Singh-Pillay, A., & Samuel, M.A. Life Sciences teachers negotiating professional development agency in changing curriculum times. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, 13(6):1749-1763.
  • Singh-Pillay, A., &Van Wky, M. (2017). A closer look at preservice technology teachers’ reflective practice.  Ponte International journal of sciences and research, 73(7): 406-424.
  • Singh- Pillay, A., & Sotsaka, D.S. (2017). Engineering Graphics and Design Teachers’ Understanding and Teaching of Assembly Drawing.  EURASIA Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, 13(5):  1213-1228.
  • Singh-Pillay, A. , Sotsaka D. , Abraham, J. Interconnectedness of Engineering Graphics and Design teachers’ understanding of and teaching of assembly drawing. Ponte International journal of sciences and research, 73(13): 151-171.
  • Singh- Pillay, A & Ohemeng-Appiah, F. (2016).  Interconnectedness of technology teachers’ perceptions of the design process to learner creativity. Perspectives in education, 34(2): 70-82.
  • Masinga, L., Myende, P., Marias, A., Singh- Pillay, A., Kortjass, M., Chirikure, T., & Mweli, P. (2016). Hear our voices: A Collective Arts-Based Self-Study of Early-Career Academics on Our Learning and Growth in a Research-Intensive University. Educational research foe social change, 5(2): 117-135.
  • Singh, S., Mabaso, B., Mudaly, R., &Singh- Pillay. A. (2016). Policy for Prevention of Sexual Assault on Campus: Higher Education Students’ Perspectives. Alternation, 23(1):  113 – 134,
  • Singh- Pillay, A. (2015). Pre-service Technology Teachers’ Reflections on their Learning during Service-learning: A Promising Marriage for ‘Pedagogy’. Alternations special edition, 16: 166-188.
  • Singh- Pillay, A & Alant, B. (2015). Tracing the policy mediation process in the implementation of a change in the Life Sciences curriculum. African journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology education, 19(1): 12-22.
  • Singh, S., Mudaly, R., & Singh- Pillay, A. (2015). The what, who and where of female students’ fear of sexual assault on a South African University campus. Agenda, 29(3):95-105.

Experience

  • I am a lecturer in the Discipline of Technology Education, Science and Technology Education Cluster, School of Education (Edgewood Campus). I have served as the Academic Discipline Head of Technology Education in 2014 and in 2018. For the past 31 years, I have been involved in the field of Science and Technology Education as high school teacher of Physical sciences, Life Sciences and natural science and as a lecturer of technology education at UKZN.  I serve as an examiner for the national Life Sciences Olympiad.
  • I have also served as an administrator and research assistant on Project Sustain, a 6 million Norwegian Krone project funded by NUFU. The project aimed at the promotion of Sustainable Science and Technology programs at tertiary institutions in South Africa, Malawi and Zambia. I worked with a team of national and international researchers.
  • I am a researcher on the  following project:
    • Safer learning environment project, which was funded by the NRF (2014-2016). I also work on the UTLO support project.
    • Academic help seeking behaviour of male students, funded by UTLO(2016-17)
    • Towards a socially responsible technology education, funded by UTLO(2014 to date)
    • Pre- Service technology teachers’ reflective practice: (2016-to date)
    • Exploring the effectiveness of practical work as a teaching strategy in technology education. ( 2014 – to date)
  • I have served as an internal examiner of PhD and Master’s thesis of UKZN. I have examined master’s and PhD  thesis for UNISA & DUT.  I have moderated the ACT qualification in environmental education and Plant biology for UFS.
  •  I have reviewed abstracts for the following conferences SAARMSTE, SAERA, UTLO. I have reviewed articles for SAGE Open, Eurasian Journal of Math, Science and Technology Education.
  • I am a member of SAARMSTE 2008- to date.
Students

Supervision

I currently supervise 7 PhD and one masters student

  • 2018) Alvin Ugwu  (213569937), Masters Science education: Summa cum laude
  • 2017 Rowan Thompson (215078923), Masters Technology education:  Cum laude
  • 2017) Princess Hlengiwe Khuzwayo (72190132), Master Science education
  • 2017) Emmanuel Konadu-Yiadom (216074136), Masters Technology education
  • 2017) Nivesh Jagesar (200404670), Masters Science education
  • 2016) Douglas Sotsaka (210555976), Master Technology education: Summa cum laude
  • 2016) Furirwai Samaneka  (214581947), Masters science education: Cum laude
  • 2016) Joseph Mesuwini (214585612), Masters Technology education
  • 2015) Dagogo Legg jack (213570929), Masters technology education: Summa cum laude
  • 2015) Godson Nwokocha (212558483 ), Masters Technology education
  • 2015) Frank Ohemeng-Appiah (212562162 ), Masters Technology education