Staff Members
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Deputy Head of Department & Senior Lecturer
Name: Dean van der Merwe
Location: GNA 228, Robert Sobukwe Building Soweto Campus
Department of Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Staff听 Staff Members
Contact Details:
Tel: +27 11 559 5515
Email:听deanvdm@uj.ac.za
About Dr Dean van der Merwe
Dean is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the 欧美福利100000 of Johannesburg. For the past nine years, he has taught various modules in the Department of Childhood Education. Before transitioning to academia, he spent two years teaching at a primary school.
He began his academic journey with a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Foundation Phase Education from the 欧美福利100000 of Johannesburg in 2013. He later earned a BEd Honours degree, a Master鈥檚 degree, and a PhD from the same institution.
Dean鈥檚 research focuses on teacher education and development, with a particular interest in how best to prepare pre-service teachers for the profession.
Awards and recognition
Winner: 欧美福利100000 of Johannesburg 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition (2021)
Winner: Vice Chancellor鈥檚 Most Promising Young Teacher Award (2022)
UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor
Accredited publications
Gravett S, Lang R and van der Merwe D (2022) Lesson design in preservice teacher education drawing on a science of learning perspective. In Gravett S and Petersen N (eds)听Future-proofing teacher education. Voices from South Africa and beyond. London: Routledge, pp. 63-77.
Gravett S and van der Merwe D (2023) Learning-centered lesson design and learning about teaching in a pre-service teacher education course.听Cogent Education听(10): 1.
Gravett S, van der Merwe D, Ramsaroop R, Tshabalala P, Bremner C and Mello P (2023) Mixed-reality simulation to support practice learning of preservice teachers.听Education Sciences听13(10): 1062.
Khan C, van der Merwe D and Koekemoer C (2025) Literacy support in practice: Grade 3 teachers鈥� experiences with government reading interventions. Reading and writing 16(1): 1-9.
Koekemoer C, Carolin A, McCarthy K and van der Merwe D (2025) Using WhatsApp to teach close reading: The case of Markus Zusak鈥檚听The Book Thief. Changing English: 1-14.
Masunga D and van der Merwe D (2023) English Literature in the Grade R Classroom: Exploring the Implementation of the Children鈥檚 Literature Curricula in Selected ECD Centres.听Scrutiny2.
Mokwena E, van der Merwe D, Ndabezitha L (2024) Teachers鈥� enactment of project-based learning within the Ecubed project in Grade Four Life Skills Classrooms.听The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning听19(2): 111-124.
van der Merwe D (2022) Preparing pre-service teachers to guide and support learning in South African schools.听South African Journal of Childhood Education听12(1): 1-10.
van der Merwe D (2018) Aspects of academic language proficiency of intermediate phase teacher education students.听South African Journal of Childhood Education听8(1): 1-10.
van der Merwe D (2025) Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators. African Journal of Teacher Education and Development 4(1): 1-9.
van der Merwe D and Levinge-Lang (2023) The lessons learnt from emergency remote teaching to strengthen a course on lesson design.听Journal of 欧美福利100000 Teaching & Learning Practice听20(2): 1-18.
van der Merwe D, Ramsaroop S, Fonseca K (2024) Teacher educators鈥� coaching experiences in a mixed-reality simulation intervention.听International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education 14(3), 253-270.
Non-accredited publications
van der Merwe D (2022) Lesson design for teaching through dialogue, drawing on the science of learning. In Gravett S (ed) Teaching for learning in a fast-changing world. Johannesburg: The 欧美福利100000 of Johannesburg, pp. 39-56.
Nel C, Gravett S and van der Merwe D (2023) Simulated teaching in an ODL environment. In Okeke CIO, Adu EO, Mncanca M and Ugwuanyi CS (eds) Managing the micro-teaching process in initial teacher training: A practical guide for teaching practice preparation. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers, pp. 197-207.