New Perspectives in Science Education

Nadine Dharsey is the Senior Subject Coordinator of Chemistry in the Academic Development Centre: Access at the University of Johannesburg in Johannesburg, South Africa. The University of Johannesburg was formed as a result of the merging of three institutions, Rand Afrikaans University, Vista University and Technikon Witwatersrand to form a comprehensive institution which offers a diversity of programmes. Nadine joined the Academic Support unit at the ex-Technikon Witwatersrand in 2002 as a Physics and Chemistry facilitator. In 2005, she was promoted to her current position. She is responsible for the academic leadership and management of the 3 chemistry lecturers who lecture Foundation Chemistry and Chemistry I in the extended engineering diploma programmes. In addition, she lectures foundation chemistry. Nadine’s expertise is in Science Education and access programmes, namely, Bridging, Foundation and Extended Curriculum Programmes. Her primary research focus is the teaching and learning of science, namely, the development of teaching and learning materials. She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with Honours in Science Education in 2003 and an MSc in Science Education in 2008. She is currently completing her PhD studies on the development of a framework and criteria for the development of teaching and learning sequences in Science at the University of South Africa. Nadine is married and has three children.