AUTUMN
GRADUATION
Position: Academic Development Practitioner
Email: nalinic@dut.ac.za
Tel: 031 373 2277
QUALIFICATIONS
- BSc (Chemistry & Biochemistry) (UKZN)
- Higher Diploma in Education (HDE) (UNISA)
- Bachelor of Technology (BTech) (Chemistry) (DUT)
- Master’s of Science (Science Education) (Curtin University, Aus)
- Project Management (DUT)
BIOGRAPHY
Nalini Chitanand has practiced in the field of academic development for more than two decades, in various areas of academic staff professional development.
The principles of transformative learning and critical reflexivity underpins her practice. She participates in a number of activities within the university, nationally and internationally. Within the university, Nalini currently serves as the coordinator for the Academic Induction Programme, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
(SoTL) Programme, Moving the Middle Project of Siyaphumelela 2.0 and the Learning and Teaching Conference Committee. She jointly coordinates the Learning, Teaching & Assessment seminar series, Curriculum Conversations, Curriculum Transformation Project that includes Greening the Curriculum, Decoloniality and Knowledge Building and the Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Awards. Nalini is interested in transformative educational practice and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
She promotes and conducts research in higher education praxis and advocates for research-informed scholarly higher education. With a pluralistic approach to knowledge building, she draws on a number of theoretical and methodological approaches to inform her practice and research.
These include auto|ethnography, narrative inquiry, action research, poetic inquiry and methodologies of post-qualitative research, including posthumanisms and new materialisms. Nalini serves as guest co-editor for two special issues in the South African Journal of Higher Education (SAJHE).
She is currently co-editing a book on Academic Staff Development: Disruptions, Complexities, Change (Envisioning new Futures). Her PhD study, which is in progress, focuses on Academic Staff development in a changing South African higher education context.
Nalini participates in external engagement activities through national collaborative projects and international research and collaborative activities. She participates as a steering committee member for the national collaborative project, New Academics Transitioning in higher education Project (NATHEP).
Nalini serves as a member of the core team of the International Transformative Educational Research Network (ITERN) and is a member of the Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) Centre for Knowledge building, the Action Research network and Transformative Learning network.
PARTNERSHIPS AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENTS
Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) 2017 Conference convenor – conference hosted by CELT, DUT, 21 – 24 November. HELTASA executive committee member 2017
NATIONAL COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
National Collaborative Project: New Academics Transitions into Higher Education (NATHEP) – 2018-2021/2 – UCDP
Steering Committee Member (5 universities: DUT, UCT, CPUT, NMU, WITS) with 10 participating universities
CURRENT COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS: INTERNATIONAL
International Transformative Educational Research Network (ITERN) with Peter Taylor, Murdoch University (Australia); Bal Chandra Luitel, Kathmandu University (Nepal); Emilia Afonso (Mocambique) and a host of other colleagues from higher education institutions globally – core committee member, represent South Africa
Transformative Educational Research Group (TERG) – a sub group of ITERN – with Peter Hatherley-Green (Dubai, UAE), Bushra Afzal (Australia), Mangara Simanjorang (Indonesia), Marianne McLaughlin (Australia), Milton Medina (The Philippines), Naif Alsulami (Saudi Arabia), Neni Marianna (Indonesia), Orawan Sriboonruang (Thailand), Yuli Rahmawati (Indonesia)
Transformative Learning with Jeff King, University of Central Oklahoma, USA; Janette Brunstein, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, (Sao Paulo, Brazil); Peter Taylor, Murdoch University (Australia)
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP AND NETWORKS
Living Educational Theory Network – with Jack Whitehead (Creator of Living Educational Theory)
Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) Associate member – with Karl Maton (founder of LCT)
Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) – Professional Development Collaborative Learning Community – member
South African Educational Research Association (SAERA) – Knowledge Building Special Interest Group – member
AWARDS
2020 DUT Council Award: Promoting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (joint award with ECP SoTL)
PUBLICATIONS
Behari-Leak, K., Ganas, R., Chitanand, N & Sabata, S. (2021). Pedagogies for critical agency: Portals to alternative futures. Critical studies in teaching and learning
Ganas, R., Behari-Leak, K., Chitanand, N., Sabata, S., Toni, N (2020). A deep dive into curriculum complexities in the time of COVID 19. In P. Ramrathan, N. Ndimande-Hlongwa & J.A. Smit. Humanities Curriculum in the Time of COVID-19. Alternations Book Series: UKZN
Chitanand, N. (2019). Transcending Boundaries: Enacting a transformative philosophy for professional practice. In P. C. Taylor & B. C. Luitel (Eds), Research as Transformative Learning for Sustainable Futures: Glocal Voices and Visions, (pp. 279-299). Leiden: Brill
Chitanand, N., Rathilal, S., Rambharos, S. (2018). Higher education well-being: A balancing act. South African Journal of Higher Education, 32(6), 168-176.
Behari-Leak, K., Vorster, J., Chitanand, N., Ganas, R., Padayachee, K., Merckel, V., & Masehela, L. (2018). How to be or not to be? A critical dialogue on the limitations and opportunities of academic development in the current higher education context. South African Journal of Higher Education, 32(6), 401-421.
Chitanand, N and Rambharos, S. 2016. Using metaphor drawings to creatively imagine new possibilities for practice, Journal of New Generations Sciences. Vol 14(1), 1-20.
Chitanand, N. 2015. Developing new academics: So what difference does it make? International Journal of Social, Education, Economics and Management Engineering Vol 9 (2) on the International Science Index
Chitanand, N. 2013. Sowing the seeds for transformative educational practice in an Academic Induction Programme at the Durban University of Technology. In Stewart, G and Pearce, B. (eds). Transformation – Looking back in history and forward to change. Faculty of Arts and Design, Durban University of Technology
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Chitanand, N. Enacting Pluralism in Educational Research for Sustainable Futures. International Congress for Qualitative Inquiry. May 2021
Chitanand, N. Transformative Learning: A tectonic mind shift. Panelist at the Panel Discussion – Forum of Transformative Learning at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 4 August 2020, held via Zoom.
Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) Conference. 27–29 November, 2019. Rhodes University, Grahamstown/Makhanda
Workshop: Interrogating dominant assumptions about academic contexts through various pedagogies).
Paper: Inducting new academics into the academy: Pedagogies for developing critical agency
Presenters: Behari-Leak, K. (UCT), Chitanand, N. (DUT), Ganas, R. (WITS), Sabata, S. (CPUT), Toni, N. (NMU), & Vorster, J. (Rhodes)
Rathilal, S., & Chitanand, N. From Frustration to Exhilaration: A tour with LCT. 3rd International Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) Conference. 1-5 July 2019. WITS University
Chitanand, N. An Epiphany. In In Self-Reflexive Research Methodologies Special Interest Group Symposium: Making education more relevant, responsive, and authentic through memory-work. The 6th SAERA conference. 22 October, 2018. St George Hotel, Pretoria.
Second International Conference for Transformative Education Research and Sustainable development (TERSD II), 5-8 October 2018, Nepal
Paper: Self | Other | Cosmos: Using the Johari Window as a basis for a theoretical exploration of this connection
Workshop: Using Johari Windows to apply transformative teaching practices.
Presenters: Nalini Chitanand (SA), Bushra Afzal (Aus), Mangaratua Simanjorang (Indonesia), Marianne McLaughlin (Aus), Milton Medina (Philippine), Naif Mastoor Alsulami (S Arabia), Neni Mariana (Indonesia), Orawan Sriboonruang (Thailand), Peter Hatherley-Greene (Dubai), Yuli Rahmawati (Indonesia).
Behari-Leak, K., N Chitanand, N., Ganas, R., Masehela, L., Merkel, V., Padayachee, K., Tjabane, M., & Vorster, J. Critical Dialogue: How to BE or not to BE? Limitations and opportunities of Academic Development as a movement in the current higher education context. HELTASA conference. 21-24 November, 2017. Coastlands Umhlanga, Durban.
Chitanand, N. Transcending Methodological boundaries: Using autoethnography and LCT to explore Academic Staff Development. HELTASA conference. 21-24 November, 2017. Coastlands Umhlanga, Durban.
Chitanand, N. Using Specialization to understand Academic Professional Development in South Africa. 2nd International Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) Conference. July 2017. University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Chitanand, N. Transformative Learning – A Tectonic Mindshift: Why we need it now. DUT Learning, Teaching & Symposium. 9-11 November 2016. Coastlands Musgrave, Durban.
Chitanand, N. A Sustainable Future. In Self-Reflexive Research Methodologies Special Interest Group Seminar: Reimagining Education through Poetic Inquiry. The 4th SAERA conference, Reimagining Education: Poetics, Practices and Pedagogies. 23-26 October 2016. Cape Town.
Chitanand, N. Rethinking higher education: Conform, Reform or Transform? First International Conference on Transformative Education research and sustainable development. Kathmandu. Nepal. Oct 2016.
OTHER RESEARCH RELATED ACTIVITIES
I have led a Special Issue in the South African Journal of Higher Education (SAJHE) – 2018, 32(6) on ‘Higher Education Well-being’
Currently leading a Special Edition in SAJHE – 2022, 36(1) on ‘Cascading Academic Staff Development Practice: Disrupting assumptions, reframing purposes as new academics transition into higher education’ based on a national collaborative project New Academics Transitions into Higher Education Project (NATHEP)
Currently Co-editing a Book: ‘Academic Staff Development: Disruptions, Complexities, Change (Envisioning New Futures)’ for publication in November 2021.
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