Irma Eloff
Biographic Data
| ID | 125966 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Irma Eloff |
| GIVEN NAMES | Irma |
| FAMILY NAME | Eloff |
| SIGNATURE | ELOFF I |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Pretoria |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8306-3979 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 34 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 13 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 33 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Professionalizing Teacher Educators for Sustainable Development
Teacher educators play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable futures by shaping the professional practices of teachers. Within the framework of the United Nations' Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their understandings of professionalism are therefore of particular significance. Despite growing scholarly attention to teacher educator professionalism, there is still little empirical insight into how teacher educators conc…
Teacher Educators and the SDGs
This study examines how teacher educators in South Africa and Austria engage with sustainability‐related practices aligned with the United Nations' Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using data from the Teacher Educator Sustainability Survey within the Teach4Reach 2.0 project, a cross‐sectional quantitative design explored self‐reported practices, perceptions, and levels of professional engagement. Factor analysis revealed …
The invisibility of anxiety in young, traumatised South African children
The high prevalence of anxiety in young traumatised children has been well established in literature. However, the body of literature that explores how anxiety manifests in classroom settings in the South African context is still growing. The ways in which it presents at the personal level for individual children, in particular, need to be examined in greater depth. The current study posed the question, ‘How does anxiety manifest in young, trauma…
Together or separate? Tracing classroom pedagogies of (un)belonging for newcomer migrant pupils in two Austrian schools
Even though receiving newcomer pupils in schools is not a new phenomenon, many education systems grapple with finding adequate schooling arrangements that foster belonging and inclusion. Over the years, policy-makers and school practitioners seem to echo recurring dilemmas in terms of what language support models may promote optimal inclusion, and whether and how to support the language of schooling while also building on students’ cultural and l…
Student wellbeing and academic support in higher education
This study reports on the synergistic liaison between student wellbeing and academic support in higher education. The study took place at a large, urban university in South Africa within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brief interviews were conducted between September and November 2021, with undergraduate students ( n = 645, M age = 22; SD = 2) from a variety of scientific fields. The guiding question for the brief interviews was, ‘What con…
Assessing the Professionalism of Teacher Educators in Relation to Sustainability
This study focuses on the design and implementation of the Teacher Education and Sustainability Scale (TESS), an instrument to assess the professionalism of teacher educators in relation to sustainability in the context of Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the importance of the SDGs, there is very little research on the identity of teacher educators in relation to sustainability. The Teach4Reach 2.0 project, an …
Vignette Research
Vignette research is an innovative qualitative, narrative and phenomenological research methodology that has gained international recognition, sparking interest from a wide range of individuals and institutions in global contexts. Vignettes are concise narratives, which capture human experiences in real life settings. They reveal surprising or intriguing facets and intangible moments. The experiential narratives resonate with readers and reduce t…
The Utility of I-Poems to Explore Subjective Well-Being in Children and Adolescents with ADHD
This study explores the utility of the I-poem methodology to investigate subjective well-being in children and adolescents with ADHD in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjective well-being in this population has been studied extensively via quantitative methodologies. In addition, narrative studies, discourse and theme analysis, participatory and visual method studies have also contributed to deeper understandings in the field. The cu…
Students’ well-being in tertiary environments
This qualitative study reports on the role of university lecturers in the well-being of undergraduate students. A sample of undergraduate student participants (n = 335) at a large, urban residential university in the Gauteng Province of South Africa participated in rapid, face-to-face interviews. Interviews were conducted by student fieldworkers during multiple 4-h blocks on all weekdays. Data were analysed by means of thematic analysis. Findings…
Comparing Mental Health, Wellbeing and Flourishing in Undergraduate Students Pre- and during the Covid-19 Pandemic
There has been a preponderance of studies on student mental health, wellbeing and flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have compared data on student mental health and wellbeing before and during the pandemic. The purpose of the current study was to compare mental health and wellbeing in undergraduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey research was conducted with three groups of undergraduate students (n = 90…
An Assessment of the Reliability and Validity of the Perma Well-Being Scale for Adult Undergraduate Students in an Open and Distance Learning Context
The psychometric properties of the 34-item adapted PERMA well-being scale suggest that it can be a valuable and feasible instrument in ODL in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the adapted scale can be applied in educational settings moving towards open and distance e-learning forms of delivery
Determinants of intergenerational sexual relationships and HIV risk among South African women outpatients in Gauteng
Age-discrepant sexual relationships may place women at risk for HIV infection in South Africa. Results are based on medical records and case-control interview data of 889 sexually experienced women outpatients aged 15-29 in a Gauteng township. Women with partners at least ten years older (intergenerational) show an elevated chance of having an early sexual debut, concurrent and transactional partners, and intimate partner violence. Hardship durin…
College students’ well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic
This study explored college student’s well-being priorities and capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 2 213 South African undergraduate students answered an open-ended question to elicit interpretive, reflective, analytic, and evaluative written response types on the factors that support their well-being at university. Two thirds of the participants were female, almost half (48.94%) were black African, and most (67.46%) were betwe…
The future we want
Understanding general pedagogical knowledge influences on sustainable teacher well-being
This qualitative reconstructive study aimed to explore teacher general pedagogical knowledge and professional well-being. The informants were a convenience sample of 18 teachers from Austrian primary schools (n = 5), lower secondary schools (n = 7), and upper secondary schools (n = 6). Demographically, the sample included: female= 10, male= 8; mean years of service = 15.8 years, SD = 12.2 years. We interviewed the teachers on their general pedago…
On Responses of Higher Education and Training With(in) Society Through Research, Teaching, and Community Engagement
This article presents a trend analysis of the directions, nuances, and theoretical developments in community engagement (CE) practices in higher education and training (HET) environments in South Africa since 1994. It focuses on the nexus of research, teaching and learning, and community engagement. The article identifies specific associations of CE with core HET activities, illustrating how this integrated approach has brought about positive cha…
Measuring mental health and well-being of South African undergraduate students
The statistically significant decreases in the mental health and well-being of participants in this study indicate the need for substantive interventions to support student mental health and well-being. Strong foci for well-being interventions should include self-efficacy, sense of direction, meaning and creating a sense of belonging
Psychology and the Sustainable Development Goals
Handbook of Quality of Life in African Societies
Telling stories and adding scores
Telling stories and adding scores: Measuring resilience in young children affected by maternal HIV and AIDS", demonstrates how a concurrent mixed method design assisted cross-cultural comparison and ecological descriptions of resilience in young South African children, as well as validated alternative ways to measure resilience in young children. In a longitudinal randomised control trial, which investigated psychological resilience in mothers an…
Taking note of obstacles research partners negotiate in long-term higher education community engagement partnerships
Behavior and psychological functioning of young children of HIV-positive mothers in South Africa
Adults with HIV are living longer due to earlier diagnosis and increased access to antiretroviral medications. Therefore, fewer young children are being orphaned and instead, are being cared for by parents who know they are HIV positive, although they may be asymptomatic. Presently, it is unclear whether the psychological functioning of these young children is likely to be affected or, alternatively, whether it is only when a mother is ill, that …
The Role of Parenting in Affecting the Behavior and Adaptive Functioning of Young Children of HIV-Infected Mothers in South Africa
How inclusive education is understood by principals of independent schools
Inclusive education has become a practice that has been adopted by many schools across the globe and most usually in first-world countries. As a whole-school system, it occurs less frequently in developing countries including South Africa which unlike many developing countries has a sound infrastructure and many excellent schools in both the state and the independent sectors. Education White Paper 6: Special education: Building an inclusive educa…
I am doing okay”
In this case study, we utilized a Resilience framework and Sense of Coherence theory to understand how a group of children coped while living in an institution as a consequence of HIV/AIDS. We followed a qualitative and interpretivist approach. The experiences of nine children (5 girls and 4 boys) aged between 11 and 15 years is highlighted. The primary data generation strategy was informal interviews. However, we based these interviews upon part…
Taking note of obstacles research partners negotiate in long-term higher education community engagement partnerships
How inclusive education is understood by principals of independent schools
Inclusive education has become a practice that has been adopted by many schools across the globe and most usually in first-world countries. As a whole-school system, it occurs less frequently in developing countries including South Africa which unlike many developing countries has a sound infrastructure and many excellent schools in both the state and the independent sectors. Education White Paper 6: Special education: Building an inclusive educa…
The Adjustment of Rorschach Comprehensive System Procedures for South African Learners
In this article the researchers describe the adjusted procedures that were developed in a study that focused on administering the Rorschach Comprehensive System (RCS) to young South African learners. Multiple case studies with non-patients were used within a pre-test/post-test design. During pre-testing the standard procedures for conducting the RCS were used. Half of the participants failed to provide the required number of responses that would …
The Utility of I-Poems to Explore Subjective Well-Being in Children and Adolescents with ADHD
This study explores the utility of the I-poem methodology to investigate subjective well-being in children and adolescents with ADHD in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjective well-being in this population has been studied extensively via quantitative methodologies. In addition, narrative studies, discourse and theme analysis, participatory and visual method studies have also contributed to deeper understandings in the field. The cu…
How post-apartheid children express their identity as R citizens D
Children in South Africa are educated to identify with democratic values and democracy in post-apartheid society. As yet, we have no empirical evidence on their views on and identification with the new South African democracy. When given an opportunity to express their life experiences, the 9-year-old child citizens of this case study revealed their democratic identity on various levels. These children expressed a weak identification with democra…
The Adjustment of Rorschach Comprehensive System Procedures for South African Learners
In this article the researchers describe the adjusted procedures that were developed in a study that focused on administering the Rorschach Comprehensive System (RCS) to young South African learners. Multiple case studies with non-patients were used within a pre-test/post-test design. During pre-testing the standard procedures for conducting the RCS were used. Half of the participants failed to provide the required number of responses that would …
Reconceptualising vulnerable children by acknowledging their assets
We report on a study that sought to find alternative pathways to conceptualising vulnerable children. We have extracted a section from a longitudinal study that focuses on the ways in which vulnerable children in a rural community in South Africa cope with the impact of HIV and AIDS. We relied on the concepts of assets, resources and capacities to guide our understanding of 'vulnerable children', in an attempt to open up conceptualisations of the…
Finding The Positives in Psychology
The purpose of this article is to delineate some of the consequential aspects of the intrinsic duality that is created in the pursuit of knowledge around positive psychological and asset-based constructs. I will reflect on what we have learned during studies in educational psychology that focused on assets and strengths, by drawing on highlights from particularized studies. I will then specifically problematize the use of the asset-based approach…
In Pursuit of Happiness
The purpose of the study was to explore the ways in which young South African children construct the notion of happiness. The small-scale study was conducted with children (n=42) in middle childhood between the ages of 6 and 13 years. Four fieldworkers were trained to elicit responses from young children through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews and six open-ended questions. This data collection strategy was twinned with the elicitation of…
Views from Africa on Positive Psychology
This study explored the state of Positive Psychology in six African countries. Thirty-seven participants from the six African countries responded to a survey on the status and prospects for positive psychology in the respective countries. Data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The quantitative data was analyzed by utilizing simple counting methods. The qualitative data was analyzed by means of a content analysis in which dominant the…
How Children Experience the Assets that Support their Learning
The study, on which this article is based, explored the ways in which primary school children in an urban (city centre) setting experience the assets and resources that support their learning. The researchers used a qualitative phenomenological research design incorporating an interpretive and constructivist perspective. The study was conducted in a primary school in Tshwane, Gauteng province, South Africa. The participants were eight African fem…
South African Teachers' Experiences of Children in their Classrooms who may have ADHD
This study focused on understanding and explaining how teachers experience children in their classrooms who may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study was a qualitative study in which 17 teachers from three different schools in Gauteng, South Africa, were interviewed. Content theme analysis was conducted on the textual data. Findings from the study indicate that (1) the teachers kept children who might have ADHD busy with…
How post-apartheid children express their identity as R citizens D
Children in South Africa are educated to identify with democratic values and democracy in post-apartheid society. As yet, we have no empirical evidence on their views on and identification with the new South African democracy. When given an opportunity to express their life experiences, the 9-year-old child citizens of this case study revealed their democratic identity on various levels. These children expressed a weak identification with democra…
I am doing okay”
In this case study, we utilized a Resilience framework and Sense of Coherence theory to understand how a group of children coped while living in an institution as a consequence of HIV/AIDS. We followed a qualitative and interpretivist approach. The experiences of nine children (5 girls and 4 boys) aged between 11 and 15 years is highlighted. The primary data generation strategy was informal interviews. However, we based these interviews upon part…
Intervention Groups for HIV-Infected Women
The Kgolo Mmogo study is a randomised controlled intervention trial that examines the effectiveness of a group intervention to enhance resilience in HIV-infected South African mothers ( N = 427) and their young children ( N = 435). We describe here how the severity of psychological and social problems experienced by some of the study participants required referrals for other services and discuss the barriers encountered in facilitating such refer…
Behavior and psychological functioning of young children of HIV-positive mothers in South Africa
Adults with HIV are living longer due to earlier diagnosis and increased access to antiretroviral medications. Therefore, fewer young children are being orphaned and instead, are being cared for by parents who know they are HIV positive, although they may be asymptomatic. Presently, it is unclear whether the psychological functioning of these young children is likely to be affected or, alternatively, whether it is only when a mother is ill, that …
The Role of Parenting in Affecting the Behavior and Adaptive Functioning of Young Children of HIV-Infected Mothers in South Africa
How inclusive education is understood by principals of independent schools
Inclusive education has become a practice that has been adopted by many schools across the globe and most usually in first-world countries. As a whole-school system, it occurs less frequently in developing countries including South Africa which unlike many developing countries has a sound infrastructure and many excellent schools in both the state and the independent sectors. Education White Paper 6: Special education: Building an inclusive educa…
Taking note of obstacles research partners negotiate in long-term higher education community engagement partnerships
Telling stories and adding scores
Telling stories and adding scores: Measuring resilience in young children affected by maternal HIV and AIDS", demonstrates how a concurrent mixed method design assisted cross-cultural comparison and ecological descriptions of resilience in young South African children, as well as validated alternative ways to measure resilience in young children. In a longitudinal randomised control trial, which investigated psychological resilience in mothers an…
Handbook of Quality of Life in African Societies
Measuring mental health and well-being of South African undergraduate students
The statistically significant decreases in the mental health and well-being of participants in this study indicate the need for substantive interventions to support student mental health and well-being. Strong foci for well-being interventions should include self-efficacy, sense of direction, meaning and creating a sense of belonging
Psychology and the Sustainable Development Goals
Determinants of intergenerational sexual relationships and HIV risk among South African women outpatients in Gauteng
Age-discrepant sexual relationships may place women at risk for HIV infection in South Africa. Results are based on medical records and case-control interview data of 889 sexually experienced women outpatients aged 15-29 in a Gauteng township. Women with partners at least ten years older (intergenerational) show an elevated chance of having an early sexual debut, concurrent and transactional partners, and intimate partner violence. Hardship durin…
College students’ well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic
This study explored college student’s well-being priorities and capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 2 213 South African undergraduate students answered an open-ended question to elicit interpretive, reflective, analytic, and evaluative written response types on the factors that support their well-being at university. Two thirds of the participants were female, almost half (48.94%) were black African, and most (67.46%) were betwe…
The future we want
Understanding general pedagogical knowledge influences on sustainable teacher well-being
This qualitative reconstructive study aimed to explore teacher general pedagogical knowledge and professional well-being. The informants were a convenience sample of 18 teachers from Austrian primary schools (n = 5), lower secondary schools (n = 7), and upper secondary schools (n = 6). Demographically, the sample included: female= 10, male= 8; mean years of service = 15.8 years, SD = 12.2 years. We interviewed the teachers on their general pedago…
On Responses of Higher Education and Training With(in) Society Through Research, Teaching, and Community Engagement
This article presents a trend analysis of the directions, nuances, and theoretical developments in community engagement (CE) practices in higher education and training (HET) environments in South Africa since 1994. It focuses on the nexus of research, teaching and learning, and community engagement. The article identifies specific associations of CE with core HET activities, illustrating how this integrated approach has brought about positive cha…
Comparing Mental Health, Wellbeing and Flourishing in Undergraduate Students Pre- and during the Covid-19 Pandemic
There has been a preponderance of studies on student mental health, wellbeing and flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have compared data on student mental health and wellbeing before and during the pandemic. The purpose of the current study was to compare mental health and wellbeing in undergraduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey research was conducted with three groups of undergraduate students (n = 90…
An Assessment of the Reliability and Validity of the Perma Well-Being Scale for Adult Undergraduate Students in an Open and Distance Learning Context
The psychometric properties of the 34-item adapted PERMA well-being scale suggest that it can be a valuable and feasible instrument in ODL in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the adapted scale can be applied in educational settings moving towards open and distance e-learning forms of delivery
Psychology (29 works) · Sociology (16 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Medicine (11 works) · Clinical Psychology (10 works) · Developmental psychology (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Pedagogy (9 works) · Political science (9 works) · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction (8 works)