Phone: +27 (0)12 420 5504
Email: ronel.ferreira@up.ac.za

Ronél has been appointed in the Department of Educational Psychology since 2001 and is the current Head of Department. She has been the co-ordinator of the MEd (Educational Psychology) programme from 2001 to 2008; and involved in lecturing in the BEd and MEd programmes.

Ronél’s current research focus area is psycho-social coping by vulnerable individuals and communities, for example, informal settlement communities having to cope with HIV&AIDS. She is involved in various research projects focusing on this area of interest. She is also involved in a joint research project with Yale University, focusing on the promotion of resilience amongst children of whom the mothers are infected with HIV.  Furthermore, she is involved in an interdisciplinary early intervention programme, more specifically educational psychological intervention during early childhood intervention. 

The following publications are fruits of her pen:

Research highlights:

§                 UP Exceptional Young Researcher Award (2010)

§                 Nominated for the Samuel Henry Prince Dissertation Award by the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee (2009)

§                 National Research Foundation Rated researcher (2008)

§                 Faculty of Education (UP) Best PhD dissertation award (2006 – R 70 000 NRF postdoctoral fellowship)

§                 Education Association of South Africa (EASA) Young Researcher Award (2007)

§                 Invited paper: Oxford Symposium (2003)

§                 Education and Training Development Programme (ETDP) SETA funding for HIV&AIDS research project (2003 & 2004)

§                 ETDP SETA funding for community outreach project at a place of safety (2003 & 2004)

§                 JET/CHESP funding for development and implementation of Service-Learning in existing curriculum (2005 & 2006)

§                 Funding for follow-up study of PhD: ABSA Foundation (2004); M&SS Trust (2005); UP Department of Community Engagement (2008); The Fochini Group (2008-2009); Albert Wessels Funding (Toyota) (2008): Part of primary research team

§                 NIH Grant (2006-2010): Consultant researcher in UP-YALE research collaboration

§                 Research development programme, UP (2007-2009)

Publications:

§                 Ferreira, R., Ebersöhn, L. & Odendaal, V. Accepted for publication in 2010. Community-based educational psychology intervention to enhance teachers’ support competencies in the HIV&AIDS realm. Education as Change [accepted for first volume of 2010].

§                 Coetzee, S., Ebersöhn, L. & Ferreira, R. Accepted for publication in 2009. An asset-based approach in career facilitation: Lessons for Higher Education training. South African Journal of Higher Education [accepted for volume 22 (6)].

§                 Ferreira, R. 2008. Culture at the heart of coping with HIV&AIDS. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 18(1):97-104.

§                 Ferreira, R., Du Preez, CS. & Archer, E. 2008. Die potensiële waarde van gesinsrituele vir betekenisgewing deur kinders. KOERS, 73(2):247-264.

§                 Ferreira, R., Ebersöhn, L. & Loots, T. 2008. Batemobilisering as strategie vir die hantering van MIV/VIGS. Acta Academica, 40(3):142-162.

§                 Ebersöhn, L., Ferreira, R. & Mnguni, M. 2008. Educators’ use of memory-box-making to provide psychosocial support in their pastoral role. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 18(3):305-316.

§                 Ebersöhn, L., Eloff, I. & Ferreira, R. (Co-author). 2007. First steps in action research. In JG. Maree (Ed.) First steps in research. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.

§                 Ferreira, R. 2008. Using intervention research to facilitate community-based coping with HIV&AIDS. In L. Ebersöhn (Ed.). From microscope to kaleidoscope: reconsidering psychosocial and educational aspects related to children in the HIV&AIDS pandemic. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

§                 Hinkley, C., Ferreira, R. & Maree, JG. 2007. The case of expectant fathers: Negotiating the changing role of males in a ‘female’ world. Early Child Development and Care, 177(5):461-478.

§                 Ferreira, R. 2007. Community-based coping: An HIV-AIDS case study. In N. Duncan, A. Naidoo, J. Pillay & V. Roos (Eds.) Analysis, context and action: An introduction to Community Psychology. Cape Town: Juta.

§                 Ferreira, R., Ebersöhn, L. & Oelofsen, M. 2007. An alternative way of assessing girls who have been sexually abused: Using Gestalt therapy for assessment purposes. Child Abuse Research in South Africa, 8(2):69-80

§                 Ferreira, R. 2004. Educational Psychological Intervention and Therapy. In I. Eloff & L. Ebersöhn (Eds.) Keys to Educational Psychology. Kaapstad: Juta.

§                 Ferreira, R. & Möller, L. 2004. Musiekterapie as Intervensie-moontlikheid by laerskooldogters wat seksueel misbruik is. Child Abuse Research in South Africa, 5(2):31-40.

§                 Ferreira, R. & Mattheus, A. 2003. Ervaringe van ‘n Portuurgroepondersteuningspan in ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse Hoërskool. Education as Change, 7(2):103-125.

§                 Ferreira, R., Lucen, A., Soobrayan, V. & Stoffels, N. 2003. More than an academic jaunt: Attending a workshop on qualitative research. Perspectives in Education, 21(2):149-154.

§                 Van Wyk (nee Ferreira), R. 1997. A lesson in Sexuality Education: A basic approach. In L. van Rooyen (Ed.)  1997.  Sexuality Education in the Classroom. Pretoria: Kagiso.

§                 Van Wyk (nee Ferreira), R. 1997. Components in the didactic situation: The child. In L. van Rooyen (Ed.)  1997.  Sexuality Education in the Classroom.  Pretoria: Kagiso.

§                 Van Wyk (nee Ferreira), R. 1997. How to deal with sensitive questions and situations. In L. van Rooyen (Ed.)  1997. Sexuality Education in the Classroom. Pretoria: Kagiso.

§                 Van Wyk (nee Ferreira), R. 1997. Lesson course phases. In L. van Rooyen (Ed.)  1997. Sexuality Education in the Classroom. Pretoria: Kagiso.

§                 Van Wyk (nee Ferreira), R. 1997. Lesson presentation. In L. van Rooyen (Ed.)  1997. Sexuality Education in the Classroom. Pretoria: Kagiso.