Dr. Hellen Agumba l Education | Best Scholar Award
University of Johannesburg | South Africa
Dr. Hellen Agumba’s research focuses on the intersection of rurality, education access, and curriculum development within higher education contexts. Her scholarly work examines how students from rural backgrounds navigate challenges in entering and succeeding in higher education institutions, with particular attention to socio-economic disparities, institutional support mechanisms, and curriculum inclusivity. Through qualitative and interpretive research approaches, she explores how geographic and cultural contexts shape educational trajectories, student identities, and academic performance. Her contributions extend to curriculum studies, formative assessment practices, and the professional development of educators in economic and management sciences. Agumba’s ongoing research engages with the transformation of educational practices through contextualized pedagogy and equitable learning opportunities, aiming to inform both policy and teaching frameworks that respond to the realities of diverse student populations. She has contributed to national and international collaborative projects, such as the South African Rurality in Higher Education (SARIHE) initiative, which investigates rural transitions and access within post-apartheid education systems. Her current and emerging publications continue to advance discourse on decoloniality, inclusivity, and student agency in curriculum design and implementation, reinforcing her commitment to fostering socially just and responsive higher education in South Africa and beyond.
Featured Publications
Agumba, H., & Simpson, Z. (2024). Towards student engagement: Recognising alternative forms of capital among students from rural backgrounds. In Reimagining South African higher education: Towards a student-centred learning and teaching future (pp. xx–xx). DOI: https://doi.org/10.52779/9781991260468/06
Agumba, H., Simpson, Z., & Ndofirepi, A. (2023). Towards understanding the influence of rurality on students’ access to and participation in higher education. Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning, 11(1), Article 643. https://doi.org/10.14426/cristal.v11i1.643
Motsaathebe, S., Agumba, H., & Van Vuuren, C. (2022). Situating inquiry pedagogical practices in the classroom to foster a high-impact research-minded learning experience. African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies, 4(1), Article 1030. https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.1030