Dr Omar Esau
16 Delhi Road
Lansdowne, Cape Town,
South Africa
7800
Tel: +27 21 7613281
Cell: 0834074355
Fax: +27 21 8082295
E-mail:oesau@sun.ac.za
Personal Information
Place of Birth:
Cape Town, South Africa
Identity No:
640609 5221 084
Driver’s License 60600013DSG2
Qualifications
Ph.D, M.Ed, B.Ed (Hons), BA, Dip. In Ed.
Education
2008
Ph.D. (Doctorate) Degree
Thesis / Dissertation:
“Breaking the Culture of Silence in Checkmating
HIV/AIDS as a Teacher Researcher”
Specialist area: Curriculum Development, Sport & Religious Ed.
University of the Western Cape
1996
T.E.F.L. Certificate.
Cape Town T.E.F.L Training Institute.
1994
M. Ed. (Masters) Degree
Thesis / Dissertation:
“Emancipatory Action and Reflection in a Primary School
Classroom: Addressing the Culture of Silence”
Specialist area: Curriculum Development
University of the Western Cape
1992
B. Ed. (Honours) Degree
University of the Western Cape
1990
B. A. Degree
University of the Western Cape
1984
Teacher’s Diploma in Education
Hewat College of Education
1981
Matric
Livingstone High School
Work Experience:
Involved in Teaching and Teacher Education for 25 years (1985 – 2009)
Lecturer – Curriculum Studies (Stellenbosch University)
January 2009 – Present
Core Lecturing Duties:
Curriculum Studies (First year BEd’s, Fouth year BEd’s and PGCE students)
Diversity and Inclusivity – PGCE students
Life Orientation (Second year BEd’s and PGCE students)
Religious Studies – Third year and PGCE students)
Assessment and Research (Fourth Year BEd students)
Assist Postgraduate Master’s in Education students.
Supervise prospective Education students in Practice Teaching.
Deputy Principal/Acting Principal/HOD/Educator (WCED)
January 1997 – January 2009
Deputy Principal
January 2002 – July 2002
Acting Principal
January 1994 – December 1996
Head of Department
January 1985 – December 1993
Educator
Core Administration and Teaching Duties:
Administration included Management (Finance, Registration, Examination
Moderation, PTA/Governing Body Management, Sport/Extra-Mural and Marketing)
and Curriculum Development (Teacher Training and Learning Materials
Development).
Teaching included Subjects English, Afrikaans, Arabic, History, Religious Education,
Life Orientation, Physical Science, Mathematics, Biology, Geography and Arts and
Culture. Taught and involved extensively in developing extra-mural sporting skills –
chess, rugby, soccer, cricket, athletics, swimming and volleyball.
Education and Sport Community Involvement
Education
2013 – Consultant – UMALUSI (Council for Quality Assurance) Reviewing Life
Orientation in the Intermediate Phase.
2012 – Consultant – DBE (Dept. of Basic Education) Evaluating and Screening Life
Orientation and Social Science Textbooks.
2010 – Present – Member of Education Association of South Africa.
2009 – Present – Member of Social Sciences Focus Group- Dept. of Curriculum
Studies, University of Stellenbosch.
2002 – Present - Assist Doctoral and Masters Students with their dissertations.
1998 – Present - Sports and Education Journalist and Presenter at Radio 786.
1996 – 2002 - Co-ordinator of the Muhammadeyah -Vigilance Pre-School.
1997 – 1998 -Taught on a part-time basis at the Cape Town T.E.F.L. Institute.
1996 – 1998 - Tutored B.Ed students in the Education Faculty at U.W.C.
Sport
2006 – Present - National President of South African Schools Chess.
2004 – 2009 - National Development Director for Chess South Africa.
2001 – 2009 - Chairperson of Western Cape Schools Chess.
2001 – 2007 - Chairperson of USSASA Western Province Wynberg Zone.
1995 – 2010 - President of Western Province Schools Chess.
1998 – 2006 - National President of USSASA Chess.
1984 – 1996 – Primrose Cricket Club – Junior Supervisor and Senior M&R Secretary.
1984 - 1993 - Primrose Rugby – Secretary and Junior Assistant Coach.
Awards &Achievements
2013 – City of Cape Town Sports Journalist of the Year.
2013 – Mellon Award for Research: Stellenbosch University (R50 000).
2012 – Life Long Achievement for Excellence in the Administration in
School Sport in the Western Province.
2012- Western Cape Award for Excellence in Research in Sport & Ed.
2011 – FLIRT (Fund for Innovation and Research into Teaching and Learning)
Funding: Stellenbosch University (R29 780).
2011 - Western Province Award for Excellence in Research in Sport & Education.
2009 - International FIDE Executive Member for Strategic Development in Africa.
2008–Western Province Chess Administrator of the Year.
2008 – South African Delegate to the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Dresden.
2008 – Netherlands Fellowship for International Sports Journalism.
2007 – International FIDE Arbiter Status in Turkey by FIDE Chess.
2006 - Nominated as Western Cape Sports Administrator of the Year.
2005 – Western Cape Sports Journalist Award for the Year.
2004 – Co-ordinator of South African Schools Chess Tour to Greece.
2003 – Represented South Africa at the World Chess Olympiad in Spain.
2002 – Event Organiser for South African Chess All Ages Championships.
2001 – Event Organiser for South African Top Chess Schools Tournament.
2000 – Western Cape Sports Journalist Award for the Year.
1999 – Manager of South African Chess Team to All African Games.
Research and Academic Development
Research Focus Areas
My broader research interest lies in education, with a specific focus on the
following topics:
 Teachers as Researchers / Curriculum Development
 Diversity and Inclusivity – Education for Nation Building
 Sports, Health and Community Education
 Sociology of Religion
 HIV/Aids Education
Publications
Book Publication
2011. Breaking the Culture of Silence in Checkmating HIV/AIDS as a TeacherResearcher. Lambert Academic Publishing GmbH & Co.KG
Book Chapter
2013 A teacher’s perspective on teaching and learning at a Faith-Based Muslim
School in Cape Town. A Springer Edition: (In Press)
Published Articles
2013 Preparing pre-service teachers as emancipatory action researchers in a teacher
education programme. South African Journal of Education: (In Press)
2012. “Checkmating HIV/AIDS”: Using Chess to break the silence in the classroom.
SAHARA J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS: An Open Access Journal.
9(1): S28-S36. (Mrt 2013)
2012. Shaping the knowledge society in the 21st century classroom: An HIV/AIDS
action research project. South African Journal of Higher Education.(Aug 2012).
2010. Breaking the Culture of Silence in Checkmating HIV/AIDS as a TeacherResearcher. South African Journal of Higher Education. 24(1): (Mrt 2010)
Conference Proceedings
2013. A deliberative defence of an emancipatory action research approach in the
classroom: a personal reflective account, SAERA Conference, Limpopo.
2012. HIV/AIDS Education as a Pedagogy of Hope and Possibility, EASA
Conference, PE.
Conference Presentations
2013 Supervising emancipatory action research projects - Value and Virtue in
Practice-Based Research Conference York- St John University – UK, 7-11 July
2013 A deliberative defence of an emancipatory action research approach in the
classroom: a personal reflective account, SAERA, Limpopo, 28 -30 January
2012 Cultivating Action Research in a Pre-service Teaching Program -5th Annual
Conference on Teaching and Learning, Lord Charles, Somerset West, 23-25 May
2012 Cultivating Action Research: Pre-service, In-Service, and Graduate Studies
AERA – Canada –Vancouver Fairmont Waterfront – 12 April – 18 April.
2012 Preparing Pre-service Teachers as Action Researchers for the 21st Century –
EASA – Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University – 17 January – 20 January.
2011 Preparing action research researchers – HELTASA – Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University – 28 November – 1 December.
2011 Teachers as action researchers -5th Annual Conference on Teaching and
Learning, Lord Charles, Somerset West, 16-17 May
2011 Research method and Pedagogy – Using Participatory Visual Methodologies
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 4 – 5 April.
2011 Preparing Pre-service as critical action researchers for the 21sr Century,
Cape Town, 28–31 March
2011 HIV/AIDS Education as a Pedagogy of Hope and Possibility, EASA
Conference, Sun City 10 – 13 January
2010 Hopeful Pedagogy – Implications for Academics, Stellenbosch (STIAS)
19 November.
2010 Checkmating HIV/AIDS as a Teacher Researcher, Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University 12 – 13 September.
2010 Exploring the transformative potential of action research in an HIV/AIDS
environment, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 19 – 20 August
2009 Rethinking Curriculum Studies Today, Teachers as Curriculum Developers
IAACS Conference, Stellenbosch 7 -10 September 2009.
2008 Developing Chess in Schools in South Africa. Paper presented at the Chess in
Schools Conference at the Dresden Olympiad 28 – 29 October.
2008 Developing Sport in a Post Apartheid Era. Paper presented at the National
Chess Development Conference at Kleinplasie in Gauteng 6 – 8 July.
2007 Chess can confront HIV/AIDS. Paper presented at the Sport and Health
Symposium, University of the Western Cape 20 August.
2006 Teachers as Researchers. Paper presented at the Education Student’s Sixth
Regional Research Conference, University of the Western Cape 26-29
September.
2005 Emancipatory Action Research in a Primary School Classroom. The Education
Teachers Conference, University of the Western Cape 5 – 7 July.
2004 Sport and HIV/AIDS. Paper presented at the Second African Conference on
Social aspects of HIV/AIDS Research, Cape Town 9 – 12 May
Research Projects
2006 – 2007 Checkmating HIV/AIDS. Research project as part of PhD research in
Cape Town.
External Moderator / Review of Journals
 North-West University: Subject Religious Education: 511 (2009 – 2012)
 North-West University: Subject Bed Hons: Research Methods (2010 -2012)
 Helderberg College: Subject World Religions (2010 – 2012)
 Helderberg College: Subject Major Research (2010 – 2012)
 Reviewer for South African Journal of Higher Education (SAJHE)
 Reviewer for South African Journal of Education (SAJE)
 Reviewer for BOLESWA Journal – Journal of Theology, Religion and
Philosophy (BJTRP)
 Reviewer for Southern African Journal for Social Aspects (SAHARA)
Graduate Supervision
2010 D Klaasen - Stellenbosch University MEd Structured Thesis – ‘n Poging om my
klaskamerpraktyk in Beroepsvoorligting by ‘n landelike voorskool te verbeter: ‘n
Aksienavorsingsbenadering – Completed 2012.
2013 T Pekeche - Stellenbosh University PHd – Conflict Resolution and Peace
Studies in Southern Africa – Research in Progress.
2013 B Booysen – Stellenbosch University – MEd Structured Thesis – Towards
Improving Geography Teaching in the Intermediate Phase – Research in Progress
2013 AK Majiet – Stellenbosch University – MEd Structured Thesis – Life
Orientation in the FET Phase – An Action Research Project – Research in Progress.
Skills
Experienced Public Speaker and Presenter
Event Organiser
Competent in Interpreting and Analysing Crisis Situations
Qualitative and Quantitative Researcher and Designer
Computer Literate (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint and Groupwise)
Referals:
Prof Yusef Waghid - Dean of Education (Stellenbosch) - Mobile: 0825543926,
yw@sun.ac.za
Prof Dirk Meerkotter – PhD Supervisor (UWC) – Mobile: 0822023145,
d.meerkotter@mweb.co.za
Adv. Lyndon Bouah – Chief Director Western Cape Department of Culture of Sports
and Recreation – Mobile: 0836438534, Lbouah@pgwc.gov.za.
Updated: May 2013