Antonia Mkhabela

Antonia Mkhabela
Antonia Mkhabela

Antonia Mkhabela is currently (in 2020) a Grade 10-12 Life Sciences teacher and a Deputy Principal at Shea O’ Connor Combined School in Nottingham Road in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands area. She participated in the Masters course between 2013-2014. Her study focused on the relationship between sustainability competencies and order thinking when teaching environmental content knowledge in the Life Sciences. Bringing this new pedagogical perspective to her classroom has strengthened both her teaching and her assessment practice. She has also supported learners by developing these sustainability competences for solving environmental challenges within the school. For example, learners have contributed to rehabilitation and removal of alien invasive plants in their school wetland, constructed a walkway bridge to cross the wetland without disturbing its ecosystem, banned plastic usage in the school to reduce plastic pollution, and started a permaculture gardening project addressing food insecurity in their community. All the above projects are coordinated and lead by the learners involving the community members. These projects have placed the school on the global map, having received awards through these projects from Water Explorer, Edu plant as well as WESSA Eco-Schools. The latest award the school has received is the international award for community impact from the UN Search for Sustainability schools’ competition. Congratulations Antonia!