Dr Matumo Ramafikeng

Biography

I am an Occupational Therapist with experience in mental health practice, research, and teaching in the Global South. My areas of expertise include teaching for diversity, design and delivery of occupational therapy curriculum that is contextually relevant and providing academic support to minority students in higher education. I draw on various strategies, such as academic literacies, translanguaging as a pedagogic strategy; drawing on students’ linguistic resources to support learning and attainment of educational outcomes. My research interests include decolonisation of curriculum, transformative pedagogy, practice education in health sciences, language in teaching and learning, as well as health and well-being of health professionals and community mental health. In research, I have used qualitative case study design, descriptive qualitative design, linguistic ethnography and analysis methods include discourse analysis, genre analysis and thematic analysis. I am the current President of the Occupational Therapy in Africa Regional Group (OTARG), an official branch of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) for the Africa region. In this role I have a mandate to lead the organisation in developing and growing occupational therapy practice on the continent.

Qualifications

• PhD Education University of Cape Town, (2018)

• BSc Occupational Therapy University of Cape Town, (2003)

Appointments

University of Essex

• Lecturer, Occupational Therapy, University of Essex (10/11/2021 - present)

Other academic

• Senior Lecturer, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cape Town (1/1/2020 - 31/10/2022)

• Lecturer, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cape Town (17/2/2016 - 31/12/2019)