Dr Dube teaches three undergraduate modules: Entomology 202, Agricultural Entomology 301, and Applied Entomology 302, and two Honours modules: Agricultural Entomology 404, and Insects in Epidemiology 407.
His teaching method develops an intrinsic desire in his students to instrumentally want to participate in the field of Entomology beyond the classroom, which is one of many reasons he has been honoured with the Faculty Emerging Teacher of the Year award at the 2022 Excellence Awards.
The Faculty Emerging Teacher of the Year award recognises young or emerging academics (up to Senior Lecturer level) who have made the most significant contribution to teaching and SoTL (the scholarship of teaching and learning) in the faculty during the year.
Dr Dube explains that his teaching inventions involve several strategies that include problem-posing, diagrams, use of caricatures, and the invitation of field specialists from the industry.
“These methods stimulate interest and excitement in students and make explaining some difficult concepts much easier. Teaching to me is facilitating my students’ entry and participation in the entomology community of practice. This involves modelling their way of thinking, being, values, norms, together with the language used in entomology.”
Dr Dube notes that because the majority of his students come from economically disadvantaged families, the goal of education is more personal for him as he uses methods to escape poverty.
His teaching style takes many forms under different contexts, his goal is used by most teaching practitioners under the social theories of learning, which equips students with the necessary knowledge and practice through social activities to meet the challenges of the ever-changing society.
"I have come to appreciate that all students are unique, and all have something to contribute to class, hence my job as a teacher is to create a fertile ground where such contributions can take place,” he says.
Role beyond teaching
His research focuses on environmentally friendly ways of protecting underutilised indigenous plants, with more than 25 peer-reviewed articles, four book chapters, and over 80 national and international conference presentations forming part of this publication. He has established both local and international collaborations during his research, including with the Department of Agriculture, the Agricultural Research Council, and other local and international academic institutions.
He recently attended the One Health International Student Conference 2022, in Bucharest, Romania to expose a few of his postgraduate students to international academic standards and showcase their research solutions in addressing African crop protection challenges.
“The conference is annually organised by the International Student One Health Alliance (ISOHA) & USAMV-Bucuresti. The student group l travelled with consisted of two Masters' students: Thobile Mkhwanazi and Rivoningo Ubisi and two PhD students: Moses Timana and Nicholus Mnyambo," he adds.
"Even though it was their first international conference, the four were exceptional, receiving praise from the majority of attendees and establishing potential collaboration contacts. I was especially interested in the exchange of plant material resources and the development of research collaborations. All of the papers presented by our students were promised slots in the institutions’ publications.
I consider the trip to have been a huge success and I thank the University of Mpumalanga MANCO, especially the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thoko Mayekiso for making such a great opportunity a reality.”
He acknowledged his students and the university for honouring him with the award. “It’s always wonderful to be acknowledged by one’s employer as it indicates that one’s effort is recognised. I consider this award as one of the rungs of my ladder to success. I am happy to have received such a recognition and hope it will be a steppingstone to greater things.”
Dr Dube also assists students from disadvantaged communities to secure international scholarships and training; he is on the editorial board of two peer-reviewed journals, and acts as an external examiner of academic institutions. He is an active member of the Nematology Society of Southern Africa, the Southern African Association of Plant Pathology, and the Entomological Society of Southern Africa.
His long-term goals are to document extensively on the environmentally safe, effective, and sustainable utilisation of plant extracts in the management of crop pests as a climate-smart approach. He also supervises postgraduate students in their research projects.
@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures supplied.