Experience
- My research experience spans almost two decades. In my career, I started by focusing on teacher stress and well-being in response to their job demands, a topic that is still very much at the centre of my work. Another research topic I have followed for years is teacher emotion regulation, stress management and coping strategies. As a part of this, I explored how these strategies may evolve over the career span of teachers. I have worked on teachers’ proactive behaviours and school development. Most recently, I expanded my portfolio to include topics on how to develop curricula at Higher Education institutions to better prepare students for the 4IR.
- The research I conduct and supervise is mostly quantitative. More recently, I moved into mixed methods research. I supervise(d) several postgraduate students (from BEd. Honours to PhD) from different countries (Germany, Mauritius, Eswatini, Namibia and South Africa). I have completed a project funded by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) and took a leading role in a project on Curriculum Development funded by the JW Nelson Foundation.
- I teach modules at various levels (PGCE, Bed Honours, MEd.) and focus on various topics (e.g., Teacher Professional Development, Learning Theories, or Research Methods in Education).
- I have been a Mentor for Emerging Academics (e.g., as part of the USDP programme at the School of Education (UKZN)). For years, I have been one of the facilitators of the PhD cohort programme between the School of Education (UKZN) and the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE).
Degrees Held
- PhD in Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Freiburg (Germany) 2010
- Diplom in Psychology, University of Leipzig (Germany) 2005
Research Interests
- Self-regulation strategies of teachers of different age groups.
- Occupational health and well-being of teachers.
- Workplace health promotion for teaching staff of different age groups
- Professional development of teachers over the career cycle.
- Proactive behaviour/personal initiative of teachers.
- Leadership behaviour and innovation in educational organisations.
- Skills of teachers for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as well as effects of wellbeing for the readiness for the 4IR.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Chapters in Books
Selected Conferences
Journal Articles
Selection:
- Jörg, V., Hartmann, U., Philipp, A., & Kunter, M. (2024). Teachers’ proactive behaviour: Interactions with job characteristics and professional competence in a longitudinal study. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(1), 198-215. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12642
- Holzberger, D., Philipp, A., & Kunter, M. (2016). Ein Blick in die Black-Box: Wie der Zusammenhang von Unterrichtsenthusiasmus und Unterrichtshandeln von angehenden Lehrkräften erklärt werden kann. Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie, 48, 90-105. https://doi.org/10.1026/0049-8637/a000150
- Holzberger D., Philipp, A., & Kunter, M. (2014). Predicting Teachers’ Instructional Behaviors: The Interplay Between Self-efficacy and Intrinsic Needs. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 39, 100-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.02.001
- Philipp, A., & Kunter, M. (2013). How do teachers spend their time? A study on teachers’ strategies of selection, optimisation, and compensation over their career cycle. Teaching and Teacher Education, 35(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.04.014
Chapters in Books
Selection:
- Stark, A., & Philipp, A. (2023). Transformation of a practical module from a social constructivist perspective to enhance graduate employability: An example. In B. Collier-Reed (Ed.), Proceedings of the Sixth Biennial Conference of the South African Society for Engineering Education. (pp. 244-257). SASEE.
- Murugan, L., Singh, A., Gore, T., Stark, A., & Philipp, A. (2021). The Journey to 4IR: Equipping today’s Chemical Engineering students with skills for tomorrow’s workplace. International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning the Digital Age (digiTAL2k), Durban (South Africa).
- Gore, T., Murugan, L., Singh, A., Stark, A., & Philipp, A. (2021). Transforming the Chemical Engineering Curriculum to Gear towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Proceedings of the South African Chemical Engineering Congress, Virtual Congress (South Africa).
- Klusmann, U., & Philipp, A. (2014). Belastung und Beanspruchung im Lehrerberuf: Zum Stand der Empirischen Forschung. In E. Terhart, H. Bennewitz & M. Rothland (Eds.), Handbuch der Forschung zum Lehrerberuf. (2nd rev. ed., pp. 1014-1022). Münster: Waxmann.
Selected Conferences
- Philipp, A., Ndlovu, P., Marondedze, E. & Stark, A. (29 Oct – 01 Nov 2024). How well prepared are Chemical Engineering students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
Results of a document analysis on skills trained at the undergraduate level at a selected university. Presentation at the 11th Annual South African Education Research Association (SAERA) Conference, Bloemfontein (South Africa). - Stark, A., & Philipp, A. (11-13 July 2023). Transformation of a practical module from a social constructivist perspective to enhance graduate employability: An example. Presentation at the Sixth Biennial Conference of the South African Society for Engineering Education, Muldersdrift (South Africa).
- Philipp, A. (24-27 May 2023). An Exploration of Job Demands and Personal Resources of Teachers from Under-Resourced Contexts in Relation to their Burnout and Engagement Levels. Presentation at the 21. Congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), Kattowice (Poland).
- Murugan, L., Singh, A., Gore, T., Stark, A., & Philipp, A. (2-3 Dec 2021, online). The Journey to 4IR: Equipping today’s Chemical Engineering students with skills for tomorrow’s workplace. Paper presented at the DigiTAL2K 2021 Conference, Durban, SA.
- Gore, T., Murugan, L., Singh, A., Stark, A., & Philipp, A. (20 – 22 Sep 2021, online). Virtual and Remote Labs: A SWOT Analysis of the Use of Laboratory Teaching Software in Higher Education. Paper resented at the South African Chemical Engineering Congress (SACEC).
- Philipp, A. (2020, Apr 17 – 21) An Exploration of Personal Resources of Teachers in Relation to Their Strain and Well-Being Levels [Paper Session]. AERA Annual Meeting San Francisco, CA http://tinyurl.com/uqpfkke (Conference Canceled).
- Philipp, A. (2019, Oct.). Emotional demands and coping styles of teachers in relation to their burnout and commitment levels. Paper presented at the 7th conference of the South African Education Research Association (SAERA), Durban.
- Philipp, A. (2019, Jan). An Exploration of the Job Demands of Teachers at Schools in KwaZulu-Natal. Paper presented at the Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Education Association of South Africa (EASA), Polokwane.
- Philipp, A., Steier, F., & Kunter, M. (2018, Jan.). Selection, optimisation and compensation strategies of teachers and their relationship with teacher burnout as well as life and job satisfaction. Paper accepted for the Annual Conference of the Education Association of South Africa (EASA), Durban.
Community Involvement
- (2018-2020): Demands and personal resources of teachers in two districts in KwaZulu-Natal as predictors of their levels of strain and ill-being. Funded within the Human and Social Dynamics in Development Grant (supported wholly by the National Research Foundation of South Africa; NRF, Grant Number: 111853).
- Member of DGPs (The German Psychological Society).
- Member of SAERA (South African Educational Research Association).
- Reviewer of Rating Application for the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.
- Reviewer for the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF).
- Mentoring of staff members during the PhD phase.
Teaching Expertise
My teaching expertise ranges from teaching at the undergraduate level to the postgraduate level. Please find selected modules below:
- Module at BEd. Hon. level “Teacher Stress and Wellbeing” (EDPD715)
- Module at MEd. level “Researching Teacher Development” (EDPD808)
- Module at PGCE level “Education Studies: Teach, Learn and Contexts” (EDES612), teaching of unit on Learning Theories
- Module at BEd. Hon. level “Mentoring in Schools” (EDPD704)
- Module at BEd. level “Education Studies” (EDES220)
- Supervision of Independent Research Project (EDRS732) BEd. Hon. students for the Discipline “Teacher Development Studies”
Student Supervision
Honours
Masters
PhD
Honours
Selection of BEd. Hon. Independent Research Project students:
- Khulile Muskwa (IRP, 2025). A systematic review of teachers’ job demands in South African township secondary schools.
- Sindiswa Mkhize (IRP, 2025). A systematic review of teachers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.
- Yashna Hunsrajh (IRP, 2025). A systematic review of teachers’ experiences with challenging adolescent behaviour and the relationship with teacher burnout.
- Londiwe Moloi (IRP, 2025). A systematic review of the literature on the effect of teacher burnout on teaching quality.
- Ishan Manilal (IRP, 2025). Empathy As a Double-Edged Sword? A Systematic Review of Literature on The Relationship Between Empathy and Teacher Burnout.
- Wendy Mhlongo (IRP, 2024). Strategies Employed to Support Educator Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Systematic Review.
- Sabelo Mhlongo (IRP, 2024). Exploring the dimensions of teacher workload and their relevance for teacher burnout.
- Yonela Khwephe (IRP, 2024). Exploring the effects of work-related demands during the COVID-19 pandemic on teacher wellbeing after the pandemic. A systematic review.
- Mthobisi Madlala (IRP, 2024). How effective are mindfulness-based interventions in reducing teacher burnout? – A Systematic Review.
Masters
- Selection
- Winton Msibi (M.Ed., in progress). Tbc
- Mthobisi Madlala (M.Ed., in progress). Exploring the perspectives of rural primary school staff toward educational materials made from waste plastic.
- Sabelo W Mhlongo (M.Ed., under examination) A systematic review of secondary school teacher workload and implications for teacher well-being and teaching practices in South Africa and Finland.
- Qiniso S Zwane (M.Ed., 2026). An Exploratory Study of Violence in Selected High Schools in eThekwini and its Relevance for Teacher Well-being.
- Kajol Ramlakhan (M.Ed. coursework dissertation, 2025). Primary school teachers’ reflections on their competency to teach reading to learners with special needs.
- Nobuhle A Lushaba (M.Ed., 2023). An Exploration of the Proactive Behaviours of Novice Teachers directed at Professional and School Development of Rural Schools in KwaZulu-Natal.
- Leroshka Murugan (M.Ed., 2021). An investigation of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities of secondary school teachers in Kwazulu-Natal in relation to their job demands and resources.
- Pinkie Zondi (M.Ed., 2020). An investigation of challenges and coping strategies of Senior and Master Teachers in public schools.
- Bradley S Vere (M.Ed., 2020). An exploration of factors contributing to organisational commitment of early career teachers at under-resourced secondary schools.
- Nompumelelo G Nzimande (M.Ed., 2021). The influence of continuous professional development activities on educators’ instructional quality in Foundation Phase Mathematics.
PhD
Selection
- Kajol Ramlakhan (PhD thesis in progress). tbc
- Aseeah Ebrahim (PhD thesis in progress). tbc
- Nobuhle A Lushaba (PhD thesis in progress). An Exploratory Study of the Lived Experiences of Unemployed Newly Qualified Teachers in South Africa.
- Lahja Ndjalo (PhD thesis in progress). An Exploration of Namibian Teachers’ Experiences of Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Labour.
- Nompumelelo G Nzimande (PhD thesis in progress). An Exploration of the Creative Teaching Styles of South African Foundation Phase Mathematics Teachers.
- Jabulisiwe Mamba (PhD thesis, under examination) Students’ and teachers’ perspectives on Teacher Knowledge for teaching the Career Guidance Curriculum in Public High Schools.
- Ndabenhle T Mdluli (PhD, 2025) An Investigation of the Complex Interplay between Teachers’ Emotional Demands and other Work Demands of Teachers in Relation to their Emotion Regulation and Wellbeing.
- Leena Subrun (PhD, 2024). Tracking the Job Satisfaction across the Career Cycle of Teachers in Mauritius.
- Nomvuyo P Nhlengethwa (PhD, 2024). School’s Responses to Swaziland’s Language Policy and Policy Directives and the Consequences thereof.