Degrees Held
- Doctor of Philosophy-Educational Psychology (Early Childhood Development), UKZN, 2022
- Master of Education-Educational Psychology (Early Childhood Development), UKZN, 2014
- Honours in Leadership and Management, UNISA, 2011
- Bachelor of Arts, UNISA, 1998
Research Interests
- ECCE teachers’ development.
- Planning of teaching activities for young children development.
- Well-being of children from birth to four.
- Quality and equality in the early years.
- Collaboration to transform ECCE.
- Policies/professionalism and transformation in the Early Childhood Care and Education sector.
- Community of Practice/ Collaboration in Early Childhood Care and Education.
- The empowerment of Early Childhood Care and Education centers in disadvantaged communities.
Teaching Interests
- Life Skills in the Early Childhood Development
- Creative Arts
- Mathematics in the Early Years
- First Additional Language Teaching Methodologies in the Foundation Phase.
- Early Childhood Care Education Modules.
Teaching Expertise
- Numeracy in the Early Years-EDPY 110- Teaches basic Foundation Phase mathematics content to first-year students.
- English Literacy Method 1 First Additional Language (FAL)- Teach First Additional Language teaching skills to second-year students.
- English Literacy Method 2 First Additional Language (FAL)- Advance students’ FAL teaching skills.
- Institutional Teaching Practice- Provided guidance to prepare students for Teaching Practice.
- Early childhood Development Module- Taught the essential aspects of childhood development.
- Curriculum Development in ECD- Guided students on how ECD Curriculum is developed and reviewed.
- Creative Arts in ECD- Guided students to integrate creative arts in the ECD and Foundation Phase Teaching.
Publications
Journal Articles
Chapters in Books
Journal Articles
- Zama, Z. (2025). Visual Daily Programme to implement the National Curriculum Framework: a case of rural early childhood care and education centres. The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning, 20(1), 99-114. https://doi.org/10.17159/pc2da742.
- Zama, Z. (2024). Creating indoor learning areas to implement the Early Childhood Care and Education Curriculum, South African Journal of Childhood Education 14(1), a1474. https://doi.org/ 10.4102/sajce. v14i1.1474.
- Zama, C.Z. & Mashiya, N. (2022). ‘Early Childhood Care and Education teachers’ experiences of integrating the activities of the national curriculum framework into themes’, South African Journal of Childhood Education, 12(1), v12i1.https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce
- Moodley, D., Smith, C., Joubert, I., Singh, P., Sookraj, R., & Zama, Z. (2016). Developing open source materials for foundation phase: Diverse spaces for collaboration. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(5), 84-103. https://doi.org/10.20853/30-5-597
Chapters in Books
- De Klerk, E.D., Palmer, J.M., Rennie, A., & Zama, Z. (2024). Getting to the heart of early years’ transformative pedagogy: Policy perspectives for early childhood middle leaders. In C. Okeke, H. Ebrahim, M. Mncanca & M. Koen (Eds.), Early childhood professional development: An African perspective (pp. 129–137). Juta and Company (Pty) Ltd. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781998963621/pageid/3.
- Mzimela, J., Zama, Z., Tebekana, J. (2023). Early Childhood Development Centre managers’ provision of the comprehensive quality programme: Policy Implementation. Helsinki University Press.
- Zama, C.Z (2022). ‘Health and hygiene practices for toddlers in Early Childhood Care and Education centres in an underprivileged area’. In Ebrahim, H.B., Harrison, G., Ashley-Cooper, M., Martin, C.D., & Shaik, N. (2022). Voices from the Early Childhood Care and Education Field in South Africa: Research and Promising Practices for New Directions. Pretoria: South African Research Association of Early Childhood Education.122 pages. ISBN: 978-1-998981-43-4.
Student Supervision
Honours
Masters
Honours
- Mbalenhle Ngcobo (2022). The impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on black students in higher education in South Africa A transition to online learning.
2025
- Emma-Jade Dell (2025): Teachers’ Experiences of Teaching Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder in a South African Remedial School: A Visual Participatory Study
- Samukelisiwe Thusini (2025): Collaborative Understanding of Teaching Learners from Child-Headed Households as a Challenge in a Rural Primary School: A Visual Participatory Approach
2024
- Ntobeko Mtshali (2024): Teachers’ Collaborative Understanding of bullying as a widespread harm in South African schools: A Visual Participatory Approach
- Nonhlanhla Shezi (2024): Collaborated Understanding of the effects of sexual abuse on South African school learners in the 21st Century: A visual participatory approach
- Afsana Sheik Osman (2024): Understanding the effect of anxiety on South African primary school learners’ development: A Visual Participatory Approach
2023
- Siphesihle Nolwazi Ntombela (2023): Teachers’ collaborative understanding of child abuse facing learners with special needs in the 21st century: A visual participatory approach.
- Jason Luke Perumalsamy (2023): High school teachers’ collaborative understanding of the challenges of substance abuse facing learners: a visual participatory approach.
- Michelle Govender (2023): Intermediate Phase Teachers’ Collaborative Understanding of Poverty as a Challenge Facing Learners in a Rural Setting: A Visual Participatory Approach.
Masters
2025
- Simi Laljith (2025): Deaf or Hard of Hearing preservice teachers’ learning experiences at an Institution of Higher Learning
2024
- Mkhabela Vuyelwa (2024): Navigating racialised identity as a black female educator within the educational journey: an autoethnographic study
Community Involvement
- (2021) Foundation and ECD phases focus on reading in the mother tongue before reading in a second language: Nalibali Project between literacy teacher educators.
- (2022) Mapping of Emergent Reading Professional Development Material for isiZulu Home Language: VVOB Project in South Africa.
Conference Presentations
- Zama, Z. (2023). Using visual literacy to develop curiosity in rural young children, SAERA Conference (30 October – 3 November 2023).
- Arasomwan A. D., Zama, Z. (2023). Educators’ perspectives on using music-based pedagogy to teach communication skills to young children. Unleashing the Potential of Education through Innovation. Innovations in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (iSoTL) Conference 2023
- Zama, Z. (2021). Health and hygiene practices for toddlers in Early Childhood Care and Education centres in an underprivileged area. 4th National ECD Conference: Building a High-Quality ECD research and practice in South Africa: Birth to Grade R Digital Conference hosted by Cape Peninsula University of Technology on the 13 -14 July 2021
University service
I serve as a university language committee member for the Education Studies cluster
Mathematics Terminology Development and Pedagogy Enhancement Project (MTDPEP) member