2026 SAWiSA Finalist Profile: Prof. Agnes Chigona

Prof. Agnes Chigona, a finalist in the Distinguished Woman Researchers Humanities and Social Sciences. She is a full Professor of Education and is a Tier 1 Chair in Teacher Education of the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). She is also the Director of the Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society at CPUT. She previously served as Deputy Director of the Centre for International Teacher Education at CPUT and as Head of Research and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Education. She has made sustained and meaningful contributions to women's empowerment and gender equality through mentorship, leadership development, gender-responsive research and institutional initiatives that support women academics.

Prof. Chigona's research focuses on teacher education, digital pedagogy, educational technology integration and equity in education. She has led multidisciplinary and international research projects funded through highly competitive grants, including the National Research Foundation (NRF) and a South Africa-Japan bilateral collaboration. These projects have generated innovative conceptual frameworks, curriculum models and practical tools that support technology-enhanced teaching and postgraduate development. The outcomes of her research have been translated into curriculum reform and professional development initiatives at CPUT and other teacher-education institutions, evidencing measurable social and educational impact beyond academia.

With an NRF C1 rating, Prof. Chigona is the author of more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in leading international journals such as the Journal of Research on Technology in Education and TechTrends, as well as books and book chapters published by leading international publishers such as Routledge and UNESCO. She is a frequent keynote speaker for international audiences and serves on the editorial board of the British Journal of Educational Technology. Her scholarly excellence and global impact have been recognised through several honours, including her selection by the UNESCO-Netexplo Observatory as one of the Top 100 Women Global Role Models in Digital Technology. Prof. Chigona served as co-chair of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Special Interest Group on International Perspectives, having previously co-chaired its Special Interest Group on African Perspectives. Locally, she has served as specialist and co-convenor of the NRF Education Rating Panel.

Prof. Chigona has an exceptional track record in human capital development. She has successfully mentored seven postdoctoral fellows (three women and four men), and supervised 11 PhD, 14 master's and 16 honours students. She currently supervises 11 master's and six PhD students, most of whom are women.

Through sustained collaboration with national and international universities, government departments and global research networks, Prof. Chigona has built enduring partnerships that enhance interdisciplinary research and internationalisation. Her career reflects excellence, leadership, productivity and demonstrable societal impact, coupled with a sustained contribution to women's empowerment and gender equality in science and research.