Unlearning by Doing: Research Pedagogies Through Hands-on Projects in Stjwetla, Johannesburg

Abstract

This article examines the pedagogical and methodological potentials of "learning by doing" and "unlearning by doing" through a design-build initiative developed in Stjwetla, an informal settlement in Johannesburg. Grounded in hands-on, community-driven processes, the Safety Shelters project brought together local residents, students, and city practitioners to co-produce small-scale structures addressing everyday safety challenges. The article is structured around the project’s progression: it begins with contextual and methodological reflections, moves through collaborative workshops and mapping exercises, and concludes with critical insights on positionality, reciprocity, and decolonial pedagogy. Drawing from educational theory, it advocates for spatial practices that unsettle institutional norms and privilege situated, experiential knowledge. Ultimately, the article underscores the importance of unlearning entrenched assumptions and advancing engaged, reflective, and adaptive pedagogies in contested urban environments.