Vignette research in Pretoria is primarily, but not exclusively, being utilised in Educational Psychology and its related fields. The sustainable development goals on Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3) and Quality Education (SDG 4), serve as optimal departure points for vignette research in the African context. Specific vignette studies in the Pretoria group currently include work in wellbeing, early childhood education, hope studies, exploring vulnerability and in-depth inquiries into sustainable development. The deep phenomenological roots of vignette research strongly resonate with the theoretical underpinnings of numerous, diverse previous studies in Educational Psychology in Pretoria.  Vignettes are also utilised as a research tool across the full continuum of education – from the early years of learning into higher education.

From April 2021 to March 2023, the University of Pretoria, the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna are pursued the cooperation project "Teaching the Global Goals: Exploring synergies between teacher education programmes and the Sustainable Development Goals – Teach4Reach", funded by the BMBWF (AfricaUniNet). The aim of the project was to raise awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in school curricula by integrating them into teacher education. "Teach4Reach" conducts future-oriented research on the SDGs, builds networks in support of the SDGs and supports scientific knowledge development on SDGs.

Subsequently, the Teach4Reach 2.0 project commenced towards the end of 2023 with the same research partner institutions. The focus of Teach4Reach 2.0 is to explore teacher educators’ professionalism within the context of Agenda 2030 in the Global North and Global South and how it can be leveraged to accelerate achievement of the Global Goals. It uses vignettes as part of the mixed methods methodology.

Several master’s degree and doctoral studies at the University of Pretoria have also been completed on topics ranging from wellbeing, school-university transitions, early childhood education, youth leadership, teacher anxiety, teenage pregnancy, homophobic micro-aggressions, and anxiety in traumatised children.