Abstract
This research project focuses on skillful conversation as a strategic tool for school
success in the Zeerust Central Region. The project is located within the theories of school
improvement. The research project set out to investigate the improvement of teaching and
learning practices in secondary schools through skillful conversation.
The research project is divided into five chapters. Chapter One focuses on the problems
arising in schools when there is no skillful conversation. These problems demonstrate
that when there is no skillful conversation in a school, it would be difficult for educators to
improve their teaching strategies. Skillful conversation was then used in this research as
a strategic tool to improve secondary schools.
Chapter Two focuses on a literature review about skillful conversation in secondary
schools. The main discussion is based on skillful conversation as a strategic tool in
managing secondary schools. Reflection and inquiry, competitive advantage and skill
conversation as ongoing processes are discussed. The literature review also considers
the learning loop for educators and innovation for learner success. Other factors of
importance in this research project are parental involvement and external and internal
environments.
Chapter Three concentrates largely on empirical design. A quantitative research method
was used to study the opinions of the population studied. This research was conducted
from schools randomly selected out of the 39 secondary schools in the Zeerust Central
Region.
Chapter Four deals with the analysis and interpretation of data collected from secondary
schools. The main focus was on the reliability and validity of the research instrument,
which was the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 40 closed-ended items. The
questions were designed to obtain the perceptions of educators and principals on skillful
conversation as a strategic tool in secondary schools of the Zeerust Central Region.
The questionnaire was divided into three sections namely: section A biographical details,
section B, whereby each question started with the header ‘how important it is for
educators to discuss’ and section C whereby each question started with the header ‘how
often do the educators at your school discuss?Of the 40 closed-ended questions only two factors were realised namely, factor one,
conversation with everybody and factor two, conversations with the principal.
Chapter Five deals with the findings, recommendations and conclusion of the whole
research project.
Prof. K.C Moloi