Abstract
M.Ed. (Education Management)
Communication is without doubt the most important aspect of the
daily duties of the school principal. There are seldom less
than 20 members on the staff of a school, all reporting directly
to the principal on numerous aspects. The principal also engages
in holistic conversations with his entire staff. It is
therefore imperative that the school principal has a sound
knowledge of the art of communication.
The concepts "communication", "nonverbal communication" and
"diadic conversation" have been examined. The communication
problem was attributed to the inability of principals to engage
effectively in face-to-face conversations as opposed to
instructional staff meetings. To be successful, the principal
can no longer depend only on his intuition for effective communication,
but must possess a practical grasp of the networks
of communication which constitute the educational system and
develop the ability to handle the interpersonal conversation
with ease.
To achieve this aim, the characteristic principles of the interpersonal
conversation were investigated. The diadic conversation
prescribes to all the rules of communication, inclUding nonverbal
communication which plays an important role in any type
of conversation. The meaning of the diadic conversation was
investigated, as well as the factors that influence effective
interpersonal conversation. Certain conditions that have a
bearing on the diadic conversation were high-lighted.
The effectiveness of the interpersonal communication could be
hampered by factors haVing a negative effect on the outcome
of the conversation. Factors directly related to the personalities
of one or both of the conversationists were studied.
In this respect, the following factors were determined: peergroup
pressure, assumptions, the inclination to evaluate, and
the halo effect. To achieve the aims that the principal has set for himself at
the beginning of the interpersonal conversation, it is of the
utmost importance that the principal should be aware of these
factors that may cause a hinderance to the goals which he
wishes to achieve. Only by breaking down these barriers, will
a situation of trust develop between the teacher and the
principal.
The successful interpersonal conversation depends on the
management acumen of the principal in this respect. To enable
the teacher to develop to the maximum of his ability, the
principal should provide the necessary guidance and encouragement.
The management functions of the school principal are so
numerous and entangled that it is impossible to do a meaningful
study thereof within the framework of this ~tudy. Management
styles were investigated, and the participative style was identified
as the most suitable to the education sitaation.
A two-pronged aim can be ascribed to the diadic conversation,
namely the influence by the school principal and influence of
the principal. Not only should the principal possess the necessary
management acumen, but his communication acumen in the
following aspects are of vital importance: planning, motivating,
decision-making, persuasion, the handling of conflict, complaints
and grievances and the creation of an effective atmosphere.
The following conclusions were drawn from the investigation
into the diadic conversation as an educational managerial
technique:
maximum trust should exist between the principal and
teachers
the diadic conversation should be directed at a
specific aim
the principal should possess the necessary knowledge
and prowess to conduct the interpersonal conversation
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- the necessary communication networks should be established
the lack of upward communication has a detrimental
effect on the effectiveness of interpersonal communication
the school principal should be able to handle the
factors and conditions pertaining to the diadic conversation
with ease
the importance of nonverbal communication should not
be underestimated
- certain factors have a negative effect on the diadic
conversation
At the conclusion of this study, the following recommendations
were made:
- opportunities should be created for the diadic conversation
to take place
the diadic conversation should be seen as a continuous
process
principals should endeavour to gain the necessary communication
knowledge and skills
future leaders in Education should make a thorough study
of the art of communication
- opportunities should be created for voluntary upward
communication
guidelines are given for future studies in the field of
interpersonal communication