Abstract
M.Ed.
The point of departure with this research project is that in 1996 the National
Department of Education established a National Task Team on Education Management Development to review South Africa's education system and to make recommendations to improve the management of education (Department of Education, 2000c). In addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the education system in South Africa, various reform initiatives have been implemented including the introduction of curriculum reform of which one is the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). There has been a move towards shared decision-making whereby the School Management Teams
(SMTs) and educators play a significant role hence the need to identify and overcome the challenges faced by the SMT in the management of the Performance Measurement (PM).
The research was prompted by questions such as:
What challenges are there for the management of Performance
Measurement?
What recommendations can the SMT apply to overcome these challenges?
How can Performance Measurement be managed to improve professional development of educators?
The literature review in chapter two revealed that the management of Performance Measurement (PM) could impact significantly on educator performance and individual development. The occurring continuous changes in the new appraisal system that prevail in our education system are in most cases, not educator friendly.
Chapter three gave an overview of the research design and the methodology used. A description of what "quantitative research" entails and how it compares to qualitative research was given. The advantages and disadvantages of the questionnaire as an instrument of collecting data for this investigation were also discussed. It concluded with a breakdown of the biographical details which consisted of tables substantiated by pie graphs.
Chapter four analysed and interpreted the data collected. The data was subjected to the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling test. Th thirty one (31) items were subjected to two successive factor analytic procedures that reduced the items to three factors. These factors were named: Effective management of Performance Measurement, Individual competence and Participative decision-making. The overall observation was that the literature findings concluded that the way SMTs manage the Performance Measurement
system based on the responses indicated that educators are generally satisfied with its implementation.
Chapter five concluded with key findings and recommendations of this study.
Contextual factors and the pay and salary progressions play a role in the
management of the PM and the improvement of performance. The involvement
of educators in the management of the PM and instructional decision-making,
and the maintenance of a constant flow of vital information among educators and
the SMT should be encouraged to overcome the challenges in managing PM.
Opinions of educators must be valued, and the staff must be kept informed of the
SMT's quality effort to manage the PM system effectively. The education authorities together with policy-makers must implement a consultative approach to involve educators. Their inputs with regard, trends and in class experience are vital to implement or formulate policy and practices that will ensure the the success of the management of the PM system.