Science mapping research on educational leadership and management in Turkey : a bibliometric review of international publications
- Authors: Gumus, S. , Bellibas, M. , Gumus, E. , Hallinger, P.
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Systematic review , Administration , Educational leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/438710 , uj:38141 , Citation: Gumus, S. et al. 2020. Science mapping research on educational leadership and management in Turkey : a bibliometric review of international publications.
- Description: Abstract: Over the past two decades, there have been significant efforts to investigate knowledge produc-tion in the field of educational leadership and management (EDLM) in non-Western contexts. Consistent with this effort, the present paper aims to identify the contribution of Turkish scholars to the international EDLM literature. More specifically, the review examined the volume, jour-nals, authors, types of papers, most frequently used keywords, citation impact, and co-citation networks of papers associated with Turkish EDLM scholars. Bibliometric methods were em-ployed to examine 313 papers published by Turkish scholars in internationally recognized jour-nals. The results show that while Turkish EDLM scholars have predominantly published in Tur-key-based journals, there has also been a substantial increase in the number of papers published in international journals in recent years. This literature is largely empirical with topical foci con-centrated on issues surrounding school leadership and organizational behavior. Author co-citation analysis identified three main Schools of Thought in the Turkish literature: Leadership for Learning, Leading Teachers, Administrative Behavior and Effects in Turkey. Several rec-ommendations are made in order to further develop EDLM field in both Turkey and other emerging countries.
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Principals’ role in capacity development of post level one teachers for school leadership
- Authors: Khanyi, Jabulani G
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: School principals , Educational leadership , Teachers - In-service training
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/411925 , uj:34638
- Description: Abstract: This study was undertaken to understand principals’ role in capacity development of post level one teachers for school leadership. The success of a school and high learner achievement depends largely on good leadership and it is highly unlikely that poor or ineffective school leadership will lead to successful schools. Leadership development may occur through pre-service and in-service preparation programs. Pre-service leadership preparation programs occur where a deliberate action is taken by an individual to learn about leadership skills. In-service leadership development takes place when internal processes are put in place within schools to build leadership capacity. This study argues that it is principals who need to ensure that opportunities exist for in-service leadership development programs for post level one teachers. The official tool or instrument that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) prescribes for teacher appraisal and teacher development in South Africa is Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). However, scholars who have examined professional development in schools find that IQMS to some extent is inadequate, unsuitable and therefore “deficient” in some areas of capacity development. The Advanced Certificate in Education in School Leadership (ACELM), introduced by the Department of Education (DoE) to develop school leadership was also found to be not in compliance with international standards and subsequently the programme was discontinued. For this study, a qualitative approach was selected to understand the role that principals play in building leadership capacity in post level one teachers in their schools. The sampling in this study was purposeful non-probability, where participants were carefully chosen to reflect characteristics of the sampled population, as it provided avenues for detailed exploration and understanding of the phenomena, namely, capacity building, that the researcher wished to study. In-depth semi structured individual interviews were conducted with ten (10) participants, that is the principal and four (4) post level one teachers at each of the two schools. Data collected from the interviews and documents were analyzed by means of an analytical technique and content analysis respectively, which are used in qualitative research to describe and explain social occurrence in a natural setting... , M.A. (Educational Leadership and Management)
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The influence of higher education ranking systems : an institutional leadership perspective
- Authors: Loock, Petrus Johannes
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Educational leadership , Universities and colleges - Ratings and rankings
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/402050 , uj:33629
- Description: Abstract : Competition between universities has intensified with the rise and expansion of Higher Education Ranking Systems (HERS). Many researchers agree that the HERS, and the publication of annual rankings, has influenced all participating institutions to some extent (Espeland & Sauder, 2015; Hazelkorn & Ryan, 2013; Rauvargers, 2013). This study was designed to investigate these influences as perceived by institutional leaders. The objectives of the study were to identify the various influences HERS exert on universities, and compares the extent to which institutional leaders from South Africa, South East Asia, Australia and the Arab Gulf experience these influences. The literature review includes discussions on the flow of international higher education, global phenomena like internationalisation, marketisation and an increased demand for higher education, and how these contributed to the development of HERS. The literature review contains an in-depth analysis of the big-three rankings (QS WUR, THE WUR and the Shanghai Ranking ARWU), and a discussion on the economic, cultural and political push and pull of the global knowledge economy. To identify and compare the influences of HERS on universities, the researcher employed a sequential mixed method study design, opting to conduct a qualitative exploration prior to a quantitative examination. The qualitative phase involved interviews with 25 institutional leaders to identify the numerous ranking-related influences on universities. The researcher employed two cycles of emergent coding to uncover the themes and categories within the interviews. In the second phase of the study, the themes and categories informed the development of a 65-item questionnaire to test the emergent aspects on a wider audience (86 international respondents). The questionnaire results confirmed the majority of the items underpinning the themes and categories. The third phase employs a mixture of quantitative and qualitative information to compare experiences from institutional leaders in South Africa, Arabian Gulf, Australia and South East Asia. The outcomes were presented in four exemplar case studies, featuring the results of nonparametric statistical analyses (Kruskal Wallis and Dunn Bonferonni), regional-specific comments and contextual literature... , Ph.D. (Education Leadership and Management)
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Professional learning communities as a strategy for advancing teacher leadership
- Authors: Ebrahim, Sumayah
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Educational leadership , Teacher effectiveness , Teachers - Professional relationships , Professional learning communities
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/401983 , uj:33620
- Description: Abstract : , M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)
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Resistance to school mergers in a rural region in the Limpopo Province : the perspectives of traditional leaders, principals and parents
- Authors: Mkhabele, Ntiyiso Norman
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Educational leadership , Schools - Centralization , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/286529 , uj:31005
- Description: M.Ed. , Abstract: To address huge infrastructure backlogs together with a decrease in student enrolments in rural regions, the Department of Education (DoE) proposed the merger of small schools. However, the proposed school mergers were contested by local communities who engaged in protest marches. Furthermore, traditional leaders were at the forefront of the opposition to mergers. Thus, this study investigated the perspectives of traditional leaders, principals and parents regarding their resistance towards school mergers in the Vhembe region of the Limpopo Province. The study was conducted within a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with traditional leaders, parents and principals. Consequently, the most important finding of this study is that a merger is precipitated by poor consultation with stakeholders namely, teachers, learners, parents and traditional leaders. Another significant finding was that stakeholders do not trust the Department of Education to provide reliable transport for learners to travel to schools in neighbouring villages. Furthermore, a cause of the resistance to mergers is because schools are regarded as symbols of community identity and heritage. The study led to the recommendation that the Department of Education must convene meetings with stakeholders to provide them with information before the merger process starts. Furthermore, the school district should ensure that reliable transport will be provided if learners have to travel great distances as a result of a school merger.
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The principal as instructional leader in the facilitation of curriculum changes : implications for the provision of quality education
- Authors: Govindasamy, Vanitha
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: School principals , Curriculum change , Educational leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/401999 , uj:33622
- Description: Abstract : Change is an on-going process which is deemed necessary and is a significant part of educational practice. Principals are therefore required as instructional leaders to be the driving force in ensuring that change, more especially curriculum changes are successfully facilitated. In the process of facilitating curriculum changes, the principal as the instructional leader is responsible for the provision and management of different curriculum activities associated with strategies, programmes and planning. The South African education system, like some other countries across the world has gone through several curriculum changes over the last two decades and principals now more than ever are expected to play a crucial role in the management of curriculum change programmes along with the overall provision of quality education. It thus becomes imperative for school principals to give prominence to their role as instructional leaders by emphasising best curriculum practices and staying focused on the development and maintenance of quality education. Despite this essential role of principals as instructional leaders, research is limited on how principals understand their role and how these understandings in turn impact on the effective facilitation of curriculum changes. The aim of this study was to research this gap and directly explore how principals perceive and carry out their role as instructional leaders in facilitating curriculum changes. Furthermore, in South Africa, based on numerous reports highlighting poor learner performance in schools, we question whether or not principals are equipped with the necessary instructional leadership skills and expertise required to lead and facilitate curriculum changes in schools. The study was informed by literature related to a theoretical frame of reference on instructional leadership, the features of instructional leadership that impact on the role of the principal in facilitating curriculum changes and selected models of instructional leadership... , Ph.D. (Educational Leadership and Management)
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The role of the school principal in addressing the use of performance enhancing drugs in schools
- Authors: Rooyakkers, Gerard Eugene
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Doping in sports , Youth - Substance use , School principals , Educational leadership , Drug abuse - Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/411779 , uj:34619
- Description: Abstract: The ever increasing use of ‘substances’ including anabolic steroids, amongst many other products, has ‘entered’ South African Schools and associated extra mural activities (Gradidge 2010). Extra mural activities are historically part of the fabric of South African schools. Learners within South African schools have developed physically over the last twenty years. This is ‘unnatural’ growth. The ‘unnatural’ growth cannot have developed undetected. Legislation needs to be available to the relevant authorities that allow action to be followed ultimately aimed at protecting the integrity of the extra mural activities structure, the educational institution and those students who are able to participate without the use of performance enhancing drugs. The ‘win at all costs’ mentality cannot be allowed in schools – this is not accepted as correct education practice. The financial rewards and future prospects are forcing younger and younger individuals to begin using the various products available. Peer pressure and parental expectation as well as a poor self-image (Kuschke 2013), are certain factors among others, influencing the individuals to indulge in ped. Short and long term, physical and psychological impact on the individual may still be premature - research and recording may well be a decade or generation in arrears. Legislation pertaining to the use of drugs is clearly discussed in the South African Schools Act. Policies and legislation on the control and management of drug abuse in schools includes the Regulations for Safety Measures at Public Schools, Government Gazette No. 22754 of 12 October 2001 (Barry 2006). The particular policies advocate a contribution to effective prevention, management and treatment of drug abuse. Furthermore, this is meant to be complimented by the National Drug Master Plan 1999 - 2004 (Department of Welfare). This has all been formulated to give effect to the South African Constitution in terms of the various proposed rights including the right not to be unfairly discriminated against, the right to privacy as well as bodily and mental well-being. This policy takes cognizance of the principles associated with the United Nations Convention in the rights of the Child and the Guidelines for the consideration of Governing Bodies in Adopting a Code of Conduct for the learners... , D.Phil. (Education)
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The influence of principals’ emotional intelligence on their instructional leadership
- Authors: Venter, Dirk Johan
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: School principals - Psychology , Emotional intelligence , Educational leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/286473 , uj:30998
- Description: Abstract: This study investigated how emotional intelligence relates to instructional leadership as a strategy to enhance the quality of education leadership practice. There is a current need in South Africa to improve education leadership practice in order to improve the quality of education. This study is located in the post positivist paradigm and a quantitative research approach was employed. Two instruments were utilised to collect data, namely, the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal to measure the level of principals’ emotional intelligence and the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale, to measure principals’ instructional leadership in selected components of instructional leadership. The dimension of instructional leadership that was the focus of this research was ‘Managing the Instructional Programme’ which comprises three components: ‘Supervise and Evaluate Instruction’, ‘Coordinate the Curriculum’, and ‘Monitor Student Progress’. Descriptive statistics were used to obtain a biographical profile of the participants with respect to attributes such as age, ethnicity, gender, qualifications, and experience. These statistics provided an outline of the nature and distribution of participants’ responses to the two data collection instruments. Inferential statistics, more specifically Pearson’s correlation coefficient, was used to determine the relationship between two sets of interval or ratio data. Testing for statistical significance was undertaken. The findings indicated that emotional intelligence was moderately related to the instructional leadership components of Supervise and Evaluate Instruction’, ‘Coordinate the Curriculum’, and ‘Monitor Student Progress’. Age, ethnicity, years of experience and leadership experience were not statistically significantly related to emotional intelligence. However, the findings indicate that gender was moderately related to emotional intelligence because the emotional intelligence score of females compared to males was slightly higher. The research findings further revealed that emotional intelligence was positively related to principals’ instructional leadership performance. It is recommended that emotional intelligence is an area that ought to be considered for the professional development of principals. Emotional intelligence could also be considered by principal selection committees when they draft interview questions. This study draws attention to the concept of emotional intelligence as an... , M.Ed.
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A class act : impression management strategies employed by South African educators
- Authors: Samuel, Avinesh Norman
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Educational leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/124649 , uj:20942
- Description: Abstract: Orientation: Impression management (IM) is a pervasive social phenomenon whereby people manage and control their behaviour when engaging with others, in order to have these others form a particular impression of them. Research purpose: The broad aim of this study was to contribute to the IM debate, by focusing on, shedding light into, and ultimately building new knowledge on IM strategies employed by secondary school educators in South Africa. Motivation for this study: IM has increasingly garnered the attention of industrial and organisational psychology scholars, owing to the fact that it is acknowledged as a common social phenomenon that extends to organisational settings. However, it was discovered that IM studies in the South African work context are minimal and insubstantial, especially studies that are context specific. Moreover, IM studies within the education profession are rare. This constituted the rationale and impetus for the investigation. Research design, approach and method: The interpretive-constructivist paradigm was employed in conducting this study following a qualitative survey approach. The research participants comprised of ten professionally registered and actively employed educators, teaching at English medium high schools in the Gauteng area. Data was collected by means of direct participant observation as well as semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Main findings: Findings of this study revealed that impression management strategies and tactics were employed by the high school educators, during interactions with multiple targets to achieve diverse goals. Eleven IM strategies were uncovered and divided into two categories namely, four pre-existing IM strategies (ingratiation; exemplification; self-promotion and accounts) and seven novel IM strategies (continuous improvement; professionalism; adaptability; inspiration; classroom management; recognition and openness). Practical/Managerial Implications: This study has implications for South African secondary education organisations and professionals that want to improve high school educator productivity through understanding educators’ usage of impression management. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the body of knowledge concerning impression management tactics employed by secondary school educators within the unique South African school education context. , M.Com. (Industrial Psychology)
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Women leading in disadvantaged school communities : a case study of the historical schools restoration project
- Authors: Edwards, Graeme Bentley
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Women in education , Women school principals , Educational leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/245693 , uj:25453
- Description: Ph.D. , Abstract: Whilst the education profession is dominated by women, they remain underrepresented in leadership positions. For South African women, the situation is aggravated by the metaphorical hangover of Apartheid and patriarchy. Disturbing traditional perceptions of leadership and drawing on critical feminist theory, this study explored the educational leadership practices of women in disadvantaged rural communities. The aim of the study was to analyse the lived experiences of female education leaders in rural disadvantaged communities through a critical feminist lens. The research sites were selected from schools in the first phase of the Historical Schools Restoration Project (HSRP). Moreover, the research sites hold both geographic and historical-political significance. Geographically, the sites are located in rural, disadvantaged communities. The historical-political significance of the research sites lies in the fact that these historic schools played host to many of the leaders of South Africa’s liberation struggle. Indeed, Nelson Mandela is an alumnus of one of the schools in this study. This qualitative study adopted a case studies research design. Critiquing main stream educational leadership discourses and aligning with critical feminist research methodologies, motifs of social justice, difference, inequality and power imbalances were explored. In addition, this study drew on historical research methodology in order to describe past events and understand present day educational leadership contexts. Through purposive sampling, five historic schools and thirteen female participants were included in this study. In-depth interviews, focus groups, dyads, observations and archival document analysis were used as the main instruments for data collection. Data were analysed by qualitative data analysis, critical discourse analysis and feminist critical discourse analysis techniques. The findings of this study were derived from an analysis of female educational leadership through a critical feminist lens. These findings are presented in three parts. Part One presented an analysis of three historical eras experienced by the historic schools, namely, missionary education, Bantu education and post-Apartheid education. The findings highlight issues of power, gender inequality, patriarchy and ideological influences on educational leadership practices. It was found that the colonial ideologies of missionary education and the racist ideologies of Bantu...
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Female leaders navigating challenges in selected disadvantaged schools in Johannesburg North District
- Authors: Mia, Feroza
- Date: 2014-10-01
- Subjects: Women school administrators - South Africa - Johannesburg , Feminism and education - South Africa - Johannesburg , School management and organization - South Africa - Johannesburg , Educational leadership
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:12465 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12250
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Management) , The focus of this study is to investigate strategies employed by females in school leadership in disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Disadvantaged communities in the South African context have arisen from a patriarchal and prejudicial system that was structured according to race, class and gender. Currently, many South African educational institutions bear the residue of this prejudicial system. This research will explore how female leaders in four disadvantaged primary schools in the Johannesburg North District navigate through the challenges of leading in a disadvantaged as well as patriarchal context. A specific emphasis has been placed upon feminist literature and debates in the context of female leaders. Discourse analysis is utilised to interpret the experiences of the female leaders. Analysis of recorded data on challenges facing females in school leadership in disadvantaged communities revealed themes on stereotyping of women, collaboration and liaison with stakeholders, leadership traits of women, the social stigma associated with schools in disadvantaged communities, women and emotional intelligence, women and conflict resolution. Themes on balance between family and school, opposing gender discrimination, networking with stakeholders, overcoming stereotypes emanated from the strategies employed by females in school leadership to overcome barriers in disadvantaged communities. The study reveals that in spite of significant gains since the implementation of favourable legislation on gender equity, women in school leadership continue to experience challenges within schools, from the community and in their personal lives. Stereotyping prevails especially in communities where patriarchal systems dominate. The research concludes with suggestions and recommendations for future research.
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Persoonlikheid en die identifisering van leerlingleiers in die sekondere skool : riglyne
- Authors: Waldeck, Huibrecht
- Date: 2014-02-18
- Subjects: Leadership - Case studies , Educational leadership , Personality assessment of youth , Student government - South Africa , Student participation in administration - South Africa
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/378186 , uj:4096 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9443
- Description: M.Ed. , The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for principals and teachers when they identify leaders in secondary schools. That enables pupils with potential to function successfully as leaders in a school environment. Leadership in the secondary school has for too long been misinterpreted, misunderstood and grossly underscored in far too many ways. There is mistrust towards the identifying process. Present day demands require a specific form of education and training in leadership at school level to enable our youth to cope with these requirements. Educational authorities - especially school authorities are therefore compelled to address the matter of training and identification in a new light. Most of the existing research about identification of school leaders at secondary school level is of a quantitative nature and consisted of the completion of questionnaires. This brought about the testing and retesting of stereotyped proposals. In this study a qualitative research program was followed. By means of focus group interviews the views of a principal, teachers and secondary school pupils where collected. The research question in this study developed was the following: In what way does the personality of the pupil influences the teachers' choice of leaders at school level? The aim that followed was: To find out if there are personality traits that is necessary for a school leader at secondary school level to be successful. An explanatory, descriptive research design was used as part of qualitative research method during phase 1 of the research. The aim of phase 2 was to compare the results of the focus group interviews with a literature review. During phase 3 guidelines were developed for the identification of leaders in secondary schools. The conclusions of the research showed that the focus groups reflected reality, namely that the teachers lacked knowledge about leadership and that the pupils meaning reflects the findings of the literature study. Further it became apparent that although personality is relevant in leadership identification, it shouldn't be the main focus. Pupils should be helped to develop leadership skills which could be learned and to develop their personality or capabilities and in order to enable them to develop their full potential and to apply the leadership skills in their lives.
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Gendered leadership stereotypes in disadvantaged rural school communities
- Authors: Edwards, Graeme , Perumal, Juliet Christine
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Gender stereotyping , Educational leadership , Disadvantaged school communities
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:6140 , ISBN 978-84-617-2484-0 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13183
- Description: Within rural contexts where patriarchal traditions and perspectives of leadership exist, the role of the school principal is typically associated with stereotypical male leadership traits. This study investigated traditional stereotypical views of leadership and how these might manifest in the leadership of schools in disadvantaged rural communities. The aim of this qualitative study was to determine if the gender specific stereotypical view of leadership existed in the Historical Schools which formed part of this study. Whilst there were some stereotypical leadership practices, the study found notable exceptions. The exceptions were specifically found with respect to a gender stereotypical view of spiritual and servant leadership.
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Exploring teachers’ perceptions of distributed leadership practices in selected secondary schools within Gauteng Province
- Authors: Kwinda, Azwifarwi Aaron
- Date: 2013-05-06
- Subjects: School management and organization , Educational leadership , High school teachers , Teacher-principal relationships
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/369403 , uj:7526 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8382
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management) , The field of school leadership is currently preoccupied with the new idea of distributed leadership. Harris (2009:3) also writes that it is irrefutable that distributed leadership has become the idea of the moment. It is against this backdrop that this study aimed to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding the practice of distributed leadership in their respective schools. What propelled this research were the changes that are taking place in South African education system since 1994. This study explores the practice of distributed leadership in schools from a teacherbased perspective, rather than from the educational theorists and legislators’ point of view. The schools under study are the three secondary schools located within Johannesburg North District 10 in Gauteng Province. The research design followed a qualitative approach. Three secondary schools were sampled, and the data were collected through interviewing the teachers of different post levels (including principals), as individuals and in pairs. Documents containing minutes of the planning sessions and the first staff meeting were also used to triangulate the data. These documents showed how roles and responsibilities are allocated to each teacher in those three sampled secondary schools. The findings revealed that there are both benefits, and inevitable and inherent threats to the implementation of distributed leadership in the three schools. The benefits are that distributing leadership can raise school’s collective capacities, empower staff, and can encourage collaborative school cultures and decisionmaking; and all these can make the school effective because there is coperformance, collective agency and conjoint effort in running the schools’ affairs. However, there is inherent threat posed by the school’s hierarchical structure and the policy climate within which schools operate. These barriers cannot simply be underestimated or ignored, and it is naïve to assume that they would simply fall away to accommodate and support distributed leadership in schools.
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Fostering effective leadership and management with special reference to rural schools
- Authors: Captain, Busisiwe Glory
- Date: 2013-05-06
- Subjects: School management and organization , Educational leadership , Rural schools , School principals - Training of
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:7527 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8383
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management) , There is considerable and growing evidence that principals can play a pivotal role in initiating school effectiveness particularly as it pertains to student academic performance. To be successful in such initiatives principals must motivate and encourage teachers, students, parents and other community members to join their effort in creating positive engaging school climate that increase the likelihood of student good performance. Educational changes in rural schools have an impact on managers and leaders in various ways. Principals are expected to lead and manage aspects such as curriculum, organizational change, resources and human resources. These challenges stem from a number of sources from within the school resources, from a community perspective and from the school setting itself. Today the administrative role and tasks of school principal are becoming increasingly complex and diverse. There is a need for principals to develop appropriate leadership skills to enable them to carry their tasks effectively. However, not all principals and teachers received proper training to execute their jobs effectively. Many rural school principals are in such unviable positions where they lack preparation programme in their leadership and management position. The researcher used a digital voice recorder and field notes to capture the data from all participants. An Individual participant interview was conducted from all participants. Raw material was sifted and the researcher managed to come out with themes and categories related to fostering effective management leadership in rural schools. The findings from this study are that being a school principal is not an easy job. The job is demanding and full of tension. More is expected of principals yet the principals yet the principals have not received much more in the way of help and support preparatory programmes in a form of training.
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Principals’ experiences and expectations of the role of the institutional development and support official (IDSO) in supporting Gauteng schools
- Authors: Raath, Elsie Leonie Satie
- Date: 2013-05-06
- Subjects: School management and organization , Educational leadership , School principals , Gauteng (South Africa). Department of Education
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:7519 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8376
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management) , There is widespread belief that the quality of leadership makes a significant difference to school and student outcomes. In many parts of the world, including South Africa, there is recognition that schools require effective leaders and managers if they are to provide the best possible education for their learners. Many schools have difficulty in managing education change and thus depend on districts for support. In the education hierarchy, districts are closest to schools and can potentially influence school development. They have an important role to play in driving systemic reforms and in establishing the conditions for continuous and long-term improvement in schools. In South Africa the school district and, in particular, the role of the IDSO has not been researched much. However, there is a growing interest in understanding the important role the IDSO could play in supporting schools. The aim of the research was to gain a clearer understanding from school principals in the Johannesburg West District in Gauteng as to how they think the IDSO can best support them. In order to realise the aim of the study, the following objectives were set, namely to: find out from participants what they understand the IDSO’s role to be; find out from participants how they experience the current role of the IDSO; and explore what role participants would like the IDSO to play in supporting schools. The research was located within the interpretative paradigm, using a case study method. Open-ended interviews allowed for a variety of rich narrative data which contributed to the findings in this research project. Despite the importance attached to school districts, internationally as well as in South Africa, there is a tendency to ignore districts in school reform. Furthermore, there is little published research on school districts in South Africa. This research study is intended to make a contribution to the research on school districts in South Africa.
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The role of head of departments as instructional leaders in secondary schools : implications for teaching and learning
- Authors: Bambi, Alfred
- Date: 2013-05-06
- Subjects: Heads of departments , Educational leadership , High school department heads , School management and organization
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:7528 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8384
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management) , One of the most important issues facing education in South African schools today is the restoration of a sound culture of teaching and learning. This drive has resulted in acknowledging the key role head of departments (HoDs) as instructional leaders play in effective and improving schools. Principals are no longer the sole instructional leaders of schools. The restructuring of schools to empower teachers has resulted in the decentralization and distribution of leadership, keeping teaching and learning at the centre of their activities. Changes introduced by legislation as a drive to enhance the culture of teaching and learning in schools, have led to a significant change in the role of HoDs. Their central role as instructional leaders in all the programmes of a school and the impact they have on the tone and ethos which are conducive to teaching and learning is critical in the process of building a sound culture of teaching and learning. Unfortunately, an array of problem issues, criticisms and expectations has surfaced making the instructional leadership role of HoDs a complex and unpredictable one. Their role has become demanding over time and the work expected from them is increasingly at odds with their own ideas. In the quest for greater efficiency, a gap is created between their administrative responsibilities and the execution of their role as instructional leaders. The great demands made on them as far as their workload is concern and the lack of experience and training further compound the difficulties of executing their role as instructional leader. They also experience an increase in stress and emotional turmoil caused by government policies that are inconsistent. Prompted by these problems, this study, located within the qualitative research approach, focuses on the role of HoDs as instructional leaders and the implication it has on the culture of teaching and learning in secondary schools. Structured focus group interviews conducted with principals and five HoDs at five selected secondary schools in Ennerdale, as well as semi-structured interviews with teachers at these schools report on their understandings and perceptions on the role of HoDs as instructional leaders. Important available documents and observations were also be consulted and analysed to determine to what extend HoDs comply with statutory requirements in executing their roles.
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The role of principals as instructional leaders : implications for effective teaching and learning
- Authors: Moonsammy-Koopasammy, Lingusvarie Isavanie
- Date: 2013-05-06
- Subjects: School principals , Educational leadership , Effective teaching , School management and organization
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:7521 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8378
- Description: M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management) , The ever changing social, political and economic environment of post-apartheid South Africa impacts seriously on the functionality of education in this country. This accelerated rate of change from the external environment places the onus on schools to provide quality education that is relevant to the demands of the changing world. However, South African schools were found seriously wanting. Over the past two decades concerted efforts have been made by the South African government to improve the quality of education. These efforts have not met with much success. Lack of effective leadership and commitment on the part of the principal has been cited as one of the main reasons why South African schools are performing poorly in international tests. In the previous dispensation, principals in South Africa had followed a model prescribed by the education authorities on how to fulfill their management roles. They could accomplish their task with relative sole authority within the prescribed parameters, without being compelled to seriously involve other stakeholders. However, management and leadership styles in South Africa have undergone major shifts. Decentralising responsibility and authority within the educational system, has created a need for the role of principals to be re-defined. The role of the principal as manager evolved into the role of principal as instructional leader. This proved to be a challenge for many principals. This study explored the role of principals as instructional leaders to facilitate effective teaching and learning in Gauteng East primary schools. The study was located in an interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative research design was employed. The sample was purposive and consisted of primary school principals in the Gauteng East region. A thorough examination of the duties of the principal as outlined in South African legislation and in current literature was conducted. Several existing models of instructional leadership were briefly discussed and a theoretical framework for the present study was outlined. Empirically, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with the six principals. A document analysis was also carried out to verify and inform data collected during the interviews.
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Management and leadership experiences in fostering a culture of teaching and learning in ethnically diverse schools in Johannesburg North District
- Authors: Buma, Anastasia Malong
- Date: 2012-11-14
- Subjects: School management and organization - South Africa - Johannesburg , School improvement programs , Educational leadership , Educational planning , Educational change , Multicultural schools
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7392 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8199
- Description: M.Ed. , Since 1994, South African schools are increasingly becoming more diverse due to the implementation of new legislation to foster democratization in schools. Many schools whose communities were until 1994 defined along racial lines are increasingly becoming mixed in terms of learner, staff and parent bodies. Other external factors such as the increasing movement of people across the globe as a consequence of increasing globalization may also be contributing to the apparently growing diversity at schools. Such increasing diversity could pose challenges regarding fostering a culture of teaching and learning at these mixed schools. Therefore, school management and leadership, need to have the skills, knowledge and appropriate attitudes that are required in order to ensure that the culture of teaching and learning is advanced in ethnically diverse school. Considering her experience as a teacher at both private and public schools in South Africa over the last ten years, the researcher has observed significant changes in learner population across many schools with resulting implication to teaching and learning. These changes have placed tremendous demands on school principals and teachers who have to deal with the challenges such as, culture mismatch between student-student and student-teacher interaction, social tension and antagonism, communication problems, misinterpretation of values and behaviors that thus influence the process of teaching and learning. Hence, the researcher opted to do an investigation into how school leadership and management in ethnically diverse schools will advance opportunities that encourage a culture of teaching and learning. In order to do the investigation, the researcher firstly employed an extensive literature review to explore how the leadership and management of ethnically diverse schools advance opportunities that cultivate a culture of teaching and learning. The research design and methodology employed involved a mixed method approach consisting of quantitative as well as qualitatative methodologies. During the first phase of the empirical study, the researcher carried out the quantitative method of data collection where a set of questionnaires were filled in by the principal and the HoDs of the selected schools. In order to validate the findings of the quantitative survey, the researcher employed in-depth individual interviews with the teachers and students of the selected schools. Through qualitative analysis of the data, the research findings confirm that the diverse culture of schools in Johannesburg North includes characteristics of both traditional and liberal multicultural education. Also, societies are becoming more complex in terms of social, economic and political needs. Therefore, the implication of the findings are that, in addition to teaching the basic skills of reading, writing and math, school leadership and management should advance a culture of teaching and learning that will involve social justice issues where students will learn to become reflective, moral, caring and active citizens as is inherent in liberal multicultural education. Finally, the researcher recommends that regular survey on different aspects should be carried out in ethnically diverse schools in order to get such schools to open up to the demands of liberal multicultural education.
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Educational development as an aspect of the teacher's educational foundation : implication for the management of teacher competence
- Authors: Zitha, Thomas Mbuyiseni
- Date: 2012-09-12
- Subjects: Teachers -- Training of , Teachers -- Rating of -- South Africa , Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa , Educational leadership
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:10318 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7683
- Description: M.Ed. , In chapter one an exposition of the purpose of this study was given. The problem statement was presented and demarcated into the project problem, group research problem and specific research essay problem. The concomitant aims to the aforesaid problems were explained. The research methodology used in this study was also stated as a literature review and quantitative research. Concepts which were used in this study were clarified. Chapter two concentrated on the literature review to establish what other theorists say about educational development, educational foundation of the teacher and teacher competence. It emerged that educational development with a view to the enhancement of the management of teacher competence is inter-alia centred around educational leadership, instructional leadership, inservice training, teacher evaluation, clinical supervision and physical amenities. In chapter three the design of the research instrument was discussed. The questionnaire consisting of 108 open-ended items based on research done by Van der Merwe and Grobler (1995) was discussed. The theoretical constructs around which teacher competence revolves, were tabulated. Questions pertinent specifically to educational development were discussed. A wide range of post levels of teachers was sampled. Biographical data was requested from respondents since it was believed that the above aspects could be related to teacher competence and could influence teacher perceptions. The provinces to which questions were distributed and the return of questionnaires was explicated. An analysis and interpretation of some of the empirical data was undertaken in chapter four. The construct validity of the research instrument was investigated using two successive factor analyses. This produced two factors named as follows: • educative competence consisting of 81 items with a reliability coefficient of 0,978; and collaborative competence consisting of 27 items with a reliability coefficient of 0,918. Hypotheses were set and multivariate statistics were used to analyse and interpret the data. Important findings and their recommendations were explicated in chapter five. Literature findings revealed that teacher competence could be effectively managed only if there is educational development in respect of leadership, in-service training, teacher evaluation, clinical supervision and physical amenities. Empirical findings revealed that teacher competence consists of educative competence and collaborative competence. Topics for further research were highlighted.
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