During this explorative journey, I investigated what keeps teachers motivated to learn and develop in their professional practice. I employed Bell and Gilbert’s (1994) model which encapsulates and examines the personal, professional and social aspects of teachers’ development. Within this interpretive paradigm, I offered an understanding of what the impetus for change entailed - from their personal and professional self on their practice and what sustains teachers to continue to negotiate the changes in their daily work. Employing participatory methodology as my methodological research approach, I portray and interpret data that was generated from the teachers’ stories. The methods used to produce the data included life story interviews, photographs and drawings. By composing and reconstructing my participants’ stories, I show how the personal and professional aspects of teacher learning are interactive and interdependent. By retelling stories we can foreground crucial processes in teachers’ development and show what motivates them to learn and develop in their professional practice. Through the reconstructed stories, these particular teachers in this study were able to, through particular social relations and practice, create new meanings and definitions to their professional identity and responsibilities as teachers in a changing schooling context. The findings of the study indicate that within their school context there were many challenges with which teachers were confronted. However, the teachers in this study chose to uplift, inspire and motivate themselves. Although they followed prescribed policies and curriculum, they engaged in certain relationships and enacted certain practices that went beyond their teaching responsibility. The teachers’ initial frustration and restlessness had led to a personal change in their attitudes, values and beliefs. There was an inner desire to bring about change in the personal meanings and definitions of teacher self. Through particular practices and relationships, new thinking, new ideas, new interests and new meanings about the teacher self were invoked. It was through the creative use of these social spaces that teachers cultivated new ideas and new meanings of the kind of teacher they wanted to be for a South African classroom. The teachers engaged in innovative ways in terms of their professional development to bring about change. The teachers indicated that their identity as a teacher was linked to being a learner iii and a researcher. In addition, the relationships of love and care towards learners brought new meaning to their teacher self. It translated into what they were doing in their relationships with learners and the subject/s they taught - this, became a deeply rewarding engagement between the teacher and their work. In response to my main research question, what keeps teachers motivated? These particular teachers were not blind to complexities they faced on a regular basis but against all odds worked within the complexity. Imbued with renewed vigour, hope and love they forge ahead. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

The purpose of this study was to explore the Staff Development Team’s (SDT) promotion of quality education within the context of Integrated Quality Management System. The study explored aspects that the SDT does to promote quality education, processes by which the SDT engages itself in to promote quality education and the reasons why the SDT promotes quality education. Provision of quality education in South Africa passed different stages that eventually culminated in Integrated Quality Management System being gazetted in 2003. With this instrument in place, the Department of Education (DoE) hoped schools, in particular and the Education Department in general, would perform well. Mixed responses from the respondents reflected that there are numerous factors that hamper the implementation of IQMS. These factors range from inadequate training of teachers for IQMS, scanty meetings in which discussions about IQMS are held, lack of involvement of all teachers in the school on issues related to IQMS, implementation of many quality education improvement strategies by the DoE within a short period of time and fear by teachers of being evaluated. The main findings showed that there is a dire need for teachers to be retrained on IQMS and frequent holding of IQMS related meetings. The main findings also revealed that the monetary component of IQMS, namely, pay progression, is a cause for concern in that it compels teachers to be dishonest in evaluating one another. This suggests that if IQMS is to be successful, the pay progression component should be divorced from it (IQMS). The study recommends that there should be regular meeting for IQMS at school so as to bring every teacher on board about IQMS. The study further recommends that although it is good to learn from other countries, but the context should be taken into consideration if a new strategy has been copied from other countries because what is good for one country may not be good for another country. Finally, the study recommends that while counter opinions always exist when a new initiative is being implemented, steadfastness should be upheld and adherence to the policy will ensure the realisation of its (policy) intended aim. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

Skills shortages in South Africa occur when demand for certain skills exceeds supply, South Africa has a high demand for mathematical, sciences and information technology (IT) related skills (Daniels, 2007:1). Factors such as HIV/AIDS, legislation (for example affirmative action), and rapid growth of the IT sector and the education system are contributing to the continuous increase in the skills shortages rate in South Africa (Daniels, 2007:1). As a result of the skills shortages, South African organisations find themselves competing with international organisations for managerial-level employees, resulting in a ‘war for talent’. This study specifically focussed on the incidence and reasons associated with managerial-level employees’ intentions to leave their KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)-based organisations. In particular, the perceptions of MBA students studying at UKZN formed the focus of this study. The study, both primary and secondary data were collected and analysed. In the study the targeted population were managerial-level employees who were currently working in KwaZulu-Natal-based organisations and who had met the entry requirements of UKZN’s Graduate School of Business (GSB). The purposive sampling technique was used and all the registered MBA students at the GSB of UKZN formed the target population that is, the target population comprised of all 1st year, 2nd year and 3rd year MBA students and there were approached following that same order. In the study it was found that the three CFST sub-components that had the most influence on the managerial-level employees’ decision to leave were aspects of the CFST related to careerpath strategies, management/leadership style and rewards. These results were more clearly supported and given stronger evidence by the rankings of the high scoring samples of the intention to leave (ITL) scale and propensity to leave (PTL) scale which depicted the same three CFST sub-components. Recommendations were made based on the findings of the study that South African organisations have a strong influence on the respondent’s decisions to leave their organisations. It was also recommended that South African organisations should implement effective leadership/management style and should also offer their managerial-level employees competitive remuneration packages. / Thesis (M.Comm.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

This qualitative study investigated the role mentoring plays in the professional development of women in student affairs. The goal of this research was not to prove a theory about women's mentoring relationships, but rather to richly describe these relationships in order to understand the impact they have had, and will continue to have on womens' professional lives. The results of this study is significant because it will provide a foundation for understanding the process of women's mentoring relationships in student affairs. The researcher conducted five indepth, open-ended interviews with women in various positions in student affairs in order to gather rich, descriptive data. The researcher selected women with whom she already has at least an acquaintance relationship. These women were from the Mid-West region. Each woman was at a different point in her professional development- graduate student, new professional, midlevel, and senior administrator. Women from both private and public institutions were interviewed. Four themes emerged from the interviews that each of these women discussed. These themes were, there are common characteristics of mentoring relationships; the impact mentoring has on the early development of the professional; the importance of having a female mentor; and the scarcity of female mentors at the top of the ladder. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

The purpose of this study was to identify principal staff development needs as perceived by principals and superintendents in select Indiana school districts. Need ratings were analyzed by comparing superintendent and principal rating in eight categories of potential needs; "Instructional Leadership and Curriculum," "Community and Public Relations," "Personal Awareness," "School Management," "Personnel Management," "Student Rapport," "Principalship," and "Administrative Organization and Planning." The potential influence of five demographic variables: "Size of School District," "Levels of Graduate Education," "Grade Levels of Assignment," "Membership in Professional Organizations," and "Years' Experiences in School Administration," on principal ratings was also examined. Data were collected from30 superintendents and 181 principals employed in the 30 randomly selected school districts. Data were collected via a survey containing 76 items divided into eight categories. Data were analyzed using an analysis of variance, and research decisions were based on the .05 level of significance.In general, demographic variables incorporated in this study appeared to have little effect on principal ratings. There were three exceptions: (a) level of assignment (type of school) was found to be significant for ratings in the category of "Community and Public Relations," (b) level of assignment (type of school) was found to be significant for ratings in the category of "School Management," and (c) level of memberships in professional organizations was found to be significant for ratings in the category of "School Management."Findings in this study suggested that there was much common ground in principal ratings of their own staff development needs and the ratings provided by superintendents. Hence, the potential for planning programs that address both organizational and personal needs appeared to be high. Additionally, outcomes suggested that practitioner perceptions of principal staff development needs are not affected to any great extent by demographic variables. Additional research examining why principal needs are often ignored in staff development programs was recommended. / Department of Educational Leadership

This study determined the benefits and risks mentors experience from participating in mentoring relationships.The first research question concluded that mentors experience many benefits from participating in a mentor/protege relationship. These benefits include being part of the protege's successes, mentor recognition, meeting organizational goals, interaction with protege, networking,assessment of the protege's talent, accelerated orientation process, and providing job continuity.Mentors indicated their prestige within the organization increased mainly amongst their superordinates (30%) and least amongst their peers (50%) as a result of participating in a mentor/protege relationship. Additionally, mentors indicated that there were significant gains in influencing the actions (85%), thinking (80%), productivity (60%), and work quality(50%) of proteges. These gains were cited by mentors as both direct benefits to themselves and indirect benefits to the organization in getting the mission accomplished, developing potentialleaders, and influencing others to strive for excellence.Seventy percent (70%) of the mentors did not feel a sense of favors owed to them by their proteges as a result of participating in a mentor/protege relationship. They indicated this was not the intent of a mentor/protege relationship. If suspected, they would address the issue andpossibly terminate the relationship if necessary.Mentors did not experience significant gains in power (75%) or respect (45%) for spotting talent and engineering the protege's advancement for the good of the organization.The second research question concluded that mentors experienced many risks from participating in a mentor/protege relationship. These risks included: wasting limited resources, destroying friendships, harm to the organization and mentor reputation if the protege is promoted into a leadership position and fails, and the perception of favoritism amongst subordinates.Mentors indicated they experienced losses in prestige from amongst superordinates (10%) and subordinates (10%) as well as loss a steady loss in influencing the actions and thinking of the protege as the relationship progressed.Mentors indicated there was a loss in the protege's work quality (60%) and work productivity (25%) during the mentor/protege relationship.Fifteen percent of the mentors experienced a sense of favors owed to them by their proteges. However this sense of favors owed decreased towards the end of the relationship. / Department of Educational Leadership

Since the 1970s, several researchers have questioned the applicability of theories of career development based on research with White males to women, minority group members, andindividuals from low socioeconomic milieus. This study examined the validity of D.E. Super's theory of career development in an underresearched subject population, African-American male and female university students. A conceptual model of career maturity composed of determinants derived from Super's theory (1953, 1972, 1990) and based on research with Caucasians was hypothesized and examined. The rationale was that finding a good fit of the model that also accounted for a significant proportion of the variance would support the adequacy of Super's theory in explaining the career maturity of African-American students as well.The co-determinants of career maturity in the model were sex, educational level, and socioeconomic status (SES) as exogenous variables, and causality and work salience as endogenous variables. Causality and work salience were depicted as latent variables mediating the effects of the demographic variables on career maturity. The model was tested on a sample of 288 African-American students from freshman to doctoral levels. Additional hypotheses investigated which variables in the model were the best predictors of career maturity, sex differences in commitment to the work-role and in career maturity, and the relationship between SES and career maturity.Structural equation modeling using the EQS software program (Bentler, 1989) indicated that, while a good fit of the hypothesized model was obtained, only 12% of the variance in career maturity was explained by the variables in the model. The results suggested that Super's theory may not be wholly adequate in explaining the career maturity of African-American university students. Only commitment to work and educational level were found to be significant predictors of career maturity. Female students were found to be more committed to the work-role and to be more career mature than male students. In general, African-American students exhibited higher participation, commitment, and value expectations in the role of home and family than for the work-role. No significant relationship between SES strata and career maturity was found. Implications for theory, research, and practice were delineated and variables that may be more salient for African-American students' career maturity were also identified. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Using McClusky"s (1963) Power Load Margin (PLM) theory, this study employed a correlational research design to investigate if relationships existed between involvement in career-related professional development outlets and activities, and Margin in Life (MIL) scores for full-time student affairs professionals at Ball State University. Correlation coefficients (Pearson r) were calculated to determine if relationships existed between MIL scores and the number of career-related professional development outlets and activities. Partial correlation coefficients were calculated to determine if relationships existed between subjects' ages and the relationship between MIL scores and the number of career-related professional development outlets and activities.Subjects (n = 107) were identified using the 2004-2005 Ball State University Directory and mailed a Professional Development Questionnaire (PDQ), created by the researcher, and Stevenson's (1982) Margin in Life Scale. Responses from 64 subjects were used in this study (31 females and 33 males). Subjects' ages ranged from 22 to 67 years (M = 41.5 years).PDQ results indicated that subjects averaged involvement in 10.6 outlets in the previous 12 months. Six indicated involvement in more than 20 outlets. Excluding these responses, the mean for outlets was 8.8. The mean for activities was 8.4.The mean MIL score for subjects was .60. All subjects in this study had a sufficient amount of power; thus, no subject had an excessive amount of load.Results of the correlational analyses suggest the possibility that a negative correlation may exist between MIL scores and the number of career-related professional development outlets. Although the correlation and partial correlation coefficients were weak, this may have been a function of the relatively small number of subjects who participated in this study. Additional research with a larger subject population is suggested to investigate this possible relationship. No relationship was found between MIL scores and career-related professional development activities. No differences in relationships between outlets and activities, and MIL scores were found when the age of subjects was factored either in or out as an influence. Further PLM research in student affairs is suggested, including qualitative methods investigating areas of professional development relating to power, load, and margin. / Department of Educational Studies

The purpose of the study was to examine the career paths of women managers in the service area of higher education and women managers in the hospital industry service area. A secondary purpose was to identify factors that influence the advancement of women managers in those areas.This research outlined the career paths of women managers in the service industry in educational and in non-educational organizations. It identified encouragements and impediments to the promotion of qualified women in the areas of management within the service industry.Findings from the study show that there is no significant difference between the career paths of women managers in higher education and women managers in the hospital industry. There are no differences between the education, training, length of tenure, motivation for employment, mentoring, emotional support or career impediments of women managers in service area of both higher education and the hospital industry.The following conclusions were drawn from the study:1. Women in the service field of higher education and the hospital industry face very similar histories.2. Entry into the profession can be found through a variety of sources and it is through the investigation of these sources that a woman will find entry into this field.3. Very few women reported career impediments and many reported having the emotional support of family and friends.4. The true reason why the experienced, educated, trained woman manager has not progressed up the career and salary ladder until the past several years has not been found. Both groups are being motivated by opportunity for advancement and salary.5. Most women managers in the service have been the determinants of their own career advancement. The women desiring to become managers in the service field must realize that the future of her career and its advancement lies with her own decisions and her own initiative. The woman manager must be responsible for her own future. / Department of Educational Leadership

The single most common decision that people between the ages of 16 years and 22 years need to make is that of their career choice. Research in the field of career guidance has shown that the world of work is changing. It is generally accepted that an individual will be presented with many opportunities in the world of work and these give rise to the notion of multiple careers. To predict accurately what these opportunities might be is impractical and naive, if not impossible. Career guidance counsellors are now expected to understand the interrelationships between occupations and occupational groups; an understanding that is vital when providing a comprehensive and realistic career guidance service. The career guidance processes or programs that counsellors use, need to allow for the identification of base or entry level careers that will provide opportunity for both horizontal and vertical career movement. While the schooling system has traditionally been the primary role player in preparing learners for the world of work, recent budgetary cuts have forced schools to focus on academic subjects, and, as a result, career guidance as a subject has become ancillary to the school syllabus. This situation is unlikely to be remedied unless career guidance becomes an examinable subject as are mathematics, physical science, biology and so on. A literature study surrounding career guidance practices in South Africa and career choice and development theories from around the world, suggest that existing career guidance programs in South Africa need to be restructured to allow for a more comprehensive solution for learners, that need to make a career choice. The "PACE" career guidance program was designed to enhance the career knowledge of learners, increase their self awareness in relation to careers, and ultimately to accelerate the career maturity process. Learners from schools in East London were exposed to the program, with the intention of determining the effect of the program on their career maturity levels. Whilst certain elements which constitute career maturity were not influenced by the program, results obtained from the research indicated a significant increase in the overall career maturity level of these learners. Resulting from this dissertation, recommendations have been made relating to the length of a career guidance program, the point of departure and the point of exit, the importance of balancing realism with circumstances, and the necessity for career guidance practitioners to possess a thorough understanding of careers and the various paths that careers may follow. Suggestions regarding further research in the area of career guidance are also provided. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003