Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / On t.p.: Doctor of Philosophy in Education Policy Studies. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation I critically explore educational leadership and management practices in relation to how current school principals lead and manage schools in a democratic society. The aim of this study is to explore to what extent school leaders and managers are transformative in their approach to deepening democracy in schools. In order to contextualise my understanding, I choose to tell my story. Therefore, I give a narrative account of my personal career experience as a teacher, and specifically as a school principal. I argue that educational leaders and managers continue to think and act according to traditional notions of leading and managing school practices. I contend that educational leadership and management practices ought to change in order for schools to transform into institutions implementing democratic practices in a more thoroughgoing way. I argue that current understandings of leadership and management in schools seem to be embedded in positivist tendencies that undermine transformative practices in schools and that positivist leadership and management engender thin forms of democratic school practices. I show how positivist theories of educational leadership and management connect with indefensible forms of leading and managing, namely skewed authority, gender discrimination and exclusion of cultural diversity. I contend that school leadership and management practices ought to be reconceptualised in relation to a framework of democratic citizenship education. Cultivating democratic citizenship education with reference to the seminal thoughts of Jürgen Habermas, Seyla Benhabib and Iris Marion Young will hopefully strengthen my argument for social justice, renewal and redress in school practices. These theorists have shaped the thinking and actions of educational leaders and managers to provide a critical understanding of transformative educational leadership and management practices in schools. Such ideas conceptualise a critical understanding of deliberative leadership and management practices as constructs for deepening democracy in schools. It is within this context that the dissertation explores a pathway towards deepening democracy in schools through a deliberative leadership and management approach. Such an approach has the potential to cultivate communicative democratic moments in educational leadership and management practices through engaging the voices of “others”. For deliberative leadership and management practice to manifest itself, I propose that conditions ought to be established whereby the democratic rights of “others” as incorporated voices in classroom pedagogy, school management and school governance engender deeper citizenship through the inclusion of these “other” previously marginalised voices. By embracing the voices of “others”, the potential is created to move towards deepening democratic leadership and management practices which can possibly engender “schools of hope” for the future. Keywords: Educational leadership, educational management, positivist, critical, citizenship, deliberative democracy, communicative democracy / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif is ʼn kritiese ondersoek na skoolhoofde se onderwysleierskap en -bestuurspraktyke in die huidige demokratiese bestel. Die doel van die studie is om die mate van transformatiewe integrasie van demokrasie onder skoolleiers en -bestuurders te verken. Ek het besluit om my eie storie te vertel, dus gee ek ʼn verhalende verslag van my loopbaan as ʼn onderwyser, en spesifiek as ʼn skoolhoof. Ek beweer dat leiers en bestuurders in die onderwys nog steeds die tradisionele opvattings oor skoolleierskap en bestuur huldig, en dat hierdie opvattings hulle denke en optrede rig. Ek voer aan dat onderwysleierskap en bestuurspraktyke verander moet word sodat skole tot dieper, demokratiese praktyke kan transformeer. Ek argumenteer voorts dat dit voorkom asof huidige begrippe van leierskap en bestuur in skole in positivistiese tendense vasgelê is wat transformatiewe praktyke in skole ondermyn en dat positivistiese leierskap en bestuur “dun” vorme van demokratiese skoolpraktyke voortbring. Ek toon aan hoe positivistiese teorieë van onderwysleierskap en -bestuur verband hou met onverdedigbare wyses van lei en bestuur, naamlik verwronge gesag, genderdiskriminasie en die uitsluiting van diverse kulture. Ek voer aan dat onderwysleierskap en -bestuurspraktyke geherkonseptualiseer behoort te word binne ʼn raamwerk van demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding. Die ontwikkeling van demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding wat onder meer voortspruit uit die seminale denke van Jürgen Habermas, Seyla Benhabib en Iris Marion Young, versterk my betoog vir sosiale geregtigheid, vernuwing en herstel binne die skoolpraktyke. Hierdie teoretici vorm die denke en optrede van leiers en bestuurders in die onderwys as deurslaggewende begrippe van transformatiewe onderwysleierskap en bestuurspraktyke in skole. Sulke idees konseptualiseer ʼn deurslaggewende begrip van oorlegplegende leierskap en bestuurspraktyke as konstrukte vir grondliggende integrasie van demokrasie in skole. Binne hierdie konteks ondersoek die proefskrif ʼn werkwyse vir ʼn grondliggende integrasie van demokrasie in skole deur oorlegplegende leierskap en bestuur. So ʼn benadering het die potensiaal om kommunikatiewe demokratiese momente in onderwysleierskap en -bestuurspraktyke aan te moedig deur na die stemme van die “ander” te luister. Ek stel voor dat, ten einde demokratiese leierskap- en bestuurspraktyke te vestig, toestande geskep moet word waardeur die demokratiese regte van die “ander”, wat voorheen gemarginaliseer was, in klaskamerpedagogie en skoolbestuur ingesluit moet word om “dieper” burgerskap te verseker. Met ander woorde, deur na die stemme van die “ander” te luister, word die potensiaal geskep om verdiepende demokratiese leierskap en bestuurspraktyke aan te moedig sodat “skole met hoop” tot stand gebring kan word. Trefwoorde: Onderwysleierskap, onderwysbestuur, positivisties, kritiese, burgerskap, oorlegplegende demokrasie

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The importance of global and local change and transformation is emphasised through initiatives such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (2012) and the Earth Charter Initiatives (2011) for constructing a just, sustainable and peaceful global society. In South Africa, the need for transformation has been underlined by the South African Department of Education in the Education White Paper of 1997 (DOE 1997). At Stellenbosch University, the Pedagogy of Hope (US) project aims to find concrete ways to reflect on historical influences and current SA society. Tremendous progress has been made in transformation regarding legislative policies, but personal transformation within people is proving to be slow. As a response to these realities, a module called Critical Citizenship was introduced for first-­‐ to third-­‐year Visual Communication Design students at the Visual Arts Department at Stellenbosch University. The aim of this research project was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of students, learners and lecturers regarding personal transformation through teaching and learning in the Critical Citizenship module. As a framework for the study, I emphasised the importance of giving consideration to the emotional dimensions of learning (Illeris 2007), meaning considering the learning being (Barnett 2009) as a thinking, feeling and acting person (Jarvis 2006). The objectives of the study were to identify such emotional reactions to the Critical Citizenship module and to establish what the emotional reactions revealed about the immediate and broader context of the teaching and learning context in which students, learners and lecturers learn and teach. I followed an interpretative approach and a case study research design that aimed at exploring and providing an in-­‐depth investigation of the Critical Citizenship module was used. The themes that surfaced from reflections written by students and learners and from group interviews, comprised feeling unprepared for this type of project; feelings of guilt and shame; resistance to this type of project; asymmetry and assimilation, but also feelings of hope. Other responses, suggesting feelings of empathy, privilege, humility, re-­‐ evaluation of priorities and values, sameness and difference, feeling out of a comfort zone and reflecting on blackness and whiteness were also interweaved with the main themes. The results of the research included that taking into consideration the emotional aspects in critical citizenship education is important because we are thinking, feeling and acting beings, but moving beyond emotional reactions toward rational actions is crucial. Critical citizenship cannot be taught in isolation because the context in which it exists plays a vital role and an inclusive critical citizenship curriculum within community interactions for the wider society is suggested. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrikheid van globale en plaaslike verandering en transformasie word beklemtoon deur inisiatiewe soos die Verenigde Nasies se Millennium-­‐ ontwikkelingsdoelwitte (2012) en die Aardemanifes Inisiatiewe (2011) vir die daarstelling van ‘n regverdige, onderhoubare en vreedsame globale gemeenskap. In Suid-­‐Afrika is die behoefte aan transformasie deur die Suid-­‐Afrikaanse Departement van Onderwys deur die Onderwys Witskrif van 1997 (DvO 1997) onderstreep. By die Stellenbosch Universiteit beoog die Pedagogie van Hoop (US) projek om konkrete maniere te verkry om historiese invloede en die huidige SA gemeenskap te oordink. Geweldige vooruitgang in transformasie is reeds ten opsigte van wetgewende beleid bewerkstellig, maar dit blyk dat persoonlike transformasie binne-­‐in mense traag gebeur. ‘n Module genaamd Kritiese Burgerskap is as reaksie tot hierdie realiteit by die Visuele Kunste Departement te Stellenbosch Universiteit ingestel vir eerste-­‐ tot derdejaarstudente in Visuele Kommunikasie Ontwerp. Die doel van die huidige navorsingsprojek was om die persepsies en houdings van studente, leerders en dosente ten opsigte van persoonlike transformasie deur die onderrig en leer van die Kritiese Burgerskap module te ondersoek. As ‘n raamwerk vir die studie het ek beklemtoon dat dit belangrik is om die emotiewe dimensies van leer (Illeris 2007) in ag te neem, wat inagname van die lerende wese (Barnett 2009) as ‘n denkende, voelende en handelende persoon (Jarvis 2006) behels. Die doelwitte van die studie was om emotiewe reaksies op die Kritiese Burgerskap module te identifiseer en vas te stel wat deur sulke emotiewe reaksies ontbloot word ten opsigte van die onmiddellike en breër konteks van die onderrig en leer konteks waarbinne die studente, leerders en dosente leer en onderrig gee. Ek het met ‘n interpretatiewe benadering en lens te werk gegaan en ’n gevallestudie navorsingsontwerp is gebruik. Temas wat na vore gekom het uit refleksies wat deur studente en leerders geskryf is en uit groep onderhoude het die volgende behels: ‘n gevoel van onvoorbereidheid vir dié soort projek; gevoelens van skuld en skaamte; weerstand teen hierdie soort projek; asimmetrie en assimilasie, maar ook gevoelens van hoop. Ander reaksies wat ook met die hooftemas deurvleg was, was verteenwoordigend van gevoelens van empatie, bevoorregting, nederigheid, herevaluering van prioriteite en waardes, eendersheid en verskil, die gevoel van buite die gemaksone te wees en nadenke oor swartheid en witheid. Die resultate van die navorsing het behels dat dit belangrik is om die emotiewe aspekte by die onderrig van kritiese burgerskap in ag te neem omdat ons denkende, voelende en handelende wesens is, maar dat dit van kritieke belang is om verby emosionele reaksies na rasionele handeling te beweeg. Kritiese burgerskap kan nie geïsoleerd onderrig word nie omdat die konteks waarbinne dit bestaan ‘n deurslaggewende rol speel; ‘n inklusiewe kritiese burgerskap kurrikulum binne gemeenskapsinteraksies word vir die breër gemeenskap voorgestel.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis analyses some of the major education policies in Namibia since the introduction of a democratic government in 1990. The analysis reveals that democratic participation through stakeholder representatives is an ideal framework to promote democracy in education discourses, that is, in policy formation, school governance and teaching and learning. However, there is a dilemma of a lack of inclusion, which is incommensurable with modern democratic theorists’ conceptions of democratic citizenship (both Western deliberation and African ubuntu). The thesis asserts that Namibia’s historical and cultural background has to be taken into consideration if a defensible democratic citizenship education is to be engendered and advanced. An examination and interpretation of the three phases of Namibia’s historical background, its pre-colonial, colonial/apartheid and post-apartheid education systems, were carried out in order to understand the current state of education and the type of citizens the country is developing through its education system. Central to this investigation were different conceptions of democratic citizenship, which indicate that deliberation, inclusion, equality, reasonableness, publicity, belligerence, hospitality, compassion and African humanness (ubuntu) are the features of a defensible democratic citizenship education. The exploration of the distinction between deliberation and ubuntu shows that Namibia’s context requires a minimal democratic citizenship framework with ubuntu if a lack of inclusion is to be eliminated. The discussion on democratic conceptions also draws on a minimalist and maximalist continuum of democratic citizenship education. The thesis argues that a minimalist form of democratic citizenship education, in conjunction with African ubuntu – which constitutes less deliberation and non-belligerence with more compassion, careful listening, respect and dignity – engenders conditions for an inclusive policy framework, school governance, and the cultivation of democratic citizenry through teaching and learning in Namibian public schools, and may eventually promote a defensible democratic citizenship education. This framework may create a favourable environment and potential for all participants to co-exist, and for the marginalised groups to also contribute to conversations. This framework is also considered plausible because it takes into account the local people’s historical background and cultural practices. Complementing the argument of this thesis is the exploration of the link between Namibia’s education system, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Moreover, an appeal is made for the Namibian citizenship education system to consolidate the idea of cosmopolitanism, that is; hospitality and forgiveness, if the NEPAD initiative is to be successful and if certain Millennium Development Goals were to be achieved by 2015. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ontleed sommige van die hoof onderwysbeleide in Namibia sedert die instelling van ‘n demokratiese regering in 1990. Die ontleding onthul dat demokratiese deelname deur rolspelerverteenwoordigers is ‘n ideale raamwerk om demokrasie in onderwysdiskoerse te bevorder, dit is, in beleidmaking, skoolbeheer asook onderrig en leer. Nietemin, daar is ʼn dilemma van ‘n gebrek aan inklusiwiteit, wat nie vergelykbaar is met moderne demokratiese teoretici se konsepsies van demokratiese burgerskap (beide Westerse beraadslaging en Afrika ubuntu) nie. Die tesis voer aan dat Namibië se historiese en kulturele agtergrond verreken moes wees, indien ʼn verdedigbare demokratiese burgerskap voortgebring en ondersteun sou word. ʼn Ondersoek en interpretasie van die drie fases van Namibië se historiese agtergrond, haar pre-koloniale, koloniale/apartheid en post-apartheid onderwysstelsels, was uitgevoer om te verstaan wat die huidige stand van onderwys en die soort burgers is wat die land daardeur voorberei. Sentraal tot hierdie ondersoek was verskillende konsepsies van demokratiese burgerskap, wat aandui dat beraadslaging, inklusiwiteit, gelykheid, redelikheid, openbaarheid, strydlustige interaksie, gasvryheid, meelewing en Afrika-menslikheid (ubuntu) die eienskappe van ‘n verdedigbare demokratiese burgerskaponderwys is. Die ondersoek van die onderskeid tussen beraadslaging en ubuntu toon dat die Namibiese konteks, indien ‘n gebrek aan inklusiwiteit geëlimineer moet word, ‘n minimale demokratiese burgerskapsraamwerk met ubuntu benodig. Die bespreking van demokratiese konsepsies is ook gebed in ʼn minimalistiese en maksimalistiese kontinuum van demokratiese burgerskaponderwys. Die tesis argumenteer dat ‘n minimalistiese vorm van demokratiese burgerskaponderwys in samehang met Afrika ubuntu – wat minder beraadslaging en nie-strydlustige interaksie met meer meelewing, versigtige luister, respek en waardigheid veronderstel – toestande vir ‘n inklusiewe beleidsraamwerk, skoolbeheer en die kweek van demokratiese burgerskap deur onderrig en leer in Namibiese publieke skole bevorder en mag so uiteindelik ‘n verdedigbare demokratiese burgerskaponderwys bevorder. Hierdie raamwerk mag ‘n gunstige omgewing en die potensiaal vir alle deelnemers om met mekaar saam te leef asook vir gemarginaliseerse groepe om tot gesprekke by te dra, skep. Hierdie raamwerk kan ook as aanneemlik beskou word, omdat dit die plaaslike mense se historiese agtergrond en kulturele praktyke verreken. Die argument van hierdie tesis word ondersteun deur die ondersoek van die verband tussen die Namibiese onderwysstelsel, die ‘New Partnership for Africa’s Development’ (NEPAD) en die Millennium Ontwikkelingsdoelwitte. Meer nog, ‘n beroep word gemaak vir die Namibiese burgerskap onderwysstelsel om die idee van wêreldburgerskap, dit is, gasvryheid en vergifnis te konsolideer, indien die NEPAD-inisiatief suksesvol en sekere Millenium Ontwikkelingsdoelstellings teen 2015 bereik wil word.

This study highlighted the educators understanding of their role, the priorities that they deemed important and the practices they employed to promote in their learners the values and virtues fit for citizens of a democratic society.

This study used a critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for government. These are the learning standards that public schools are required to use as the curriculum in Texas. Additionally, the study critically examined the Texas State Board of Education meeting minutes from the spring of 2010, when the board revised all social studies TEKS. James Gee’s framework for conducting CDA was used to analyze the government TEKS and meeting minutes to uncover the ways in which the language in the documents defines democratic and citizenship education in Texas, determine if the language creates an imbalance of power among participants in education, and do these documents agree with educational philosophers’ construct of citizenship and democratic education? The results of the CDA concluded that the Texas learning standards, and the words of many SBOE members reveal a preference toward right-wing, conservative beliefs. The construct of citizenship and democratic education created by the Texas government TEKS and SBOE meeting minutes contradicts these notions, as defined by educational theorists, and excludes those participants who do not embrace these beliefs.

Ratification of the 26th Amendment in 1971 was a watershed event in America's long and often tumultuous electoral reform journey. The persistently low voter turnout of newly enfranchised 18-20 year-olds since then not only is troubling from a democratic perspective but also is puzzling in light of the rapidly rising educational attainment of this age group during the same period. In this investigation, I develop an original theoretical frame by which to examine relationships between the 1972-2006 voter turnout patterns of 26th Amendment eligible voters and a large complement of educational and non-educational influences manifested during the end of high school and the years immediately following high school. Drawing upon multiple data sources, including a greatly under-utilized national survey series that is maintained under National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) auspices, I reaffirm the overall strength of educational attainment as a young adult voter turnout predictor while providing new evidence that attainment effects are attenuated by other educational and non-educational circumstances and traits. My results, which also reveal the dynamism of these influences in predicting young adult voter turnout, are suggestive of five areas in which the 26th Amendment can serve as a teachable moment to strengthen the democratic education mission through: (1) expanded post-high school enrollment opportunities; (2) energized high school citizenship training; (3) strengthened connections between the high school literacy and civics curricula; (4) improved use of technology to deliver civically relevant messages; and (5) more aggressive voter registration efforts on high school and college campuses.

Faculty-led short-term international service-learning (STISL) experiences are thought to have great potential in developing students' global citizenship through combining study abroad and community service pedagogies. However, thorough investigation of the pedagogical strategies employed in STISL courses to achieve such outcomes has yet to be conducted. This qualitative narrative inquiry of STISL faculty at 7 different institutions across multiple academic disciplines and country service sites sought to fill that void. Data reveal a new conceptualization of STISL teaching, learning, and service success that involves culturally contextualized solidarity, global civic engagement, and global competence, which culminate into students' global agency. Emerging from the data, the Van Cleave Pedagogical Design framework for Global Agency illuminates the interactions of five interdependent learning dimensions: academic, professional, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and intercultural. Course, program, and policy implications are explicated across pre-departure, host-country, and re-entry experiences.

This study highlighted the educators understanding of their role, the priorities that they deemed important and the practices they employed to promote in their learners the values and virtues fit for citizens of a democratic society.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This study highlighted the educators understanding of their role, the priorities that they deemed important and the practices they employed to promote in their learners the values and virtues fit for citizens of a democratic society. / South Africa

This study focused on the teaching of Civic Education in Zambia. Specifically, the study examined pedagogical practices in relation to the teaching of Civic Education in schools. It is argued in this study that following right pedagogical practices in the teaching of Civic Education can lead to social change and transformation of society. As such, the purpose of the study was to ascertain therefore the extent to which Civic Education was enhancing or impeding social change and transformation in society. In order to realize the objectives of the study, an exploratory research design was used. The study found out that Civic Education in schools was not modelled on practices that can lead to social change and transformation of society; service learning approaches were rarely promoted in Civic Education lessons; teaching approaches in colleges and the university with respect to Civic Education are greatly lacking; teaching and learning materials in Civic Education were not readily available in schools; teachers of Civic Education were not grounded in the key theoretical and pedagogical perspectives underpinning Civic Education. The study therefore concludes that with correct pedagogical practices and approaches Civic Education can lead to social change and transformation of society. / Educational Foundations / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)