This study explored the impact of democracy on the leadership and management styles in two previously coloured primary schools in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province of South Africa. The report uses a case study as well as an interactive qualitative analysis research methodology. It explores how principals and educators use post-apartheid legislation policies and practices to address complex challenges in order to effect change. I argue that despite tensions between coloured and black educators, change is evident. The people learn to work together, respect each other and forge ahead. These challenges brought about by desegregation contribute to shaping a future non-racial, non-sexist South Africa. We see how mentalities of superiority and inferiority play itself out and how one group exercises its hegemony over another sometimes reflecting the social constructs of society during apartheid. The findings reveal that the Constitution of South Africa (1996) and the South African Schools Act (SASA) (1996) are not used sufficiently and substantively to influence change. Discretion and common sense are often used to resolve problems and to find each other. Desegregation and integration create a space where tolerance, acceptance and forgiveness have been able to be practiced in different ways. The leaders have worked with their staff, students and communities to make headway on the path from the received apartheid past to a brighter more integrated future.” While schools discuss embracing the ten fundamental values of the Constitution of South Africa, living up to them continues to remain a challenge in practice.

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

The objective of the study was to investigate learner drop-out and sustainable community development. The study was conducted in Kwazakhele Township in Nelson Mandela Bay. This study used qualitative research approach- interviews and structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the participants. The sample consisted of 40 respondents both Females and Males between the age 15 and 35 years. In Kwazakhele Township most of the youth are learner drop-outs who exited educational system before attaining National Certificate (Matric). This had an effect on the acquisition of skills for sustainable development. United Nations report on Sustainable Development requires members of the community to be able to handle matters concerning their own development. This means community members should possess skills that would enable them to cope with constant demands of development. In the same Kwazakhele Township the consequences of the learner drop-out phenomenon is that lot of girls get pregnant at an adolescence stage. In most cases the boys who impregnate these girls are not working, they themselves depend on their parents for living. Because of the poor socio-economic status and high rate of unemployment of households in the area, this result in a situation where both girl child and their babies depends on the old age social grant for basic needs such as food etc. These dropouts are political risks in a sense that they are sometimes being used in community protesting marches which are unnecessarily hindering community development projects aimed at enhancing and promoting general welfare including better life for all. So the study will investigate and examine effect of learner drop-out in the community and recommends on what to be done in order to address shortfalls and challenges faced by the Kwazakhele community members. This will enable local authorities to be proactive in establishing programs that brings directive and solutions to the existing problems.

Thesis (PhD) -- Stellenbosch University, 2001. / Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My study investigates opportunities that may currently be available to enable the transformation of post-apartheid teacher education. I examine two case studies of my own professional practice. The first case study involves in-service education work that I performed with teachers in a local community, Grassy Park. The second case study represents work I performed with students in a pre-service education programme at the University of Stellenbosch. My study aims to: • Critically examine the implications of social issues, particularly environmental issues, for pedagogical practices generally and for South African pedagogical work in particular. • Critically review the changing socio-historical determinants of pedagogical practices in South African teacher education. • Investigate changing pedagogical practices by describing and reflecting on work done in my own professional contexts as a science/environmental teacher educator at a historically Afrikaner university. With respect to teacher education, Pendlebury (1998) argues that we are seeing shifts in public space, evaluative space, pedagogical space and institutional space from insulated space (hidden from public scrutiny) to a more porous space. In this study I am concerned with pedagogical space that, in Pendlebury's (1998:345) terms determines 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. I use these categories of Pendlebury (1998:345) together with Turnbull's (1997) perspectives on knowledge production as conceptual tools to frame my analyses of the cases. Although a significant part of my study focuses on classroom practices, I take pedagogy to have a much broader meaning that incorporates in Hernandez's (1997:11) terms 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed'. This research report offers a brief insight into the complexities of change at the micro-level of classroom practices. But, importantly also contextualises these micro-level pedagogical practices within broader socio-historical determinants and provides praxiological comments on postapartheid education policies. The research also initiates an investigation into the social organisation of trust in post-apartheid South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie ondersoek ek die geleenthede vir die transformasie van onderwyseropleiding in die post-apartheidsera. Ek bespreek twee gevallestudies uit my eie professionele praktyk. Die eerste gevallestudie handel oor die indiensopleiding van onderwysers in Grassy Park, 'n plaaslike gemeenskap. Die tweede gevallestudie handel oor die werk wat ek met studente in 'n voorgraadse onderrigprogram aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gedoen het. Die studie het die volgende ten doel: • 'n Kritiese ondersoek na die uitwerking van sosiale aspekte, met die klem op omgewingsaangeleenthede, op opvoedkundige praktyke in die algemeen en op die Suid- Afrikaanse opvoedkundige praktyk in die besonder. • 'n Kritiese oorsig oor die sosio-historiese veranderinge wat deeI vorm van die opleiding van Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysers. • 'n Ondersoek na veranderende opvoedkundige praktyke aan die hand van 'n beskrywing van en refleksie op my eie professionele werk as dosent in die wetenskap/omgewingsopvoeding aan 'n historiese Afrikaanse universiteit. Ten opsigte van onderwyseropleiding beweer Pendlebury (1998) dat verskuiwings in die publieke ruimte, evaluerende ruimte, pedagogiese ruimte en institusionele ruimte, plaasvind van 'n afgesonderde ruimte (verberg vir publieke waarnemimg/evaluasie) na 'n meer deursigtige ruimte. In hierdie studie fokus ek op die pedagogiese ruimte wat, volgens Pendlebury (1998:345), bepaal 'who may learn (or teach), how and what they learn (or teach), when and for how long and where'. Ek gebruik Pendlebury (1998: 345) se kategoriee saam met Turnbull (1997) se perspektiewe oor kennisproduksie as konseptuele raamwerk vir my analise van die twee gevallestudies. Alhoewel 'n beduidende gedeelte van my studie op klaskamerpraktyke fokus, moet die term pedagogie(k) volgens my 'n veel breer betekenis verband gesien word om ook Hernandez (1997: 11) se 'all spaces in which knowledge is produced and identities are formed' intesluit. Hierdie navorsingsverslag lig die komplekse aard van transformasie op die mikro-vlak van klaskamerpraktyke toe. Van groot belang is ook die kontekstualisering van opvoedkundige praktyke op mikro-vlak binne die breer sosio-historiese veranderlikes en lewer praktykverwante kommentaar op die opvoedkundige beleid van die post-apartheidsera. Die navorsing dien ook as vertrekpunt om sosiale vertroue in die post-apartheids-Suid-Afrika te ondersoek.

Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Dissertation presented for the degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Stellenbosch University. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this critical-hermeneutical inquiry into schools as learning organisations I use the service provision model of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) as an exemplification of the concept of a learning organisation. In this inquiry, which is conceptual in nature, I explore whether their service provision model is sufficient to turn schools into learning organisations. With the establishment of Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs) in the Western Cape, the WCED expressed its intention to develop schools in the Western Cape into learning organisations. I do a literature review to develop a conceptual framework of a learning organisation. From the literature review I constructed five constitutive meanings of a learning organisation. These meanings serve as conceptual lenses to explore how schools can be developed into learning organisations. Furthermore, I analyse some of the WCED service provision policies against the five constitutive meanings. These constitutive meanings include quality, inclusivity, collaborative teamwork, communication and power, which determine if the WCED policies are consistent with its objective to develop schools into learning organisations. Through my analysis I found that the WCED‟s policies are not compatible with all constitutive meanings. This led me to conclude that the WCED‟s understanding of a learning organisation is fundamentally and conceptually flawed as the WCED‟s service provision model operates within a controlled and regulated environment at the expense of internal school development. Interviews and the interpretation of data further reveal that the WCED‟s service provision model is not adequate to develop schools into learning organisations. This flawed understanding may have resulted partly in the WCED‟s adoption of a single, unitary managerialist approach to their service provision model because of the strong emphasis on compliance rather than cooperation that should exist between schools and the WCED. Based on the constitutive meanings I constructed for a learning organisation, I conclude that a managerialist approach serves the WCED‟s interest more than it serves the interest of teachers and classroom practice. The main argument of this study is that a communicative deliberative idea of democracy could reconceptualise the WCED‟s inadequate understanding of a learning organisation. A key aspect of developing schools into learning organisations may begin with instituting better lines of communication which should include elements like reflexive discussion, communicative freedom, consensus and decision-making processes. These elements form the basis of what constitutes a learning organisation. This reconceptualised notion of a learning organisation can best be done through deliberative democracy with its emphasis on public argumentation with equal opportunity with the aim of arriving at an agreed judgement. This study suggests that the WCED adopts a communicative deliberative idea of democracy as a notion of communication which is a more ideal vehicle that could assist in developing schools into learning organisations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie kritiese verklarende ondersoek rondom skole as leerorganisasies gebruik ek die Wes-Kaapse Onderwys Departement se diensleweringsmodel as ʼn voorbeeld van die konsep van ʼn leerorganisasie. Hierdie ondersoek is konsepsioneel in wese en bepaal of die WKOD se diensleweringmodel voldoende is om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel. Met die daarstelling van Onderwys en Bestuur Ontwikkellings Sentrums (OBOSSE) in die Wes-Kaap het die WKOD sy voorneme om skole in die Wes-Kaap in leerorganisaies te ontwikkel uitgedruk. Derhalwe doen ek ʼn literêre oorsig om ʼn konseptuele raamwerk van ʼn leerorganisasie te ontwikkel. Vanuit hierdie literêre oorsig het ek vyf kontitutiewe betekenisse naamlik (kwaliteit, inklusiwiteit, samehorige spanwerk, kommunikasie en mag) geїdentifiseer wat ʼn leerorganisasie saamstel. Hierdie konstitutiewe betekenisse dien as waarneembare lense om vas te stel in hoe ʼn mate skole in leerorganisasies kan ontwikkel, en of die WKOD se diensleweringmodel strook met sy oogmerk om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel. Ek analiseer vervolgens sekere WKOD diensleweringbeleide teen die konstitutiewe betekenisse om die relevansie om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel vas te stel. Deur hierdie analise het ek ontdek dat nie alle beleide ten volle aan die vereistes van die konstitutiewe betekenisse voldoen nie. Derhalwe kom ek dus tot die gevolgtrekking dat die WKOD se siening van ʼn leerorganisasie fundementeel en konseptueel foutief is omdat die WKOD se diensleweringmodel werk binne die raamwerk van ʼn beheerde en gekontroleerde omgewing tot die nadeel van die interne ontwikkeling van skole. Die onderhoude se interpretasie in verhouding met die vyf konstutiewe betekenisse en beleidsdokument het verdere inligting aangaande die hoofnavorsingsvraag of die WKOD se dienslewering model genoegsaam is om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel verskaf. Ek argumenteer dat hierdie skewe siening (beeld) mag gedeeltelik daartoe bygedra het tot die WKOD se enkel eensydige bestuurstyl tot hul diensleweringmodel as gevolg van die sterk klem op onderdanigheid eerder as samewerking wat ʼn ideale spangees tussen skole en die WKOD teweeg kan bring. Op grond van die konstitutiewe betekenisse wat ek geformuleer het, doen ek aan die hand dat die WKOD se diensleweringmodel hulself bevoordeel, eerder as die belange van onderwysers en klaskamer praktyk. Derhalwe doen ek ʼn paar aanbevelings aan die hand om hierdie leemtes aan te vul en voorsien riglyne om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel. Die hoofargument van hierdie ondersoek is dat beraadslagende demokrasie die WKOD se siening van „n leerorganisasie aansienlik kan verbeter. „n Sleutel aspek van die ontwikkeling van skole in leer organisasies mag begin by die instelling van beter vorme van kommunikasie wat elemente soos reflektiewe besprekings, kommunikatiewe vryheid, konsensus and besluitneming insluit. Hierdie elemente vorm die basis van wat ʼn leer organisasie behels. Dit kan derhalwe die beste gedoen word deur beraadslagende demokrasie met sy klem op publieke argumentering met gelyke geleenthede en die klem op die daarstelling van ooreenstemmende oordeel. Hierdie studie suggereer that die WKOD die idée van beraadslagende demokrasie as ʼn beginsel van kommunikasie moet aanneem wat die mees ideale vorm van demokrasie is wat hulle kan ondersteun om skole in leer organisasies te ontwikkel.