published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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No description available.

This study investigated the attitudes of Grade One teachers in Pietermaritzburg to the training they have received on Outcomes Based Education (OBE). A questionaire was developed by the researcher from documentation used in the training that took the form of various workshop sessions. The study comprised 47 Grade One teachers drawn from 18 primary schools in Pietermaritzburg. This study attempted to determine the following issues: • The attitudes of Grade One teachers to the training they have received • Whether there were any significant differences in the attitudes of Grade One teachers from the various ex-Departments of Education to the training they have received on OBE A five point rating scale namely the Likert Scale was used to determine the attitudes of teachers. A descriptive analysis was initially employed to determine the percentagew:futeachers that strongly agreed, agreed, were uncertain, disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statements in the questionaire. The results revealed that the majority of teachers agreed that the training had provided them with an understanding of various aspects of OBE. However, some teachers did state that they were uncertain on certain issues like the Foundation Phase policy document as well as the policy document on assessment, assessment itself and the compilation of portfolios and progress reports to be submittted to relevant persons. The area of resources was also highlighted as being problematic. Teachers disagreed that they were informed on how to use educational resources in accordance with OBE as well as where and how to obtain these resources. A descriptive analysis was also undertaken to determine what percentage of teachers from each eX-department felt about each statement in the questionaire. Results revealed that only teachers from the ex-NED schools strongly agreed with most of the statements, whilst the highest percentage of teachers that were uncertain came from ex-DET schools. A statistical analysis was employed to determine whether significant differences existed in the attitudes ofteachers from the various ex-departments of education. The statistical report revealed that only four statements were significant namely the issue of the OBE assessment policy document, the Foundation Phase policy document, the compilation of Journals and progress records. Recommendations were made for further training in these areas as well as further research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

This study examined the leadership style and readiness for change exhibited by elementary school principals in two urban school districts. More specifically, the study examined leadership style and four demographic variables; gender, age, highest academic degree earned, and years of principal experience. One hundred and twenty elementary school principals employed in two urban school districts were invited to participate in the study, 108 completed the required instruments: Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, Survey of Readiness for Change (an instrument created by the researcher), and a demographic information sheet. The t-test statistical technique was used to determine whether leadership style, gender, age, years of administrative experience, and highest earned academic degrees had an effect on personal readiness for change.Results revealed that a significant relationship (alpha level of .05) existed between personal readiness for change and leadership style (p=.009), and also between personal readiness for change and highest earned academic degrees (p=.019). Principals with a considerate leadership behavior and those holding a doctorate appeared more ready for change. The remaining independent variables gender (p=.394), age (p=.350), and years of administrative experience (p=.801) were not found to be significant with respect to a personal readiness for change.Results from the research produced the following recommendations: (a) school district administrators may encourage their principals to determine how their leader behavior effect change, (b) staff development on the change process needs to become a priority, (c) findings from this study should be considered by school officials who employ principals and especially for districts promoting a change agenda. / Department of Educational Leadership

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between principals’ social and emotional skills and the academic and social outcomes of their schools. The Social-Emotional Educational Leadership Factor (SELF) survey was completed by 27 Indiana public elementary school principals and 30 Indiana public elementary school teachers to analyze the perceptions of the principals’ social and emotional skills. Results showed that principals’ self perceptions of their social and emotional skills predicted 49% of the variability of how they perceived their skills affecting their school’s academic success (R = .70, p < .01). A larger 57% of the variability was predicted from teachers’ perceptions of how their principal’s social and emotional skills affected their school’s academic success (R = .76, p < .01), while principals’ self perceptions of their social and emotional skills predicted 33% of the variance in iv student attendance rates. Results also indicated that principals and their teachers differed on their perceptions of principals’ skills (Wilk’s λ = .33, p < .001), as principals’ self evaluations of social and emotional skills were consistently more positive than the teachers’ evaluations of their principal’s social and emotional skills. It was determined that teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s social and emotional skills predicted 82% of the variability of their assessment regarding their principals’ overall leadership abilities. An in-depth analysis of six participating schools indicated that academic and socially underperforming schools consistently had lower average social and emotional skill scores throughout the SELF survey when compared to academic and socially performing schools. Finally, teachers tended to believe at higher rates that principals’ social and emotional skills can affect the principals’ ability to lead when compared to the responses of the principals. / Department of Elementary Education

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, April 2007. / Major professor: Mary Gardiner. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-179). Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 25, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-205).