No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Ed)-Universtiy of Natal, Durban, 1998.

This study attempts to investigate teachers' opinions on technical and vocational education curriculum in the light of political changes and educational policies which are emerging in South Africa. This report starts with a discussion of the methodological considerations, followed by the theoretical framework. The analysis and interpretation are presented as follows: 1. Profile of the sample, 2. Technical and vocational education and economic growth, 3. Technical and vocational education curriculum, 4. Teachers' opinions on curriculum transformation of technical and vocational education at secondary school level. Each chapter is rounded off with concluding remarks. The general conclusion and recommendations are given at the end of the report. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, 1997.

This study attempts to explore, through a qualitative approach, teachers' attitudes towards curriculum change in general and OBE in particular as a curriculum innovation. Teachers' perceptions, understandings of and readiness to implement OBE are assessed. The research attempted to explore their problems and fears concerning their role in this process of curriculum change. Curriculum change as a process and outcomes-based education as a new innovation is explored in relation to the peculiarities or two schools in particular and the South African context in general. The argument centres around the past curriculum and the post (1994) curriculum in relation to outcomes based education and briefly considers what lies ahead for the future curriculum. The practicality of implementation in the present, in schools, like and similar to those in this study and the views of several scholars, especially those of Fullan (1982), Bishop (1986) and Jansen (1997) on the process of curriculum change is examined. The impact of politics on educational transformations in general and in the South African context in particular is debated. The role of curriculum change in such a milieu and the impact it has on the teacher as implementor is examined through the views of the participants in this case study. Socio-economic criteria also influences what happens within schools, and this study shows that poverty hampers the process of curriculum change. A case study approach was used so that, an in-depth study of the schools could be done. The study focused on how the teachers in two schools in Reservoir Hills are engaged in the actual implementation of OBE including the question of what in-service training they received and how effective and relevant it has been thus far. This study served as an enlightening exercise for myself. A discussion of the participants views and my own observations and recommendations are presented. The constraints I encountered and the limitations of such a study are also outlined. I hope that this study adds to the pool of research data that is rapidly developing, in this particular area of study in our context, and inspires others to further the research. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.

The first democratic elections in April 1994 brought about drastic changes in South African education system. One of the changes legislated in the South African Schools Act of 1996 has a profound influence on the management of state schools. The South African Schools Act of 1996 created a need for change from an autocratic to a democratic style of school governance and management. This research project sought to investigate how School Management Teams function in primary schools in Vulindlela West Circuit, Pietermaritzburg Region in the context of educational change. The research approach was the qualitative case study. The study involved sixteen (16) primary schools in Vulindlela West Circuit. A questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data. In this study fifty-five (55) questionnaires were administered to all SMT members. Interviews were conducted in three primary schools, which yielded seven respondents. The questionnaire data was analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Data of descriptive nature was organized in terms of response types and general trends, and constructed in a manner that enabled the researcher to address the research questions for this study. The findings of this study revealed that most of the roles and responsibilities performed by the School Management Teams (SMTs) were both curriculum and administrative duties. It was found that hierarchical management structure was still evident in schools. It was also found that the principal involved the members of the SMT in decision-making but did not make use of their input. It is evident that there was an element of fear and mistrust on the side of the principal relating to the delegation of powers to other members of the School Management Teams. The results revealed that most of the SMT members had induction guidelines and had undergone management training. Lastly, it was found that the most important skill the SMT required in order to be effective was stress management. The conclusions that were drawn from the findings indicated that the School Management Teams need extensive training in the following areas: time management, understanding of roles and responsibilities as prescribed in the Employment of Educators Act of 1998; management of change; continuing induction; training in decision-making and delegation of power, and, finally, stress management. It was concluded that without specific attention to the effective management development programmes for School Management Teams (SMTs) attempts at improving quality of education in South Africa are likely to be ineffective. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Gender is a social construction. Society presents us with acceptable models of masculinity and femininity, and these teach us how to be masculine or feminine in a sense. We learn how to be as women and men through some sort of social conditioning, although we have some agency to resist such normative constructions. This study sets to explore how boys and girls responded to dominant constructions of gender in a rural primary schooling context. The idea was to explore ways in which boys and girls colluded with and/or challenged constructions that "boxed‟ them into particular versions and constructions of feminity and masculinity. A qualitative case study located within the critical paradigm was used. Poststructural feminist theory was used as a lens to understand how participants responded to the dominant constructions of gender. Participatory methods of generating data were used to address the key research questions, namely, transect walks, mapping, non-participant observations, and document analysis. The existence of alternative discourses in the voices of participants helped us to understand how boys and girls constructed, negotiated and performed gender in the context of the research study. Findings revealed that participants' views represented processes of constructing, reconstructing and negotiating their gendered social identities. This was not a static process. It was a confluence of fluid processes of pushing boundaries and challenging stereotypes and coded messages characterising dominant definitions and expectations of femininity and masculinity. However, on the other hand, it was a mixture of interrelated acts of submitting and colluding with dominant constructions of femininity and masculinity. In essence, with regards to participants' responses to dominant gender constructions, there existed a criss-crossing of competing discourses some of which had more powerful influences on participants, making the act of challenging dominant gender discourses a complex affair to construe. / Thesis (M.Ed)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

The apartheid Education System in South African schools which was in existence prior to the introduction of democracy was based on a top-down management and leadership. The system of management and leadership was extremely non-consultative and non-participatory. Many challenges in education were brought into existence by the advent of the South African democratic constitution in 1994. The task team on education management development (1996) made some recommendations regarding the management and leadership of the schools. Transformational leadership has been identified by the task team as the best form of leadership through which school effectiveness and improvement can be created. (see Bans & Avolio, 1996) In this study, bench marked against the characteristics of transformational leadership, derived from the literature, an attempt was made to determine the principal's perceptions of his leadership style and to determine the educators perceptions of the same. Thereafter the research attempted to compare the actual against the ideal, based upon the findings and further reference to the literature. The use of questionnaire and interview was made to gather information from the staff and the principal. A discrepancy was identified between the perceptions of the staff and those of the principal with regard to the style of leadership of the principal. Although the principal identified himself as being a friendly, approachable and a transformational leader, the staff perceived him as a more transactional and autocratic leader. interview was to gather from between the perceptions of the staff and those of prinCipal with of the principal. Although principal himself as being a friendly, a transformational leader, the perceived him as a more transactional and to ii Education schools existence based and management challenges South management development 1996) made regarding leadership of the schools. Transformational identified school created. (see 1996) derived literature, determine principal's his and determine perceptions the reference literature. questionnaire and made information the staff and the principal. A discrepancy was identified the principal regard of leadership the identified / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The study is an exploration of the processes of racial integration within a school. The purpose of the study is twofold: 1. To understand the pattern, extent and nature of racial integration between learners in the classroom and on the playgrounds. 2. To determine whether there are any barriers that prevent the interaction of learners of different races. The school that was selected to participate in the research was an ex-House of Delegate's secondary school in KwaDuguza in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The participants in the study were the principal, two deputy principals, two level one educators and two focus groups of African and Indian learners. Each focus group was made up of six learners, two males and four females. They were representative of the gender and racial composition of the school. The research was a case study that used various qualitative methods of data collection. A questionnaire was administered to a selected sample of educators and learners to determine attitudes and perceptions of racial integration. These were followed up by semi-structured interviews that allowed the researcher to probe deeper into issues raised in the questionnaire. A week's observation schedule of learners in a classroom and the learners on the playground was conducted. This was followed by a review of school documents. The varied methods of data collection revealed that positive racial integration is not taking place in the school. Although the educators and the learners are aware of the need for a fundamental change in the policies, organization and curriculum of the school they are unsure of how these changes need to be effected and what the nature of the change should be. In the absence of any concrete directions from the Education Department, an 'adds on' approach to integration is used . The result of such an approach is the polarization of learners along racial lines. The study concludes with recommendations for educators and the Department of Education. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

1994 heralded in a new dispensation for South Africa. The change from an apartheid system to one of democracy brought with it much hope and excitement for the future. In terms of education there was need to transform the system so as to enable it to prepare the nation to embrace this democracy. So from 1994 the national dept of education has refocused the vision and direction of the South African Education system through policies, initiatives and innovations (Thurlow; 2003). However, 10 years later and education is still struggling to come to terms with and cope with our changing society. In respect of these changes in our education, the task team on education management development for schools suggests that schools move to becoming learning organisations. This study focuses on Bechet, a high school in the Durban Central Region of the Kwa Zulu Natal department of Education. This school is a co educational urban school (previously under the control of the House of Representatives). It is a school in South Africa which has a past shaped by our countries past. They too have been exposed to these recent innovations in education. In this study an attempt was made to ascertain the principal's perception as well as the perceptions of the educators of their school in respect of it being considered a learning organisation. It then proceeds to compare the two perceptions, to hopefully identify areas of strength as well as challenges to improve the school. The research revealed that the school does display some of the characteristics of learning organisations. However a discrepancy was identified between the perceptions of the staff and those of the principal with regard to how effective the school was in embracing the changes. In this regard the characteristic of leadership spewed out the greatest discrepancy as the principal believed himself to be a good leader with an open door policy, whilst the staff's perception was that of him not being available. They perceived the leadership style to be autocratic. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

Churches have long been important sites of non-formal and informal learning and places of refuge and renewal during times of social upheaval in South Africa. They continue to provide a safe space in which people can be challenged to grow, to change and to heal from past experiences. This qualitative Living Theory action research study sought to examine my own learnings as a Healing of Memories workshop facilitator in a new process, held in a worship community, that foregrounded the spiritual dimensions of participant learnings. Situated within the paradigm of Critical Social Theory, the research draws primarily on Mezirow’s Theory of Transformative Learning in order to examine healing and reconciliation initiatives that enable shifts in thinking and opportunities for action through individual perspective transformation. In order to address critique of Mezirow’s tendency to restrict learning to its cognitive dimension, the study draws on Tisdell and Dirkx for a more holistic conceptualisation of transformative learning that incorporates the affective, somatic, spiritual and cultural aspects of human experience. Learnings were structured in action and reflection phases involving myself initially and then co-facilitators and participants, by means of in-depth individual interviews. The workshops of the Institute for Healing of Memories are an experiential, non-formal adult education initiative that seeks to provide a space in which personal stories can be told and acknowledged. Situating this Healing of Memories workshop within an existing church community from which all participants were drawn and holding it during the spiritually significant Easter season of renewal enabled their deeper learning through its spiritual dimensions. Viewing this Healing of Memories workshop as a transformative learning process deepened my understanding of it as a curriculum structured to enable perspective transformation through the ten steps identified by Mezirow. A respectful and compassionate listening space allowed participants to explore options for new roles, relationships and action. Learning to listen actively and to understand emotion and the choices to be made in response to it provided participants with new knowledge and skills. By participating in this process with a holistic understanding of transformative learning and as a practitioner researching my own practice I have grown as an educator, with greater authenticity and humanity in my practice. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Change is the single most important element of successful business management today. To remain competitive in increasingly aggressive, competitive and dynamic markets, organizations have to adopt a positive attitude to change. Ignoring or trivializing changing trends can be very costly. The best organizations are the trendsetters that monitor the environment, embrace the need for change and effectively lead change in order to survive. Effective management of change is, therefore, of great importance if organizations are to stay ahead of rivals and attain a sustainable competitive edge in the industry (Heller, 1998). The main focus of this dissertation is to evaluate the management of transformational change at the National University of Lesotho (NUL), with the intention of formulating management of change strategies that NUL can adopt for the successful implementation of its strategic transformational change process. The text further explicates the correlation between leadership, change and the management of change within the context of NUL's ongoing transformational change process. A case study approach has been used to conduct the research. The report has been divided into five chapters. Chapter One provides the background to the study as well as the research methodology that has been employed to conduct the study. It further provides a brief outline of the structure of the dissertation. Chapter Two describes the theoretical framework of the change process, management of change and implications of different leadership traits on the management of transformation change in transforming organizations. The theoretical framework forms the foundation on which the study has been based and also provides guidelines and benchmarks of the management of change strategies that NUL can use for the successful implementation of its strategic transformational change process. At the end of Chapter Two, a case analysis model has been developed to conduct the case analysis in Chapter Four. In Chapter Three, a brief overview of an evolutionary background to the study problem is provided. The chapter also provides a critical analysis NUL's strategic transformational change process. Chapter Four offers an evaluation of NUL's strategic transformational change process. The discussion is based on the case study change model developed at the end of Chapter Two. It also highlights on the strengths and weakness of the NUL's change process. Lastly, in Chapter Five, recommendations emanating from the analysis conducted in Chapter Four, are outlined as suggestions what NUL can do and things that it should avoid doing if it is to achieve the objectives and goals of its transformational change successfully. Moreover, the chapter concludes the dissertation by providing a summary of the entire case study and maps the way forward for NUL to meet its strategic objectives and goals, as well as achieve a successful transformational change process with long-term strategic development. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.