Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The culture of teaching in most South African schools is one of isolation and independence. Once individuals have qualified as teachers, there is a strong sense of getting on with the job of teaching, rather than beginning a journey of critical reflection and change. This study aims to address and contribute towards shifting this ethos and establishing a joint reflective school culture. / South Africa

A country’s competitive advantage is linked to its educational outcomes. South Africa, as a developing country wants to shift from being a resource based economy to being a knowledge based economy. To enable such a shift, schools must be able to graduate learners who are adequately prepared for the demands of institutions of higher learning. Schools, therefore, must become centres of excellence and a culture of performance must be prevalent in schools. The National Development Plan as outlined by the National Planning Commission (2011) identified education as one of the pillars from which South Africa’s economy will be driven. However, recent studies have rated South Africa’s education system as one of the worst among middle income economies and sometimes even worse than many low-income African economies. To bridge that gap, there is a need to drive schools to be centres of excellence. This study sought to identify factors that influence a performance culture in schools. In order to achieve this objective, literature was scanned and five factors that influence a performance culture were identified (organisational school climate, teacher attitude, school managerial processes, organisational school value and organisational school structure). These factors were initially identified and used by Marcoulides and Heck (1993) in a corporate organisation and later adopted for testing in a school setting by Gomez, Marcoulides and Heck (2012). A school in Johannesburg East district was sampled through convenience sampling and data was collected through a questionnaire which was administered to the principal, teachers and staff, school governing board members, parents and alumni of the school. The total sample was 120 and a total of 94 questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 78%. Descriptive statistical techniques were performed to establish the mean and standard deviation of perceptions among the respondents. Inferential statistical techniques were used to measure and ascertain reliability through Cronbach’s alpha, comparisons of responses through t-testing and ANOVA, association through correlation and hypotheses were tested through multiple regression analysis. All the variables were found to be valid and reliable. Furthermore, statistical results revealed that in the sampled school, even though all the five factors had an association among each other, only organisational school culture and organisational school value had an association to the dependent variable, performance culture. Organisational school value, however, was found to be the only variable of great influence to performance culture at the sampled school. The ideologies and activities that represent the values, therefore, influence the performance culture of a school.

In democratic South Africa, policies place much emphasis on the need for transformational leadership. This challenges school leaders to ensure that their practice is in line with the democratic and inclusive values espoused therein. This thesis is an account of my journey of learning about educational leadership and how I attempted to influence transformation at my own school. The development of my living theory of educational management is grounded in my desire to make a positive change to the quality of teaching and learning at my school, by embodying and exemplifying such values in my leadership. My learning as an educational leader comprises my living theory on improving my educational leadership within a socially challenged context. I explain the context and problems experienced at my school and provide evidence of the need to move from the hierarchic, autocratic form of leadership, still prevailing at many South African schools. I adopted the theoretical framework of servant leadership to enable me to develop a more contextually sensitive and visionary style of leadership through critical reflection on my own practice. My stimulus for this journey of learning stemmed from the perceived contradiction between my espoused beliefs about leadership and my actual practice. My own autocratic leadership style was one of the main barriers that prevented teachers from attaining autonomy and taking on leadership roles within the school. My leadership style was more in alignment with the values of accountability, discipline and efficiency than those of care, trust and the development of the potential of others. This interrogation of my ontological values informed my subsequent interventions to improve my practice. Following an action research design, I investigated the quality of my leadership to determine which areas I needed to improve, took action to improve these and evaluated the change against the values inherent in the notion of servant-leadership. I embarked on a journey that helped me to shift my practice from being based on previously held authoritarian professional values towards values that underpin a more transformational leadership, such as care and trust. My journey of learning was guided by the tenets of self-study action research, which required critical self-reflection and holding myself accountable for my own actions The practical knowledge I gained through this self-reflection on my practice enabled me to make professional judgements, which then became conceptual knowledge in the form of a living theory generated by my research. This was made possible through a continuous process of data generation to extract evidence to test the validity of the claims to knowledge I made. Multiple sources of data (written, graphic and multimedia) were used to better understand the scope of happenings throughout the research and to monitor my practice over time. I explain how I used my improved understanding of leadership to promote collegiality for building quality relationships to promote teacher leadership for school improvement and how I subjected these claims to social and personal validation procedures. The significance of this study is that it contributes to new forms of practice and theory in terms of showing how a values-based approach to school leadership can influence positive change in teacher practice. While this study is a narrative of my practice, it is also a narrative of theorising about how my colleagues and I have come to know and how our thinking has changed about our work and ourselves. Although I had to indicate a cut-off point in this action research enquiry, the knowledge gained will continue to develop and influence my practice in the future and hopefully will be judged as useful by others in positions of leadership. The thesis is thus an original contribution to educational knowledge in the field of self-study action research. It demonstrates how sociohistorical and sociocultural insights from Apartheid to Post-Apartheid South Africa can be integrated within a living theory of transformational leadership.

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent foundation phase teachers adapt Curriculum 2005. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) What are the critical components of Curriculum 2005 (foundation phase)? (2) What are the adaptations that teachers have made in teaching this curriculum? The specific focus of this study is foundation phase teachers’ initial implementation of the revised version of Curriculum 2005, the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS). An Innovation Configuration Checklist was developed identifying the critical components of the RNCS and the variations of each. Using the checklist, foundation phase teachers were surveyed to establish the adaptations being made during implementation. The findings of this study indicate that there is less active learning and more teacher directed activity than is required by the RNCS. Assessment appears to be a problem area. Most teachers understand what is expected of them in terms of assessment and attempt to put it into practice. Assessment has however, proved to be burdensome and time consuming. Teachers’ planning demonstrates a sound understanding of the procedures to be followed. Teachers do however, need support in terms of deeper pedagogical content knowledge. Although teachers comply with the technical aspects of curriculum development they neglect the emancipatory aspects of the RNCS. The situation in foundation phase classrooms might be described as one where much change is taking place, but little transformation is happening at present. Teachers are nevertheless, reflecting on how to improve their teaching and continue to explore ways to adapt and improve the RNCS.

Includes bibliography. / The study takes the work of three teachers to examine whether the popular belief of "small is better" is substantiated in the practice of these teachers. The study observes and analyses the classroom instruction of each of these teachers in a small class as well as in a large class. The observation is done with the use of an observation schedule, and the analysis of data is done within a Vygotskian framework. The study shows that the pedagogy and the teaching style of the three teachers does not change when they teach differently sized classes. In other words, their classroom practice is the same for both the small and large classes. The study further shows that the pedagogy of the teacher determines the effectiveness or quality of instruction, and that class size does not impact, either positively (in the case of the small class) or negatively (in the case of a large class) on the effectiveness or quality of instruction.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the movement towards inclusive education, demands that quality education for all present challenges for educator support to facilitate educational change in South Africa. The proposed link between effective educational transformation and understanding and managing change stimulated the researcher's desire to develop an in-service education and training programme for educators within the concept of whole school development. Such a programme could ensure the simultaneous development of competence of the individual and the school as an organisation. The first phase of this study comprised the development of a particular in-service educator support programme aimed at addressing the identified needs of a specific target group of educators to facilitate educational transformation within an inclusive setting. The primary focus of the study was the development of educator competencies that would help educators cope with educational change by means of the establishment of school-based support teams. The content was based on a comprehensive overview of the literature on individual and institutional development as well as change. This was synthesized into four modules (Module one: change, transition, reviewing and clarifying vision and mission; Module two: leadership, teamwork and support; Module three; organisational change, the learning organisation and organisational culture; Module four: application). In the second phase an evaluation research design was used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the programme in order to make judgements (from an accountability perspective) to facilitate programme improvement (from a development perspective) and to generate knowledge (from the perspective of academic value). The programme was presented in ten sessions of three hours each over a period of seven months during and after which qualitative and quantitative data was obtained and combined to ensure higher quality data for the identification of outcomes. An interpretive version of content analysis was applied for the identification of patterns from which subcategories, categories and a main theme was constructed. The programme succeeded in achieving the primary objective of facilitating the establishment of school-based support teams: 95% of the schools that participated in the programme established school-based support teams. It also contributed to the development of personal and professional competency in educators that helped them cope with educational change. Participants experienced significant positive changes in their own thinking and perceptions regarding inclusive education, educational change, support and teamwork. They understood why they needed to change, and developed a better understanding of how to deal with the effects of change. From the patterns identified, the sub-categories of personal, professional and school development were constructed. Change emerged as the overarching main theme. Embedded within this were the roles of the facilitator and of transformative learning. The research flndinqs confirmed that the problem was appropriately conceptualised and that the design of the programme adequately addressed the needs of the participants. Respondents reported that they were more knowledgeable and skilful, and that they had experienced positive changes in their attitudes. These personal changes contributed to better educational service delivery and improved schools. This study demonstrated that educators can be given the support they need to cope with educational change through an in-service support programme which is needs driven and which focuses simultaneously on individual and organisational development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Eise vir kwaliteit opvoeding in die beweging na inklusiewe opvoeding stel uitdagings aan opvoederondersteuning om opvoedingsveranderinge in Suid-Afrika te fasiliteer. Die voorgestelde skakel tussen effektiewe opvoedingstransformasie en die verstaan en bestuur van verandering het by dié navorser die begeerte aangewakker om 'n indiensopvoeding- en -opleidingsprogram vir opvoeders te ontwikkel binne die konsep van heelskoolontwikkeling. So 'n program sou die gelyktydige ontwikkeling van die individu se bevoegdheid en van die skool as organisasie kon verseker. Die eerste fase van die studie het die ontwikkeling van 'n spesifieke indiensondersteuningsprogram vir opvoeders behels wat daarop gemik is om die geïdentifiseerde behoeftes van 'n spesifieke teikengroep opvoeders aan te spreek om opvoedingstransformasie binne 'n inklusiewe omgewing te fasiliteer. Die primêre fokus van die studie was die ontwikkeling van opvoedersbevoegdhede wat opvoeders sou help om opvoedkundige veranderinge te hanteer deur middel van die vestiging van skoolgebaseerde ondersteuningspanne. Die inhoud is gebaseer op 'n omvattende oorsig van die literatuur oor individuele en institusionele ontwikkeling. Dit is byeengebring in vier modules (Module een: verandering, oorgang, hersiening en verduideliking van visie en missie; Module twee: leierskap, spanwerk en ondersteuning; Module drie: organisatoriese verandering, die leerorganisasie en organisatoriese kultuur; Module vier: aanwending). In die tweede fase is 'n evalueringsnavorsingsontwerp gebruik om 'n omvattende evaluering van die program uit te voer met die doelom oordele te vel (vanuit 'n rekenskapgewende perspektief) om programverbetering te fasiliteer (vanuit 'n ontwikkelingsperspektief) en om kennnis te genereer (vanuit die perspektief van akademiese waarde). Die program is in tien sessies van drie uur elk oor 'n periode van sewe maande aangebied. Gedurende en na hierdie periode is kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data verkry en gekombineer om data van hoër gehalte vir die identifisering van uitkomste te verseker. 'n Interpretatiewe weergawe van inhoudsanalise is aangewend om patrone te identifiseer waaruit subkategorieë, kategorieë en 'n hooftema saamgestel is. Die program het daarin geslaag om die hoofdoel te bereik, naamlik om die totstandbring van skoolgebaseerde ondersteuningspanne te fasiliteer: 95% van die skole wat aan die program deelgeneem het, het skoolgebaseerde ondersteuningspanne begin. Die program het ook bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van persoonlike en professionele bekwaamheid in opvoeders wat hulle gehelp het om opvoedkundige verandering te hanteer. Deelnemers het beduidende positiewe veranderinge in hul eie denke en persepsies ondervind rakende inklusiewe opvoeding, opvoedkundige verandering, ondersteuning en spanwerk. Hulle het verstaan waarom hulle moes verander, en het 'n beter begrip ontwikkel ten opsigte van die hantering van die uitwerking van verandering. Uit die geïdentifiseerde patrone is subkategorieë van persoonlike, professionele en skoolontwikkeling saamgestel. Verandering het as die oorkoepelende hooftema te voorskyn gekom. Ingebed hierin was die rolle van die fasiliteerder en van transformatiewe leer. Die navorsingsbevindinge bevestig dat die probleem op toepaslike wyse gekonseptualiseer is en dat die ontwerp van die program die deelnemers se behoeftes op gepaste wyse aangespreek het. Respondente het gerapporteer dat hulle oor meer kennis beskik en vaardiger is en dat hulle positiewe veranderinge in hul houdinge ervaar het. Hierdie persoonlike veranderinge het bygedra tot beter opvoedkundige dienslewering en verbeterde skole. Hierdie studie het aangetoon dat opvoeders die nodige ondersteuning kan kry om opvoedkundige verandering te kan hanteer deur middel van 'n indiensondersteuningsprogram wat behoeftegedrewe is en wat terselfdertyd fokus op individuele en organisatoriese ontwikkeling.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The introduction of Outcomes Based Education in the South African school system brought about a new approach to education. The existing system of a multitude of subjects was replaced by a curriculum with eight learning areas. In this curriculum the focus is on attitudes, skills and values which replaced a content based approach with a process-based approach. Educators thereby became facilitators in the educational process. With the barriers of segregation removed in the South African society the diversity of the population created multi-cultural classrooms. Schools became the meeting place of many cultures and belief systems. Educators who facilitated learning in schools were not always prepared for the task of managing a multi-cultural and multi-religious school environment. This change within the school system required that educators make a paradigm shift regarding their role as educators. The introduction of Curriculum 2005 (1997); The Revised National Curriculum (2001) and the National Curriculum Statement (2002) was not without problems in South Africa. Many educators resisted change and had negative perceptions about the implementation of Outcomes Based Education in schools. These perceptions stemmed from inadequate training of educators for the implementation phase of the curriculum. The lack of skills to facilitate the content of the curriculum was also visible in the educators' inability to identify values in the curriculum. The multi-cultural and multi-religious classroom confronted educators with values from the different value and belief systems of learners. It is, therefore, important that educators should be able to identify values in order to attain the outcomes of the curriculum. Previous research indicated that educators did not play an active role in the teaching of values in schools. Neither were the educators participating in this research able to either identify or promote the values identified in the curriculum. The aim of this research was to develop an instrument to assist educators in identifying values from different belief systems in C2005 (1997); The Revised National Curriculum (2001) and the National Curriculum Statement (2002). Guidelines were developed for the facilitation of the identified values within the OBE curriculum. An empirical research was undertaken regarding the management of values in schools in the Western Cape during June 1999. Possible methods and approaches to values in education in general were identified and the suggested instrument and guidelines to assist educators with the identification of values was developed. The relevance of this study is to assist in-service and pre-service educators In identifying and facilitating different belief and value systems in an OBE education system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die implementering van Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwys (UGO) in die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolstelsel het 'n nuwe benadering tot onderwys gebring. Die veelvoudige vakkeuses van die vorige kurrikulum is vervang deur een met agt leerareas. 'n Nuwe kurrikulum wat gefokus is op gesindhede, vaardighede en waardes het op sy beurt die inhoudgebaseerde kurrikulum met 'n prosesbenadering vervang. Opvoeders het nou fasiliteerders van die leerproses geword. Die verwydering van skeidslyne in die Suid Afrikaanse samelewing het tot gevolg gehad dat die diversiteit van die S.A. bevolking tot multikulturele klaskamers gelei het. Skole het die ontmoetingsplek van vele kulture en waardestelsels geword. Die opvoeders wat die leerproses in skole moet fasiliteer, is nie altyd voorbereid op die multikulturele en multireligieuse skoolomgewing nie. Die verandering in die skoolwese vereis dat opvoeders 'n paradigmaskuif betreffende hulle rol as opvoeders moet maak. Die implementering van Kurrikulum 2005(Curriculum 2005,1997; Hersiene Nasionale Kurrikulum (Revised National Curriculum, 2001); Nasionale Kurrikulum Stelling (National Curriculum Statement, 2002) was geensins sonder probleme nie. Heelwat opvoeders het weerstand gebied en baie negatiewe persepsies is behou in verband met die implementering van Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwys in skole. Die persepsies van opvoeders ten opsigte van die implementeringsfase van die kurrikulum word gemotiveer as gevolg van die onvoldoende opleiding in die voorbereidingsproses .. Die gebrek aan vaardighede om die inhoud van die kurrikulum te fasiliteer, is sigbaar in die opvoeders se onvermoë om waardes in die kurrikulum te identifiseer. Die multikulturele en multireligieuse klaskamer het opvoeders konfronteer met die leerders se waardes vanuit hul verskillende waarde- en oriënteringsomgewings. (belief systems). Dit word belangrik geag dat opvoeders hierdie waardes kan identifiseer sodat die uitkomste van die kurrikulum behaal kan word. Vorige navorsing het aangedui dat opvoeders nie 'n aktiewe rol in die fasilitering van waardes in die skool speel nie. Die opvoeders wat deel was van hierdie navorsing, kon ook nie waardes in die kurrikulum identifiseer of bevorder nie. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om 'n instrument te ontwerp om opvoeders te help met die identifisering van waardes van die verskillende oriënteringsomgewings (belief systems) in C200S (1997); RNC (2001); NCS(2002) Riglyne is ontwerp vir fasilitering van die geïdentifiseerde waardes in die UGO kurrikulum. Empiriese ondersoek is onderneem met die doelom die hantering van waardes in Wes-Kaapse skole na te vors. Moontlike metodes en benaderings tot waardes in onderwys in die algemeen is geïdentifiseer en 'n instrument om opvoeders te help met die identifisering van waardes, is ontwikkel. Riglyne word voorgestelom opvoeders te help in hulle benadering tot waardes in die kurrikulum. Die waarde van die studie lê daarin om sowel voor- as indiensopvoeders te help met die identifisering en fasilitering van waardes vanuit die verskillende waarde en oriënteringsomgewings in 'n Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwysstelsel.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Education a Training forms such an integral part of the community that it can never remain unaffected by the fundamental impact of the transformation taking place within a democratising new South Africa. The transformation of the education processes is also consistent with international trends. The drift towards decentralisation, away from the rigid formal structures and systems of the old dispensation, and the crumbling of boundaries to create a freer and more flexible dispensation, are also indicative of postmodernist thinking. This study has found that technical colleges, throughout their complex history, have admirably withstood and repelled the onslaughts on their right to exist, and that they have indeed managed to strengthen their indispensable position in the education and training system of South Africa. In spite of the wealth of instructional and training opportunities in the local and global market, colleges once again find themselves at a new crossroad with the restructuring of the South African Education system as a whole. These changes, which embrace all levels and areas of technical colleges, are also typical of a postmodernist view and include, inter alia, the following: control and management, funding, level of programmes that ought to be offered, curriculum, composition of staff corps, instructional approach, evaluation and admission policy. The only constant in most cases are the physical facilities and buildings. The nature and extent of the changes has placed the colleges at the centre of a tangle of confusion. The lack of leadership on the part of the provincial education departments and the lack of involvement of the business sector only add to the anxiety and unanswered questions at colleges. The researcher has found that technical college have enormous potential and a central role to fulfil in the development of future human resources in South Africa. Policy-makers should, therefore guard against introducing restrictive measures that would limit the focus of the colleges to the FET level. It would hamper the articulation of learners, thwart the approach of providing 'seamless education', and constrain the development of existing qualities. For once in the history of education in South Africa, there is an urgent need for policy-makers and those responsible for implementing such policies to give their undivided attention to this 'orphan', who has such a vital role to play in the economy and educational system of South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onderwys en Opleiding vorm so 'n integrale deel van die samelewing dat dit nooit onaangeraak kan bly tydens die ingrypende impakte van die transformasie in die nuwe demokratiserende Suid-Afrika nie. Hierdie onderwystransformasieprosesse reflekteer ook internasionale tendense. Die neiging na desentralisasie en weg beweeg van ou (formele) strukture en stelsels en afbreek van grense na 'n vryer en losser bestel, weerspieel ook die postmoderne denke. Die studie het bevind dat tegniese kolleges merkwaardig deur die geskiedenis heen, die aanslae teen hul bestaansreg in die beroepsonderwys weerstaan en hulonmisbare posisie in die Onderwys en Opleidingsisteem van Suid-Afrika versterk het. Ten spyte van die rykdom van onderrig- en opleidingsgeleenthede in die plaaslike en globale mark, bevind kolleges hulselfweer by 'n nuwe kruispad met die omvattende herstukturering van die hele Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwyssisteem. Die veranderinge, wat alle vlakke en terreine van tegniese kolleges omsluit, is ook tiperend van 'n postmoderne siening en sluit, onder andere, die volgende in: die beheer en bestuur, befondsing, vlak van programme wat aangebied behoort te word, kurrikulum, samestelling van die personeelkorps, onderrigbenadering, evaluering en toelatingsbeleid. Die enigste konstante in die meeste gevalle is egter die fisiese fasiliteite en geboue. Die aard en omvang van die veranderinge plaas tegniese kolleges tans binne 'n warboel van onsekerhede. Die gebrek aan leiding deur die provinsiale onderwysdepartemente en die onbetrokkenheid van die besigheidsektor, dra by tot die bekommernisse en onbeantwoorde vrae by kolleges. Die navorser het bevind dat die tegniese kolleges geweldige potensiaal het en'n kernrol het om te vervul in die toekomstige menslike hulpbronontwikkeling in die land. Beleidmakers moet daarteen waak dat beperkende maatreels van die kolleges se fokus slegs tot 'n VOO-vlak. Dit kan die artikulasie van leerders, markgedrewenheid, die voorsiening aan bestaande behoeftes, die benadering van 'seamless education' en die uitbou van bestaande kwaliteite negatiefbenadeel. Daar bestaan 'n dringende behoefte dat die onderwysbeleidmakers en -implementeerders vir een keer in die geskiedenis van onderwys in Suid-Afrika onverdeelde aandag aan hierdie 'weeskind' wat 'n belangrike rolspeler in die onderwys en ekonomie is, sal gee.

Thesis (MEd) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study looks at the structural and conceptual trends underlying the development of outcomes-based education. Part of the democratisation process of South African education involves the introduction of a system of outcomes-based education (OBE) in South African schools. Proponents of OBE claim that it constitutes a radical break from the previous apartheid education system. For this reason OBE is viewed as a transformational perspective on the curriculum. Viewed against this backdrop OBE strives to guarantee success for all learners; to empower learners in a learner-centred environment thus creating a critical, investigative, creative, problem-solving, communicative future-orientated citizen (Department of Education 1997:10). However, after doing an analysis and an interpretation of the White Paper on Education and Training (1996), it appears as if OBE with its "fixed" outcomes has a tendency to manipulate and control learners. The analysis shows that OBE stifles learners' critical, investigative, creative and problem-solving ability. The study also reveals that as a result of globalisation there is a global discourse on knowledge production which assumes that unless our system of education conforms with this global reality, our education could be considered as being of an inferior quality. The findings of the research suggest that OBE with its fixed outcomes cannot engender transformation on its own. Rational reflection, creativity and imagination need to be imbedded in practices of teaching and learning. By doing this, OBE could offer transformative opportunities for school communities at large. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie poog om die strukturele en konseptuele tendens onderliggend aan die ontwikkeling van UGO (Uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys) te ondersoek. Die bekendstelling van 'n UGO model in skole word gesien as deel van die demokratiseringsproses wat binne die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel plaasvind. Ondersteuners van UGO is dit eens dat UGO radikaal wegbeweeg van die apartheidsonderwysstelsel. Om hierdie rede word UGO dus gesien as 'n transformatoriese perspektieftot die kurikulum. Teen hierdie agtergrond streef UGO daama om sukses te waarborg vir alle leerders in 'n leerlinggesentreerde omgewing. Op die manier wil UGO 'n kritiese, ondersoekende, skeppende, probleemoplossende, kommunikatiewe en toekomsgerigte landsburger skep. Nadat daar egter 'n analitiese studie van die Witskrif vir Onderwys en Opleiding (1996) gedoen is wil dit tog voorkom asofUGO eerder daarop gemik is om leerders te manipuleer en te beheer. Trouens, die huidige diskoers oor kennisproduksie aanvaar dat indien 'n land se opvoeding nie die realiteit van globalisasie in ag neem nie word dit as minderwaardig beskou. Die bevindinge van die navorsmg stel voor dat UGO, met sy vaste uitkomste, wemige verandering alleen kan meebring. Daar word dus aan die hand gedoen dat indien rasionaliteit, kreatiwiteit en verbeeldingrykheid deel sou vorm van onderwys en leer dit op so 'n manier uitkomste kan komplementeer en sodoende betekenisvolle transformasie in die onderwys kan bewerkstellig.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The process of educational transformation in South Africa was characterised by the creation of a coherent policy and legislative framework (e.g. Constitution; South African Schools Act, 1996) that would form the basis for systematic changes. My concern is if or to what extend the transformational goals of access, redress, equality, quality, freedom and participation manifest itself in public high schools, particularly those schools from historically disadvantaged communities. Engaging in an interpretive and critical analysis of data (South African Schools Act, 1996 and diverse educator voices), I explore the conceptual and pragmatic links between different nuances of democracy in schools. There seem to be huge gaps between policy and practice. As the transformation of the education system is inseparable from the total transformation of our nation, I contend that the education landscape needs to be reviewed. A rigorous multi-facetted approach by all role players is necessary in order to meet the complexity of challenges to the process of transforming the education system of South Africa, in order to bring about a deep democracy. KEY WORDS: Education, transformation, democracy, participation, equality and quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die proses van onderwys-transformasie in Suid-Afrika is gekenmerk deur die daarstelling van 'n koherente beleids-en wetgewende raamwerk (o.a. Konstitusie; Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet, 1996), wat die grondslag van sistematiese veranderinge sou vorm. My besorgdheid is of, en tot watter mate die transformasie-doelwitte van toeganklikheid, regstelling, gelykheid, kwaliteit, vryheid en deelname in publieke hoërskole gemanifesteer word - veral dié skole in histories benadeelde samelewings. Verbind tot 'n interpretatiewe- en kritiese data-analise van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet en menings van diverse onderwyslui, ondersoek ek die konseptueie en pragmatiese skakeling tussen verskillende nuanses aangaande demokrasie in skole. Daar blyk groot gapings tussen beleid en praktyk te wees. Omdat die transformasie van die onderwysstelselonlosmaaklik deel vorm van die totale transformasie van ons nasie, voer ek aan dat die opvoedkundige landskap dringend in heroënskou geneem moet word. 'n Daadwerklike, multi-fassettige benadering deur alle rolspelers is nodig ten einde die komplekse uitdagings ten opsigte van die transformasie van die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwys die hoof te bied, en sodoende 'n diep demokrasie tot stand te bring. SLEUTELWOORDE: Onderwys, transforrnasie, demokrasie, deelname, gelykheid en kwaliteit.