Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1975. / Typescript. Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-112).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-104). Also available via the Internet.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / The teaching profession currently finds itself in a period of rapid changes and progress. This is particularly applicable to the management style and ingenuity required of educational leaders. It will therefore be incumbent upon the Head of Department: Afrikaans to keep up with latest development in management to provide quality teaching and learning. If teachers are to reach their optimum potential as educators, the Head of Department: Afrikaans must display the highest standard of supportive leadership. Analysis of the leadership task of the Head of Department: Afrikaans indicates that the modern view on leadership focuses on the potential to be found in the members of the Afrikaans Department. If the Head of Department: Afrikaans identifies himself with this viewpoint and if he applies his acquired leadership skills to this end, he will succeed in influencing his staff members to the extent that this positive motivation becomes manifested in those staff members who manage to sustain a high level of dedication in their work situation without constant monitoring. It is also imperative for the Head of Department: Afrikaans to become aware of the most effective leadership principles in both theory and practice. The leader that strives to create an open work climate, will receive the benefits of total participation as well as improved interpersonal relationships between himself and his staff members in the department. Apart from the climate that needs to be open and easy, it is also important that the leader should consider the specific situation in which they interact as a work group as a determining factor in the choice, and practice, of leadership styles. The congruency leadership model of Nicholls proves exceptionally appropriate in this regard. Another responsibility of the Head of Department: Afrikaans will be to attain a high degree of functional efficiency within his department. In this regard it will also be necessary for him to be proficient in an appropriate leadership style. The Principal of the school needs to delegate some leadership responsibility to the Head of Department: Afrikaans to the extent that he will fulfill a supportive role. Formal, standardised supervision should make way for a more fluent, ennobling way of supervision. In the light of the aforegoing statement, the real value of clinical supervision as the primary leadership role of the DSA rests upon his ability to facilitate the professional development of staff members and to improve their teaching skills.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine and compare perceptions between high school department chairs and teachers regarding the role of the high school academic department chair in Oregon, a position which has been largely ignored in recent educational reform efforts. Schools selected for the study were limited to those sharing the same qualities of size and structure as those of the high schools in the researcher's own district. A researcher-constructed questionnaire defining 44 activities comprising five categories of department chair responsibility provided data from 118 high school department chairs and 114 teachers from 34 Oregon high schools. Respondents addressed three issues: (a) definition-perceptions of what the role of the high school department chair looks like in practice; (b) clarification-perceptions of which activities are most important to the role; and (c) extension-perceptions of which activities are most important for the department chair to continue to improve in carrying out the role. Results of this study show teachers' expectations for the role of the department chair to be substantially different from those of the chairs themselves. Chi-square testing revealed statistically significant (R < .05) incongruence of perceptions between department chairs and teachers for 21 of the 44 activities across all five of the categories of department chair responsibility. Department chairs consistently perceived themselves to devote more time to their role than teachers perceived chairs to spend. Teachers placed more importance than did chairs on protection of instructional time and support of teachers' professional needs and concerns. Statistically significant differences in perception between males and females in the study population were also found for 24 of the 44 activities. Females consistently valued more highly than did males those department chair activities that reflect a facilitative, collaborative approach to leadership. Greater percentages of males more highly valued management activities than did females. These findings suggest both ambiguity in role definition and incongruence of role expectations to be obstacles to effective role performance for the high school department chair. Open, focused dialogue is suggested as a means for resolving these contradictions.

M.Ed. (Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (M.Ed. Mgt.)--Unitec New Zealand, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-140).

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / The use of visual media as a means of achieving educational aims in the school is of great importance. This study focuses on the role the head of department has to play in motivating the staff under his supervision and to provide goal orientation. The primary focus is on teacher motivation. The findings generally support the contention that the departmental head must be a motivated educational manager, able to guide teachers to apply visual media effectively and creatively. He must provide incentives .so that teachers will find enjoyment in working as a team; this enjoyment must be transmitted to students. The participative system of educational administration by in-service training of junior teachers should be applied. A healthy climate should be created among senior and junior teachers, to ensure that junior teachers benefit from their senior colleagues' vast experience in the use of media. Visual media should be applied effectively to the full benefit of all pupils in the school. It must stimulate their creativity and provide an environment conducive to active participation in their personal development. Most teachers still spend most of their time preparing and delivering classroombased face-to-face lessons. All the indications are that electronic communication systems will not supplant existing visual media, but will complement them. New species of instructional methods and media are being developed, but the previously existing species have not become extinct. The teacher in the class has two distinctive roles in visual media application...

The purposes of this study were to describe how high school department chairpersons spend their time and to examine preferences as to the role they should have in a large urban school system as perceived by principals, department chairpersons, and teachers. The research questions were as follows: (1) How do department chairpersons spend their time in the areas of supervision, curriculum, personnel, management, staff development, communication, and other areas? (2) To what degree do principals, department chairpersons, and teachers believe department chairpersons should be responsible for tasks in the areas of supervision, curriculum, personnel, management, staff development, communication, and other areas? (3) What are the discrepancies between department chairpersons, principals, and teachers in terms of reported time spent by department chairpersons and the degree of responsibility they believed department chairpersons should have in supervision, curriculum, personnel, management, staff development, communication, and other areas? This study was conducted in the District of Columbia Public School System during the 1989-90 School Year. It included ten of the eleven public full-time academic high schools. The population of this study consisted of principals, department chairpersons, and teachers. The data for this study were collected through the use of a descriptive survey. The results from the data analysis suggested the following major findings: (1) high school department chairpersons spend a greater amount of their time in managerial roles, performing such tasks as planning and conducting departmental meetings, preparing and monitoring departmental budgets, arranging for repairs and replacement of equipment, ordering supplies and equipment, maintaining inventory, completing forms, and gathering information; (2) principals, department chairpersons, and teachers believed that a high degree of responsibility of the department chairperson should be in encouraging, stimulating, and motivating teachers; (3) There were statistically significant differences between department chairpersons, principals, and teachers in relation to the reported time spent by department chairpersons and the degree of responsibility they believed department chairpersons should spend on various tasks. / Ed. D.

While the literature indicates that virtually all high schools have department chairs, little research has been done that examines the role of the department chair or how they spend their time. The publication of A Nation At Risk and the reports that followed have placed greater emphasis on instructional leadership leading many to suggest that department chairs are being under utilized within their school. The purpose of this study was to describe how high school department chairs spend their time; what principals, teachers, and department chairs believe should be the role of the department chair; and to examine the discrepancies between reported time spent and reported role the department chair should have in the areas of supervision, curriculum, personnel, management, communications, and staff development. A descriptive survey method was used in the study. The sample consisted of 22 high school principals, 88 department chairs, and 264 teachers in a large suburban school system. From a list of items identified through a search of the literature as tasks performed by department chairs, the respondents were asked to indicate the amount of time spent on each task and the importance of each task to the role the department chair should have. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages and means were used to report results. It was found that all groups were in general agreement as to how department chairs spend their time, but disagreed on the amount of time spent. Principals and department chairs perceived department chairs spent more time on most tasks than did teachers. The greatest amount of time spent by department chairs was on tasks related to management and communication. All groups agreed that the role of the department chair should be expanded to increase responsibilities in management, communications, personnel, and curriculum. However, an expansion of the role in staff development was seen as more important by principals and department chairs than by teachers. Principals indicated greater support for a role expansion in supervision than did department chairs or teachers. / Ed. D.