D.Ed. / Although the mandated change processes were intended to, among other things, improve the work performance of educators, they have, however, experienced a number of obstacles which are briefly discussed. Lack of participation by educators in the introduction and implementation of the change processes lead to resistance by some educators and this had a negative impact on their work performance. Lack of physical resources such as water, telephone lines, the interne and classrooms lead to overcrowded classes. Effective management of mandate change was hampered by the defiance of authority by some educators, who prevented circuit managers and subject advisors from visiting schools for purposes of professional development and guidance in terms of mandated change processes such as developmental appraisal. This had a negative impact on the work performance of educators. Educators had low levels of morale and motivation and this manifested itself in educators' high levels of absenteeism, lack of commitment and preparation. The Department of Education's lack of capacity to manage financial and human resources hampered effective management of the mandated change processes. Lack of coordination between the national department of education and provincial education departments resulted in lack of information needed by educators to implement the mandated change processes such as rationalization and redeployment of educators and curriculum 2005 and this had a negative impact on educators' work performance. This research employed the quantitative research approach to investigate the influence of effective management of change on the work performance of educators in the Limpopo province. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire which was distributed among the 274 total number of principals in the district. These schools wrote the 2005 senior certificate examination. 78.5% of questionnaires were returned. The completed questionnaires were processed by a computer programme (SPSS), after which research data was analysed and the following were the most important findings: There was a statistically significant association between the mandated change processes, IQMS, OBE, CASS, training and development and the quality of teaching as a work performance indicator. 88.5% of the respondents believed that IQMS had a significant influence on the current level of cooperation (which is high) to a large extent. More courses/workshops/seminars attended on the management of change processes had a positive influence not only on the ability of educators to manage the change processes but also on their motivation levels. However, the number of courses/workshops/seminars attended on the management of change had no influence on the rationalization and redeployment of educators. Mandated change processes are accompanied by reactions such as anxiety, fear, low morale and motivation which had a negative impact on the work performance of educators. The research results showed that educators should receive more intrinsic motivation. The necessary financial resources should be mobilized to ensure that there is adequate infrastructure and training for effective implementation of mandated change processes. Educators should participate in all phases of mandated change processes. Principals and other senior departmental officials should be made aware that effective implementation of the change processes do not take place overnight but need more time.

PhD (CS) / Department of Curriculum Studies and Education Management

The study was conducted in the secondary schools of Vhembe district. Five secondary schools were selected for study. Data were collected by interviews. Interview involved asking questions, listening and recording answers and then following up with additional relevant questions. The findings revealed that lack of training regarding change influences people to resist change. Therefore, before the initiation of any change, the Department of Education should train all stakeholders involved in the day-to-day implementation of change. This will minimize resistance during the implementation stage. The study recommends that educators and HoD's should work hand in hand to support their principals in order to ensure the smooth running and management of change in their schools. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study investigated the factors that affect the job satisfaction of principals of previously disadvantaged secondary schools in the North West Province. The aims of the study were to determine empirically, through quantitative and qualitative means, the factors that influence the job satisfaction of the principals, and to make recommendations of ways to improve their job satisfaction. In the quantitative phase the research design was a survey. Data were collected from a purposefully selected sample of 30 principals of 30 secondary schools conveniently situated and accessible, in rural villages and townships. Thereafter a phenomenological approach was used to select eight principals from the same sample. The aim was to, by means of interviews, find clarity on the trends observed in the quantitative phase. The researcher purposefully selected participants representing a maximum variation regarding gender, geographical location, and years of experience as a teacher or a headmaster. The results indicated that the factors that enhanced the job satisfaction of the selected principals related to the nature of their work in the sense that it was stimulating, important and varied. Their interpersonal relationships were also gratifying. These relationships referred to cooperative staff, appreciative colleagues and supervisors, well-behaved learners, and supportive parents. Specific factors also brought about job dissatisfaction. In particular, the majority of the principals were frustrated with poor management on the part of the Department of Education. This was linked to a lack of autonomy of the principals, excessive bureaucracy, and poor policies. The principals believed that these policies exacerbated the problems they already had with ill-disciplined learners, the poor work ethics of some educators, unsatisfactory matriculation results, pitiable physical working conditions, and uninvolved parents.Results from the research also showed that the principals thought their workloads were not aligned to their salaries, and that reward systems were needed. Recommendations to enhance the job satisfaction of the principals of the identified secondary schools were made to the SGB and other school managers, as well as to the Department of Education, and recommendations for future research were also put forward. Finally, a number of limitations of the study were pointed out. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The study was conducted in the secondary schools of Vhembe district. Five secondary schools were selected for study. Data were collected by interviews. Interview involved asking questions, listening and recording answers and then following up with additional relevant questions. The findings revealed that lack of training regarding change influences people to resist change. Therefore, before the initiation of any change, the Department of Education should train all stakeholders involved in the day-to-day implementation of change. This will minimize resistance during the implementation stage. The study recommends that educators and HoD's should work hand in hand to support their principals in order to ensure the smooth running and management of change in their schools. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study investigated the factors that affect the job satisfaction of principals of previously disadvantaged secondary schools in the North West Province. The aims of the study were to determine empirically, through quantitative and qualitative means, the factors that influence the job satisfaction of the principals, and to make recommendations of ways to improve their job satisfaction. In the quantitative phase the research design was a survey. Data were collected from a purposefully selected sample of 30 principals of 30 secondary schools conveniently situated and accessible, in rural villages and townships. Thereafter a phenomenological approach was used to select eight principals from the same sample. The aim was to, by means of interviews, find clarity on the trends observed in the quantitative phase. The researcher purposefully selected participants representing a maximum variation regarding gender, geographical location, and years of experience as a teacher or a headmaster. The results indicated that the factors that enhanced the job satisfaction of the selected principals related to the nature of their work in the sense that it was stimulating, important and varied. Their interpersonal relationships were also gratifying. These relationships referred to cooperative staff, appreciative colleagues and supervisors, well-behaved learners, and supportive parents. Specific factors also brought about job dissatisfaction. In particular, the majority of the principals were frustrated with poor management on the part of the Department of Education. This was linked to a lack of autonomy of the principals, excessive bureaucracy, and poor policies. The principals believed that these policies exacerbated the problems they already had with ill-disciplined learners, the poor work ethics of some educators, unsatisfactory matriculation results, pitiable physical working conditions, and uninvolved parents.Results from the research also showed that the principals thought their workloads were not aligned to their salaries, and that reward systems were needed. Recommendations to enhance the job satisfaction of the principals of the identified secondary schools were made to the SGB and other school managers, as well as to the Department of Education, and recommendations for future research were also put forward. Finally, a number of limitations of the study were pointed out. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Management of teachers is one of the important tasks of principals at school, aside from their primary goal of ensuring that teaching and learning happens effectively at school, is their potential to manage two types of teachers present at school, unionised and non-unionised. It is well-established that principals have a mammoth task of identifying and implementing the correct strategies to manage these teachers. A review of the management styles in use today shows that the new management strategies are required to solve the problems encountered by principals in managing these teachers. Several methods of implementing these new strategies are described. These methods include creating trust between teachers and principals through fruitful communication and participation in decision-making. The application of the theory of emotional intelligence is described in detail. The theory of emotional intelligence denotes that the accomplishment in the management of human resources depends largely on the emotions, behaviours, and attitudes of managers. While past studies have detailed the effectiveness of the management styles used by principals to manage teachers, these studies have been confined to the management of teachers collectively. The present study distinguishes between teachers who are unionised and non-unionised and the individual, focus group interview and observation are the primary sources of data used in the study. The findings are intended to solve challenges associated with the implementation of the management strategies of principals in managing unionised and no-unionised teachers to attain improved quality teaching and learning in the context of South African secondary schools. The results show that developing trust between principals and teachers requires efforts from both parties. They also show that the main complaint about the management of teachers is unequal treatment of teachers and a lack of trust between teachers and principals in schools. The analysis of individual interviews, focus-group interviews and observations revealed that the establishment of strategies that address both types of teachers found at schools would be a significant step to take towards a positive management of teachers. It is proposed that the Department of Basic Education creates an environment where both teachers and managers’ personal and professional development is upskilled to expand their capabilities to deal with relational problems and challenges. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Education (Education Management))

In a democratic South Africa, a variety of factors are necessary to ensure effective school governance and management. One of these factors is shared decision-making (SDM). SDM is a process of making decisions in a collaborative manner at the school level. Those responsible for implementing a decision must be actively and legitimately involved in making the decision. In South African schools today, SDM is no longer an option. The new framework of SDM is embedded in the South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996). According to the Act, parents, learners and teachers should be given the opportunity of participating in decisions on educational matters. In this study, the researcher set out to investigate and explore effective decision-making of secondary school principals in the Thabo Mofutsanayana Education District (THMOED) of the Free State Province. In an endeavour to realize that end, an open-ended questionnaire, individual and focus group interviews were used to collect data. The main aim was to find out how teachers, learners, parents and principals experienced decision-making in their schools. The main findings of this research were that, decisions-making practices in the secondary schools in the THMOED still adhered to pre-democratic formal lines of authority. In other words, the locus of control and decision-making powers resided mainly with the principals, with minimum participation of other stakeholders. Consequently, there were dissatisfactions and concerns raised by the participants. The concerns were directed at the management and included lack of communication, lack of transparency, unacceptable disciplinary procedures, autocratic leadership styles and centralized decision-making. According to the findings, it would appear that democratic models of governance were insufficiently used or overlooked by the principals. Concerns raised by the respondents were a clear indication that much needed to be done to change the mind-set of the principals. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Education Management)

The aim of the study was to investigate the changing role of the secondary school principal in building sustainable communities. It is supposed that communities that are not sustainable affect secondary schools. The focus is on how the secondary school principal should go about building, sustaining and uplifting the school community. The direct and indirect involvement of secondary school principals in community issues, could contribute to sustainability within the community, which gradually becomes a reality. The task of the secondary school principal is realised through the results of effective educative teaching and learning practices. Through literature study it was found that the role of the secondary school principal in enhancing sustainable communities would contribute to the upliftment of communities. The qualitative approach was successful in obtaining information about how the changing role of the secondary school principal in building sustainable communities is viewed. Recommendations were made concerning research findings for stakeholders and officials to note. / Educational Studies / M.Ed(Education Management))

Life Orientation, a core subject of the South African secondary school curriculum since 1996, is still not taught successfully in the majority of secondary schools. This study was conducted in former Model C secondary schools in the Nelson Mandela Metropole in order to identify challenges and problems with regard to the management of the teaching of the subject. If the subject were managed properly by principals the Departmental outcomes would have been achieved and problems would not have existed. In this study the managerial challenges of the teaching of Life Orientation have been identified by means of mixed method research, in terms of the four main management tasks, namely leading, planning, organising and controlling. The views of principals were obtained through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The data was synthesised, multi-dimensional management problems were identified and recommendations were made with regard to managing the important subject of Life Orientation. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)