The purpose of this study was to investigate the Effectiveness of Managing Through Formal Teams in a Secondary School. The study attempted to identify the role functions and composition of the formal teams at the school, based on the literature that there are complexities of managing through teams in secondary schools. If formal teams are to play a significant role in the management of secondary schools and to operate effectively, then opportunities for team performance and effectiveness are particularly significant. The key focus of the study was to identify the level of operation of the Formal Teams in accordance with the characteristics of effective teamwork and the manner in which the team's goals are accomplished. The overall aim was to focus on the perceptions of team leaders in respect of their team's effectiveness and the perception of team members regarding their team's effectiveness. The study was conducted at a Secondary School in the Pinetown District. Three formal teams were in operation at the school and for each team, the leader and team members were included in the research. Thus, no sampling was required. Quantitative and Qualitative research methodology guided the evaluative nature of the study. The data collection methods included a questionnaire, which was completed by members of the formal teams; semi-structured interviews conducted with the team leaders and observation of the three formal team meetings. Many issues emerged from the data to exemplify the significant absence of team effectiveness at the secondary school. One of the main findings of managing through teams is that all three formal teams seem to be functioning below their potential due to many other factors, resulting in the impediment of team performance. It is clear that monitoring team performance and evaluating team achievements by the leaders are not sufficient enough for team effectiveness. There is also some variance as to how well the leaders feel about their leadership roles in respect of their team's effectiveness. There are instances where team members spend too little time solving problems and too much time debating issues over which there is no control. The study concludes, that there is scope for consideration of more varied approaches towards achieving effectiveness of formal team operation, followed by some recommendations, which suggest ways to improve team effectiveness. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 2003.

Coinciding with a rebirth in South Africa, new education legislation has given considerable more power and responsibility for making decisions. While assuming a degree of autonomy, schools are also expected to resource themselves with the minimum support from their respective provincial departments. The extent to which schools will be able to make the transition depends a great deal upon the nature and quality of their internal management. (Department of Education 1996). The Task Team on Education Management Development (1996) says that a move to self-management does not mean that you are guaranteed positive change. It is the nature and quality of internal management that will influence real transformation. So, a self-managing school is accompanied by an internal devolution of power and by a leadership style that is transformational. It is here that an attempt is made to look at the extent to which transformational leadership is practiced in a Durban Secondary School. Seeing that transformational leadership is linked with school effectiveness, (Coleman, 1994) it is the aim of this research project to evaluate the principal's leadership style. Does the way the school is managed contain any evidence of transformational leadership? Is the principal's perception of his leadership style parallel with the staff's perception of how he leads the school? The findings of this research have shown that there is no evidence of transformational leadership at this school. The recommendations have highlighted ways in which the principal can begin to transform the school so that they too may improve to such an extent that the school is seen as being effective. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

One of the results of an increasing concern, in many countries, with the quality of schooling and its improvement, has been that considerable attention has been given, in the literature and in practice, to the management of individual and organisational performance. The matter of organisational performance is being addressed through various means of evaluating schools, and in South Africa, this is finding expression in the current Whole School Evaluation (WSE) project. On the other hand, concerns with individual performance typically are being addressed through various forms of systematic appraisal of teachers. In South Africa, the recently introduced variant of systematic appraisal is referred to as the "Developmental Appraisal System" (DAS). The DAS is claimed to focus entirely on developmental outcomes. According to Chetty et al (1993), prior to 1994, a variety of processes for evaluating teacher performance were evident, but most of these were substantially "bureaucratic and inspectorial" in nature, and were widely rejected by teachers. Consequently, the current approach to appraisal has been developed largely in reaction what were seen to be the limitations and shortcomings of earlier versions. Chetty et al (op.cit.) and Thurlow with Ramnarain (2001) have summarised and discussed the processes which led to the development of the DAS, which culminated in an agreement which was reached in the Education Labour Relations Council in 1998 (Resolution 4 of 1998). Subsequently the new DAS was gazetted and throughout 1999 and 2000 the process of its implementation was embarked upon in all schools. It was intended that a nation review of the implementation of DAS was due to have taken place by the end of 2002. However, for whatever reason, this has not happened and there is no substantial evidence about how successful, or otherwise, the implementation has been. Thurlow with Ramnarain (op. cit) have speculated, without empirical evidence, on the limitations of the implementation process, and the Association of Professional Educators of KwaZulu-Natal (APEK) undertook a limited review of the DAS among some of its members during 2001 . The literature on the assessment of individual performance indicates that, minimally, any evaluation of systematic appraisal system requires that attention should be given to its underlying purposes (or conceptualisation), the process of its implementation, and its ultimate impact. As far as underlying purposes are concerned, it is evident that several different "models" for appraisal exist in different parts of the world (and in the literature). Some of these models are "pure" models, while some are "mixed" by design. Some, while officially conceived as "pure", in fact may be shown to have unintended outcomes. In the present study, the DAS will be examined and compared with other models with a view to offering a considered critique of the "officially" declared underlying purposes of the system. The above provides the context for this study, which will focus on one school's experiences of implementing the DAS. No matter how sound are the intentions of the DAS, it can only be successful if it is effectively implemented at the school level, and so the reported experiences of those involved at this level are significant. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

The crisis in Black Education has dramatically influenced the manner in which principals manage their schools. What is clear is that for more than a decade school principal's have been faced with a complex task of managing schools in a changing environment, which is characterised by many upheavals. It would seem that every school principal will inevitably have to reconceptualise the school as a management structure and perhaps, accept certain guidelines for effective management of his school. Therefore, the specific purposes of the study were:  to investigate the problems encountered by principals, who are assigned the duty of managing the schools in an unstable environment;  to put forward proposals for effective management in a changing environment. In this study special attention was paid to the management of urban secondary schools under the Department of Education and Culture, KwaZulu. The major findings which emerged from the study are that :  from 1976 to 1991 the school environment has not been stable enough for the principals to be able to practise their management and leadership skills effectively.  that a number of factors within and outside the school have contributed to the disorder encountered in the schools;  although principals continued in their positions as heads, they had almost no authority to suppress the unrest that threatened the normal functioning of their schools;  that principals have to be innovative and flexible enough, to deal with the situation as it presents itself;  that as long as the legitimacy of the KwaZulu Education System remains questionable to the communities, teachers and the pupils it servers, unrest in schools, under this Department, will never be eliminated and therefore principals will always remain deprived of their opportunity to manage their schools effectively. The study concludes with several recommendations arising out of the study. The most important being :  the establishment of a single based purely on academic considerations rather than political considerations;  as the school is part of its surrounding environment, recognition must be given to the norms, values and attitudes of the community from which its pupils are drawn;  unrest related problems, that affect both the home and the school, can be overcome if parents meet regularly with principals and teachers and have discussions on matters of common concern, such as reducing the incident of truancy, methods of curbing drug abuse, methods of handling adolescent problems and selection of subject packages;  maintenance of firm, fair and consistent discipline is essential for effective management of a school. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1993.

In the post de Lange period education was faced by uncertainty and change. There was a call for a greater contribution to education by the private sector and parent communities . This case study examines the response of a co-educational white high school, High School 139, to its environment. Different environmental types are discussed and the concept of turbulence introduced. The macro and meso environments of High School 139 are described with attention paid to the legal, political, economic, cultural, educational, sociological and technological factors which influence school management in times of uncertainty and change. Socio-political issues are addressed as well as problems relating to customers, suppliers and competition within the school. The case study explains how government funding at High School 139 was not adequate for the cost of education if standards were to be maintained and how the school management explored alternative approaches in order to meet these financial needs. The school introduced a ' Foundation Trust Fund ' and the way this was done, together with the impact on internal structures, is described. The academic and secretarial staff are one of any school's most valuable resources. Consequent the researcher sought the opinion of the staff on how the introduction of a Foundation Trust had affected their involvement at High School 139. This was done by means of a questionnaire and the results of this survey are presented in detail. The researcher concludes that turbulent environmental conditions are not likely to abate in the foreseeable future. Improvement in educational activity does not necessarily depend on mere money and more teachers being available, but on the articulation of practical and moral decisions. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1992.

The present research explores teachers’ perceptions of participative decision-making (PDM) in a public high school in Durban, South Africa. PDM is also termed as participative management. This study attempts to investigate level one educators’ experiences of participation in decision-making. Hence, it is a qualitative exploration of the nature of their participation in decision issues and how they perceive the school’s actions with regard to participative decision-making. For the purpose of this study, semi-structured interviews were administered on ten level one educators within the school setting. Five themes were identified through the use of thematic analysis. These themes are as follow: collective activity, shared influence, expression of individual perspectives, the acknowledgement of educators’ input, and the implementation of cooperative governance. The integration of educators’ experiences in the literature on PDM, generated an in-depth understanding of participants’ perceptions. In essence, the findings of this research suggest that level one educators are not meaningfully engaging in decision-making in the school environment. In conjunction with this assertion, the school lacks a comprehensive framework to engender effective participative decision-making, as well as, significant involvement of level one educators. Essentially, the present research provides insight into the experiences of educators in a public high school and therefore, contributes to the body of knowledge on participative management. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.