This dissertation examines the following key educational issues: the needs of rural teachers, the role of rural parents in education and the nature of support provided by non-governmental organisations. The literature on South African education, rural education and in-service education and training provides a theoretical framework for the evaluation of an education innovation which began in 1986 in KwaNgwanase, in the Ubombo Circuit of the KwaZulu Department of Education and Culture. The focus of the study is to show how an innovation can be adapted by rural teachers to suit their own specific needs. It is acknowledged that improving teacher support and school provision within a rural area in South Africa is only a small step in transforming an inadequate education context. It remains the role of the state to provide a meaningful system of education for all South Africans, but communities can, and should, play a role in deciding how this service can best be utilised. The study suggests that aspects of the innovation has potential for replicability in other rural areas and may provide a strategy to address the need for appropriate in-service education and training for rural teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, 1992

In South Africa, one site where women in management are most underrepresented is educational management Equal opportunity for women as a political objective is entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. A gendered shift in educational management is an emerging phenomenon in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. This study explored the experiences of eight women holding education management positions in one region in the province of KwaZulu-Natal through a qualitative case study approach. The research method was the semi-structured interview. The aim was to examine the reasons they entered management, the routes that led them to acquiring the positions, the management strategies they employed, their experiences in a male dominated environment, and their views on the issue of gender equity in educational management. The findings revealed that most of the women had a motivation and drive to progress through the ranks in the profession and enter management positions. This drive appears to be linked to early socialisation of the women and the development of an autonomous, self-controlling identity. In their perceptions of their experiences as managers, findings suggest a high degree effectiveness amongst the women managers evident in the value they place on management strategies such as effective listening and communication, building trust, people centred approaches, team building, and networking. However, participants in the study all alluded to the fact that they still had to deal with the gendered dynamics of organisational life. Men's dominance in educational management and the numerical marginalisation of women remains a hurdle. No matter how career oriented and motivated women may be, they still have to engage with the constant immersion in a masculinist work culture. The findings suggest that the women have to constantly prove their worth, deal with gender stereotyping, and negotiate their private and public roles. All the women in the study suggested the need for women to build networks of support, and for creating more inclusive organisational cultures that reflect a commitment to gender equity. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 2003.

The aim of this study is to explore a team-based approach to leading and managing a rural primary school. A requirement in a team-based approach to make quality decisions and improvements in the school, comes from people working in harmony. In noting that teams are more effective than individuals, this study explores how a team-based approach to leading and managing schools plays itself out in a rural primary school. The objectives of this study were to determine how a team-based approach is operationalised in a rural primary school and to determine the challenges and possibilities associated with a team-based approach. The study employed an interpretive meta-theoretical approach with a case study research design. For the purpose of this study, purposive sampling was chosen. The study was conducted in a public rural primary school in the eThekwini Region of the Ilembe District. The research participants sampled comprised two male and three female participants to accommodate gender representation. The principal, head of department (intermediate, phase), acting head of department (foundation phase), one level one educator (intermediate phase) and one level one educator (foundation phase) who were concerned with the day-to-day activity of the organisation and the delivery of its performance were selected. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The collected data was analysed and categorised into common categories, patterns and themes. The key findings that emerged from the research were that to ensure achievement of school goals, teamwork is necessary. People working together, learning and sharing together will promote team effectiveness. The principal, together with the SMT play an important role in creating and managing the different types of teams. By having regular formal and informal meetings; ongoing professional development; monitoring and evaluating members of a team; having a clear vision and rationale to manage change and conflict will lead to continuous improvement and team effectiveness. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

Five field workers and their coordinator of the National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE), an in–service upgrading course for under-qualified teachers in KwaZulu–Natal, South Africa, were interviewed to find what meaning and practices informed them in carrying out their work with teachers. This study was conducted within the interpretive paradigm and was qualitative in nature. Hence, data was collected using semi–structured interviews. No attempt has been undertaken to generalize the findings as the participants were few. This study is warranted and the findings have relevance for future research. The key findings of the study are as follows. a) Guidelines for supervision – NPDE field workers and the NPDE coordinator revealed that the time frame for one day workshops was too short and this did not allow field workers the opportunity to address critical issues pertaining to the supervision process. b) Responsibility towards the NPDE students revealed that the NPDE field workers were not directly involved in choosing the number of NPDE students they had to assess and supervise. c) Professional development with regard to classroom observation – a lack of professional development revealed that fieldworkers had to rely on their own knowledge and reading to prepare themselves to supervise and assess the NPDE students. d) The role of the NPDE field workers in assessing and supervising the NPDE students – the inappropriate title was key element that emerged from the finding. e) Supervision out of class – revealed that this was done once the classroom assessment. f) Collaborative partnerships between students and field workers – partnerships formed seemed to be the key element that emerged from the finding. The partnerships formed was based on love, trust and understanding. g) Experiences of the NPDE field workers – The data revealed that field workers experiences during their supervision and assessment of the NPDE students were very enlightening. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

Recent years have seen a move to enhanced focus upon the induction of school leaders. Initial induction programmes for school leaders tended to focus mainly on school principals. There is new found realization of the need to broaden the focus on school principals to include Heads of Department. This study explores the induction experiences of newly-promoted HoDs. The study used a qualitative approach using the interpretive paradigm. Three new HoDs reflected on their personal experiences of being inducted into the system through semistructured, face-to-face interviews. They were selected through the use of purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The participants narrated on how they were inducted by the Department of Education (DOE) as well as their respective school management teams within the Umlazi District. The findings reveal that both the DOE and schools offered formal induction programmes to new HoDs. All the new HoDs who participated in this study claimed to experience feeling of anxiety and stress. The DoE as well as the schools with which the participants are affiliated, showed that they valued the process of introducing novice HoDs by conducting such induction programmes soon after their appointment. All the new HoDs were inducted through forum of workshops held in the Umlazi District. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study investigated teachers’ management of learner problems in the context of an impoverished school community. The rationale for the study took into consideration the constant demands placed on learners and teachers by poverty-related issues. By illuminating the factors that affect teachers’ work performance in the context of an impoverished school community, it is hoped that all education stakeholders would be motivated to support, assist and guide teachers to overcome the current challenges with regard to poverty in schools, thus enhancing their work performance as well as that of their impoverished learners. The study employed a qualitative research design. Through a process of purposive sampling, five teachers from a primary school from the Phoenix Ward of the Pinetown District in KwaZulu-Natal were selected. The data were generated by means of semistructured interviews. The data gathered were coded and organized into themes, categories and sub-categories. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings suggest that the consequences of poverty at school level are numerous and become even more complex when there is a lack of parental support at community level. Furthermore, they reveal that poverty impacts negatively on learners’ academic performance. Factors associated with poor work performance by learners included abuse, parental apathy, the environment, and a lack of resources, to name but a few. Praise and recognition, as well as democratic leadership styles on the part of teachers have a positive influence on learners’ work performance. Flexibility, care and visible intervention by teachers and the school have been found to have a positive impact on learners’ attitude towards school. The study concludes with a number of recommendations to address and manage the problems experienced by learners in impoverished contexts. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study set out to explore how teachers at a primary school in the Phoenix area in Durban manage discipline problems among learners. I employed a qualitative approach to collecting data. This facilitated meaning making from the data by considering the bigger picture and converting the raw empirical information into what is known in qualitative research as ‘thick description’. The two main methods used were observations and face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. A series of semi-structured interviews with probing questions for clarity were used extensively, with each interview lasting approximately 40 minutes. The sample size was five participants. Participants were teachers purposively chosen from the researched school, all of whom resided in the Phoenix district. Data analysis of the responses to the open-ended interview questions were categorised and were inductive in establishing themes through the process of coding. These themes were then organised into increasingly more meaningful units of knowledge. Three broad findings emerged. The first is that many teachers use a heavy handed approach to manage discipline problems among learners. The second is that other teachers used a softer, more ‘gentle’ approach in handling discipline problems. The third is that the school policy does not seem to have the desired effect in terms of assisting teachers to manage discipline problems. While I arrived at these findings from my observations as well as from the interviews with teachers, it should be pointed out that some teachers, who may have subscribed to ‘softer’ forms of discipline, might also occasionally use a ‘tougher’ approach. Furthermore, other teachers who were routinely ‘tough,’ might have a ‘soft side’ (at times). This study recommends that a sound understanding of the learners’ local context and backgrounds will equip teachers to formulate practical ways to manage discipline which will act as a guiding tool in eradicating the problems that originate from having to make decisions in the absence of a firm set of principles. An appropriate discipline system should be established by teachers of their own accord and engineered to suit their personalities and the realities of their learners, the community and the school. / Thesis (M.Ed)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Diatoms are a large and diverse group of algae which are distributed throughout the world in all types of aquatic systems and are one of the most important food resources in freshwater ecosystems. The need to sample diatoms arises from the necessity to know the history of the water quality. Diatom communities reflect the overall ecological integrity by integrating various stressors and as result provides a broad measure of their impacts. They are recognized as valuable organisms for bio assessment, due to their ease of identification, rapid life cycle and their visibility to the naked eye. Diatom communities provide interpretable indications of specific changes in the water quality Environmental gradients and assemblage composition in the Mnweni River catchment revealed that water chemistry, habitat structure, flow type and land use were the most important environmental factors for diatom assemblage composition in the Mnweni River. The results indicates that the diatom diversity and assemblage composition in the Mnweni River shows that changes in the water chemistry as well as organic pollution, but also indicate changes in the habitat character which is related to the water flow, river bank character and catchment land use. The diatom assemblages that were found at the sites are typical of clean or mildly enriched water conditions. The changing salinity in St. Lucia is the main physical factor that is driving the constant change in ecological conditions within the estuary. The changes in the diatom community structure in the estuarine system indicate the variable nature of the benthic communities under different salinity conditions. Contrary to the drought conditions that are being experienced, the diatom biomass did not show any significant changes or differences. This may be due to the rapid recovery ability that diatom communities exhibit in response to changes that are occurring in their environment. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Township tourism is one of the recognised ways in the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) white paper to include communities that were previously excluded from tourism. However, township tourism is non existent in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. This mini dissertation is an attempt to identify the tourism potential of Sobantu township in Pietermaritzburg in an effort to encourage development and empower the local community. The primary aims are therefore to identify tourist attractions in the township, to explore people's perceptions about tourism development and to suggest ways to link Sobantu to the established tourist destinations in the greater Pietermaritzburg area. A purposive sample of 48 respondents participated in the study. The respondents were sampled from youth organisations in Sobantu, school teachers, Pietermaritzburg Tourism, Indlovu Regional Council, community members and key people in South African Police services. Semi-structured, in depth interviews, questionnaires, focus groups and site visits were utilised as data gathering techniques based on five leading questions designed by the researcher and modified through the first two interviews used as a pilot study. Tourist attractions are examined from an ideographic perspective and a thematic approach is used to analyse peoples' perceptions. A SWOT analysis is used to explore possible linkages and to provide a clear analysis of the critical issues that need to be addressed as they could promote or hinder sustainable tourism development in the area. Results showed that the historical background, the political history, old red bricked buildings and the cultural experiences are the main tourist attractions in the township. The community has positive attitudes towards tourism development in the area and their perceptions are compatible with the principles of sustainable tourism development and the DEAT document. To overcome the identified obstacles and realize sustainable tourism development, several recommendations are made. These include, extensive tourism awareness campaigns, education and training of tour guides from the community, proper community structures and an effective marketing strategy. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

The aim of this research was to investigate the possibility of using soil magnetic susceptibility to differentiate wetland soil from non0wetland soil, thereby enabling the identification of a wetland boundary. The initial methodology to test the viability of using magnetic susceptibility for wetland delineation was carried out at nine sites in three areas of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Changes in vegetation were used to identify the permanently, seasonally and temporarily wet zones at each site to provide a quick indication of the various boundaries. At least one transect was studied at every site, extending from the outer edge of the temporary zone to the water's edge. Magnetic susceptibility readings, soil samples and/or elevations were taken in each zone. It was found that the magnetic susceptibility readings could be used to differentiate between the various wetland zones but boundaries were not identified due to the reconnaissance nature of the work, a specific protocol had yet to be discovered. This methodology was a reconnaissance phase to assess the potential of using soil magnetic susceptibility. A second methodology was designed specifically to identify a wetland boundary. The wetland zones were identified using vegetation indicators from the South African field procedure for delineating wetlands. Magnetic susceptibility readings were done on transects perpendicular to the suspected boundary and a critical value was identified. A magnetic susceptibility boundary was marked according to the critical value and verified by taking readings along transects parallel to it on both sides. The boundary was then identified using South African field procedure according to soil indicates. The soil data showed a similar boundary to the magnetic susceptibility boundary but indicated a 'boundary zone' of approximately l2m in width rather than a specific line. A final methodology was planned to improve the resolution of the magnetic susceptibility boundary. A grid was laid out over a strip through the wetland including the boundary area on both sides. This was to provide accurately spaced points at which to take magnetic susceptibility readings and elevations. The critical value, a value that separates wetland from non-wetland soil, was identified and verified using soil indicators. The field procedure was more difficult to carry out than using the magnetic susceptibility sensor, yet both methods identified the same boundary with a resolution of about 3m. This initial study demonstrates the potential for using magnetic susceptibility for wetland delineation. Although the results at the final site proved the method to be successful, it was not suitable for use at all sites and the results were often difficult to interpret. Limitations include factors such as plinthic horizons close to the soil surface and shallow, rocky soils. Thus further research is required before magnetic susceptibility can be used to delineate wetlands in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.