A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Masters in Development Studies in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, March 2017. / This study explores a partnership model designed by Partners for Possibility (PfP), a South African non-profit organization (NPO) attempting to reform the country’s education system. Through its partnerships, PfP aims to address the identified problem of weak school leadership in order to improve the educational outcomes in schools. In this model, school principals of underperforming schools are paired up with business people with leadership experience for a period of one year to address the challenges facing their schools. The model includes a 12-month structured training programme which seeks to capacitate and support the paired principal and business leader in their partnership-building process. This study provides an in-depth investigation of the experiences of the partnerships and of the influence of the structured programme on these partnerships from the perspectives of the principals and of the business leaders. The effect of social differences on the partnerships was also considered. Among the theories used in this study are critical action learning and common ingroup identity. A qualitative research design was employed and data was collected from 10 school principals of “no fee” schools and from 12 business leaders. The results of the study reveal that the functionality of these partnerships is determined by their focus, which can be long-term and transformative or short-term and tending towards resolving the school’s immediate material needs. Further, these partnerships were found to be capable of improving school performance if the partners engaged in activities that promoted teaching and learning. Despite this potential, there was little monitoring of school performance. The results also indicate that the group-learning aspects included in the structured programme could encourage the partnership to focus on short-term goals which tend not to lead to long-term sustainable change in the school. The social tensions attributed to race and class divisions were found to have a minimal effect on the partnerships studied since the partners’ common vision, namely, to improve schools, allows them to maintain their unique identity either as principals or as business leaders. Because education reform is a complex and long-term project, the recommendations following this study point to the need for a more integrative approach in the PfP process, and a greater awareness of the need for a longer time scale in order to bring about the desired transformation in schools and consequently to South Africa’s education system. / XL2018

A research report submitted to the School of Literature, Language and Media in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Journalism and Media Studies by combination of coursework and research, Johannesburg, 2016 / This research report examines news media representation of political leadership and governance in South Africa between 2007 and 2013, when President Jacob Zuma served his first terms as ANC leader and later as the head of state. The research sought to find out what themes and ideas exist about political leadership in news media more than 20 years since the advent of democracy. Quantitative manifest content analysis is utilised to analyse newspaper articles from the City Press, Mail & Guardian, the Sunday Independent and the Sunday Times. The results show that media representation of political leadership is most discussed in opinion articles and editorials and relies on key democratic concepts such as freedom of expression and freedom of the media. The key themes and ideas that emerge include the personalisation of leadership, defining leadership, debate on how to lead, Zuma’s own leadership traits versus expectations and it became clear that news media evaluated Zuma as head of state or leader of the nation more often than as president of his party. / XL2018

This study explored the impact of democracy on the leadership and management styles in two previously coloured primary schools in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province of South Africa. The report uses a case study as well as an interactive qualitative analysis research methodology. It explores how principals and educators use post-apartheid legislation policies and practices to address complex challenges in order to effect change. I argue that despite tensions between coloured and black educators, change is evident. The people learn to work together, respect each other and forge ahead. These challenges brought about by desegregation contribute to shaping a future non-racial, non-sexist South Africa. We see how mentalities of superiority and inferiority play itself out and how one group exercises its hegemony over another sometimes reflecting the social constructs of society during apartheid. The findings reveal that the Constitution of South Africa (1996) and the South African Schools Act (SASA) (1996) are not used sufficiently and substantively to influence change. Discretion and common sense are often used to resolve problems and to find each other. Desegregation and integration create a space where tolerance, acceptance and forgiveness have been able to be practiced in different ways. The leaders have worked with their staff, students and communities to make headway on the path from the received apartheid past to a brighter more integrated future.” While schools discuss embracing the ten fundamental values of the Constitution of South Africa, living up to them continues to remain a challenge in practice.

A thesis submitted to the Wits School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education. Johannesburg 2016 / Instructional Leadership has been researched extensively in secondary schools in South Africa, and not much is known about it in South African primary schools. Instructional Leadership is concerned with teaching and learning and the behaviour of teachers in enhancing student or learner performance as the core business and function of schools. However, many principals in the low-functioning township primary schools do not conceptualise instructional leadership as such. Many of these schools continue to perform poorly academically. In a longitudinal study for the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG) it was discovered that more than 500 school principals in Gauteng province did not conceptualise instructional leadership as their main role. The management of teaching and learning was ranked only seventh out of ten leadership activities. Principals shift their instructional leadership role to deputy principals and Head of Departments. This research explores principals’ structional leadership practices in relation to student achievement. This study employs a mixed-method approach which incorporates a qualitative and quantitative design and observation of principals’ instructional leadership practices. The participants in the study involve all levels of the teaching force which includes the principal, the deputy principal, the Head of Department (HoD) and the teachers in two township primary schools. The research findings reveal that school principals shift their instructional leadership to their lower level management colleagues. Key words: Instructional leadership, distributed leadership, student achievement, under-performance, curriculum management

Thesis (M. A.) -- University of the North, 1999 / Refer to the document

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / This study explores leadership in schools and its impact in grade twelve results productive school culture, and focuses on school leadership at selected schools in the Sekgosese West Circuit at Capricorn District in the Limpopo Province. Leadership plays a vital role in the functioning of any organisation, be it in business or in education, and the concept of leadership has become more prominent over the last decade. In order to develop a better understanding of leadership, a literature review is conducted. This review highlights the differences between leadership and management, and explores different leadership styles. This study finds that leadership challenges pose a serious threat to the attainment of good results in grade twelve (12) in Sekgosese West Circuit. These challenges emanate from a variety of factors such as lack of discipline, dysfunctional School Management Team, Involvement of parents, culture of teaching and learning, curriculum and possible solutions to leadership. Further, administering schools in a democratic fashion still pose tremendous challenges to the school leadership as a whole. It seems as if some schools which are part of this investigation still struggle to adjust to a democratic dispensation. This research therefore concludes that school leaders need to ensure that they are both good managers and effective leaders. They must also ensure that the culture at their schools is conducive for teaching and learning.

This dissertation assumed the style of the narrative to document how principals lead school transformation within the realm of a fledgling democracy after decades of apartheid rule. It zooms in to the school site to portray how principals construct themselves to orchestrate change that is consistent with the national policies of redress and equity. Located in the quantitative paradigm, the study depicts a general sense of school transformation. Thereafter, it is relocated in the qualitative paradigm to document the topical life histories of three principals from diverse backgrounds to illustrate how their experiences - lived and living - give definition to their constructions of leadership. Working within the interpretative paradigm, with the theory of transformational leadership underpinning the theoretical orientation of the study, has led to the understanding that the role of the principal is a conflicted one. The principal is conflicted by the incremental demands and the evolutionary nature of the role, the principal's interpretation of transformation and his/her expectation to manage and lead transformation. As a result, principals construct themselves mainly as managers of change, but perceive themselves to be leaders of change. While leadership gurus are adamant about attributing distinguishing features to the process of managing as opposed to the process of leading, they also recognize that organizations need both managers and leaders. It is undisputable that schools are organizations that also need managers and leaders. Therefore, it is incumbent on principals to manage and lead schools in transformation. In analyzing the data collated from principals and teachers in the study, it is evident that the processes of management and leadership are interdependent. Principals are expected to act as managers or leaders, depending on the situation, and at other times they are expected to draw on both skills of managing and leading. In the final analysis, it has been detected that while principals are leading transformation at different tempos because of their varied lived experiences, the important thing is that they are beginning to break the bonds with apartheid education. A colossal task indeed, when one considers that the findings of the investigation illustrate that principals are charged with the following conflict situations. The past oppressive system with the present democratic system, decentralization of education while maintaining core elements of centralization, stakeholders that support transformation as opposed to those who resist the process and the roles of management versus roles of leadership. While implementing change the principal is responsible for ensuring the stability of the institution. All the time dealing with the fact that she/he hails from a background that is vastly different from the one she/he currently works and lives in. / Thesis (Ph.D) - University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2006.

A predominantly authoritarian nature of schooling is still evident internationally and nationally (Maitles & Deuchar, 2007; Harber, 2004; Grant, 2006). In accordance with the Constitution of South Africa, schools in this country need to foster a democratic way of life and principals need to be instrumental in creating, leading and governing democratic schools. Dewey (1916) asserts that if individuals are to pursue and establish a democratic way of life, they must be afforded opportunities to learn the meaning of that way of life. Thus democratic schools play a pivotal role in their contribution to democratic societies (Beane & Apple, 1999; Gutmann, 1987) and to democracy at large. This empirical study explores the experiences and practices of school principals in creating, leading and governing democratic schools in an urban area, south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Situated within an interpretive paradigm, this study is embedded in qualitative research. For a deep understanding of the phenomenon a case study approach was appropriate. Two secondary schools whose principals were willing to participate and which had some characteristics of democratic schools as outlined in the literature review comprised the sample. Data were gathered through observations of the principals. In addition staff meetings, staff briefing sessions and school governing body (SGB) meetings were observed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and various school documents were reviewed. Findings at both schools revealed that the principals associated democratic schools with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and as such they claimed that democratic schools are linked to democratic principles. At both of the case study schools the respondents made reference to a range of democratic principles. These included shared decision-making, with emphasis on inclusion of all stakeholders, and the need for a shared purpose and shared vision. Both of the schools advanced the notion of democratic schools promoting critical thinking and respecting the rights and dignity of all individuals. Other democratic principles referred to were representation of various stakeholders, democratic schools embracing diversity, the notion of interconnectedness between the school and the community, individuals being accorded equal value, trust, transparency and openness. Thus there was a shared language with regard to the notion of a democratic school. The participants concurred that the principal plays a pivotal role in promoting and practising democracy in the school. At both schools the principals seemed to move away from stereotypical authoritarian behaviour. They viewed leadership as a collective endeavour and promoted participative leadership. This study revealed that at the case study schools, leadership was extended to others in the school community and there seemed to be a flattening of traditional leadership hierarchies. There was also evidence of servant leadership and distributed leadership. Although both principals believed in democratic school governance and were moving towards shared school governance, the learners’ voice in SGB meetings was minimal. However, the respondents concurred that more can be done with regard to inclusion of stakeholders in major decisions. The principals also referred to some challenges that retard the practice of democracy in schools. The embedded nature of democratic principles in shared leadership and democratic school governance is emphasized, and a model for creating a democratic school is presented. In this way, this study can contribute to the growing body of literature on democratic schools. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

Prior to the first democratic elections in South Africa , the education system was structured around a hierarchical and bureaucratic style of management. This meant that the control of schools and the decision-making in schools was centralized, and leadership was understood in terms of "position, status and authority" (Grant, 2006). This study intended to look at how this understanding of leadership could have contributed to creating a situation in the education system where female teachers were, and are still not being given the same opportunities to assume leadership positions as their male counterparts. Using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, two female teachers occupying different post levels, in each of the four schools who had, in their teaching career, expressed an interest to take on leadership roles and who have/have not succeeded and who have experienced/are experiencing challenges in this regard, were asked to volunteer for this study. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcription of the interviews for analysis was done both quantitatively and qualitatively, making use of tables to illustrate numbers and percentages in different aspects in the study, as well as thematic content analysis using the tool of zones and roles as outlined in Grant (2008). Being female they have also experienced a number of challenges in their careers as well as in the areas of being mothers and spouses, and it would seem that these female teachers are still feel ing the strain of what is socially expected of them as mothers and spouses and their desires to advance their careers in what appears still to be a male dominated and patriarchical society, especially when it comes to taking on leadership and management positions in school. The findings in this study have led to the conclusion that for some of these female teachers, teaching was not their career of choice, but are now committed to this profession and are very aware of the gender inequalities in education and the challenges they face as female teachers, and have expressed sincere wishes that this be addressed. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

This study describes the extent to which summative assessment tasks assess the different cognitive levels and learning outcomes with reference to the SAG (2008) for Grade 10 Life Sciences. Essentially, it describes the fit between the intended and implemented assessment, using documentary analysis as a research strategy. In order to determine the fit between intended and implemented assessment the Life Sciences SAG (2008) and question papers on summative assessment tasks were analysed. The question papers were obtained from three schools which were sampled purposively in the Mpumalaga Province. The Life Sciences SAG (2008) was analysed in order to determine the official percentage weightings (marks) of the cognitive levels and learning outcomes which must be assessed in the summative assessment tasks (intended assessment). Using the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy as an analysis tool, question papers on summative assessment tasks were also analysed in order to determine the average percentage weightings (marks) of the cognitive levels and learning outcomes which were assessed (implemented assessment). When the intended and implemented assessments were compared the following results were obtained: For practical tasks and end-of-year examinations there was an incongruity between the intended and implemented assessment in terms of the cognitive levels and learning outcomes. The discrepancy between the intended and the implemented assessment was also found in controlled tests but only in terms of the learning outcomes. In controlled tests the fit between intended and implemented assessment in terms of the cognitive levels could not be determined because the SAG (2008) does not prescribe the cognitive levels which must be assessed. Furthermore, a weak fit between the intended and the implemented assessment in terms of the lower cognitive levels and learning outcomes was found in mid-year examinations. However, there was a strong fit between the intended and implemented assessment in terms of the higher cognitive levels in mid-year examinations. Lastly, for the research projects the fit between the intended and implemented assessment could not be determined because the Life Sciences SAG (2008) does not prescribe the cognitive levels as well as the percentage weightings of the learning outcomes which must be assessed.