Submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Masters in Education at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa 30 June 2015 / This study explores the role of the principal as an instructional leader in two successful township primary schools in challenging circumstances. It examines instructional strategies used by principals of the two schools that may account for high levels of learner achievement and explores how these successful leaders deploy leadership styles and management approaches to deal with prevailing challenging circumstances that affect their schools academically and other spheres of governance and management. Sixteen participants were involved including 2 principals, 4 Heads of department (HODs), 4 educators, 4 parents from the two schools and 2 district officials under who both schools account. Using qualitative approaches, triangulation of data was achieved through semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis. The study found that the key instructional leadership approaches used by these principals were promoting teamwork, active participation, collective decision making, sharing of responsibilities, collaboration/collegiality and distribution of tasks amongst multiple leaders or people. The claims made by the principals were corroborated by educators, parents, members of the School Management Team (SMT) and district management teams. Data also indicated that the principals relied on a combination of different leadership styles and efficient and effective management approaches with their subordinates to garner the enthusiastic implementation of instructional approaches which are claimed to yield good learner outcomes in Annual National Assessment (ANA) tests. The study suggests that there might be a strong link between leadership styles and management approaches on one hand and learner performance on the other. Further, the data suggests that the application of appropriate management systems and relevant leadership styles can contribute to institutional resilience against the prevailing challenges which tend to depress performance in many schools in similar circumstances. The findings of the study have several important implications including:  Schools as organisations require the collective effort of all stakeholders in order to achieve their objectives or goals.  That ‘one size fits all’ form of leadership has no place in different environments but that more often than not, a combination of different leadership styles and management approaches should be explored in an attempt to realize a common vision of an organisation. The study makes specific recommendations for a more broad based research agenda to examine factors which contribute to resilience and success in schools operating in challenging circumstances. It also calls for more contextualised studies in specific schools to explore the leadership forms that have greatest potential for delivering better learning outcomes in schools facing challenging circumstances.

M.Ed. / This qualitative study, with an ethnographic research design type, was mainly aimed at determining how Life Sciences teachers implement a learner-centred and activity-based investigation (science as enquiry approach) in reaching the learning outcomes in the Life Sciences curriculum and also how they function within their respective communities of practice (in the school) and ecologies of practice (within the clusters) with a view to promote continuous professional development. Because teaching and learning are in essence a social activity, the Cultural Historical Activity Theory was used as the theoretical framework and lens in studying the activity system of the Life Sciences teacher. The levels of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of individual respondents were classified according to Rogan‟s Profile of Implementation for Science teaching. The recommended teacher development programme is based on Vygotsky‟s Zone of Proximal Development and Rogan‟s Zone of Feasible Innovation. The study was undertaken during the same period in our country as that in which education in general and science teaching in particular is confronted with huge demands/dilemmas. Amongst others, it includes a poor performance of matriculants and the fact that South African learners have performed poorest in international tests (TIMSS report). The data of this study, collected by means of observations, teacher and learner interviews and studying documents, unfortunately confirm this sombre picture, namely that many teachers do not possess the minimum Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) (inter alia deficient subject knowledge and inability to apply effective teaching methods) to make possible, quality teaching with regard to the facilitation of investigating teaching methods. A further finding also was that although the elements of a community of practice and ecology of practice exist, it is, in most cases, not used as a platform from which teachers empower one another with respect to teaching skills.

This study explores the necessity of stakeholder inclusivity, particularly the inclusivity of teachers, in the development of the national policy pertaining to the programme and promotion requirements of the National Curriculum Statement Grades R – 12 in the Department of Basic Education. Through the qualitative exploration of data drawn from in-depth interviews, the study found that bureaucracy and a top-down approach drives policy development in the basic education system of South Africa. While most of the stakeholders indicated that they are only consulted at a public comment phase of the policy development, they viewed this as asking for their endorsement as opposed to genuine and constructive inputs. As such, educational policy developer’s end up missing an opportunity to engage and learn from stakeholders and ultimately the policy reaches the implementation phase with loopholes. Therefore, adopting a consultative approach throughout the life cycle of the policy development with not only the body of stakeholders who have a say by virtue of their power, but also with those whose say was initially restricted as a result of having less influential power in the formulation of educational objectives, might be the breakthrough being strived for in developing policies that will lead to the achievement of quality learner outcomes. / Mini Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Communication Management / MPhil / Unrestricted