The study investigated the underlying factors which induce the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and School Management Teams (SMTs) to boundary cross into each other’s finance functional domain despite the fact that their responsibilities are demarcated in the South African Schools Act No. 84 of 1996. The study also intended to examine financial conscientiousness as a critical strategy, which was aimed at achieving the following: restricting the boundary spanning management among School Governing Bodies and School Management Teams, giving direction and strengthening the relationship between the two structures in section 21 high schools. Pragmatism was used as a paradigm for this study as it has been hailed as one of the best paradigms for justifying the use of mixed methods research. The researcher located the study within mixed methods research and employed the convergent parallel design characterised by collecting concurrently both qualitative and quantitative data. The study used a nonprobability sampling strategy – a purposive sampling technique. The study focused on 147 participants. The sample consisted of the following participant sub-groups: (a) 138 questionnaires participants (46 school principals, 46 SGB chairpersons and 46 school finance officers) sampled from 46 high schools, and (b) 9 face-to-face interviews participants (3 school principals, 3 SGB chairpersons) and purposively sampled from 3 different section 21 high schools located in rural, semi-urban and urban areas of the Butterworth District, and 3 Departmental Officials (The District Director, An Education Development Officer, and District National Norms and Standards for School funding coordinator) sampled from the Butterworth Education District. The study was guided by the following research question: What ideas of consciousness raising strategies could help alleviate the crossing over of boundaries between SGBs and SMTs on financial matters of the section 21 high schools? The financial conscientiousness conceptual framework for this study hinged on the conscious raising concept of Paulo Freire supported by philosophical ideas of theorists of school-based management concept, school-based participative partnership concept, school-based participative management concept and teamwork concept. These theories are expected to encourage the inclusive participation when finances are handled in section 21 high schools. The study used a survey questionnaire to collect quantitative dataset and interviews for the qualitative dataset to find answers to the research question and also to enhance the reliability and validity of the research findings. The quantitative data were presented in tables with frequencies and percentages as well as pie charts. Themes and Natural Meaning Units (NMUs) were used to analyse the qualitative data. The overall findings backed by the extant literature and research data indicated that there was lack of trust among SGBs and SMTs. Owing to this mistrust the day to day activities of the school were compromised. There were power struggles between SGBs and SMTs in schools for the control of school finances. There were corrupt practices by both SGBs and SMTs in the management of school finances. The findings also revealed lack of capacity building by the department of education. Furthermore, the SGBs parent component was characterised by high illiteracy level – a systemic weakness worsened by the manipulation perpetrated by both school governing bodies and school management teams during school finance management processes. Resulting from the data analysis, the study recommended the utilisation and application of Sifuba’s School Finance Management Awareness Model (SSFMA) as a new model that could be adopted and adapted by the Department of Education for the school finance management. This will create educational sound atmosphere and realities at school level – a model that is capable of inducing the participative and inclusive behaviour of the SGBs and SMTs when they perform their financial responsibilities

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / The Department of Basic Education initiated continuing professional development (CPD) for quality professional development aimed at supporting and revitalising teaching. Also, to encourage teachers to engage continually in life-long career development leading to improvement of learner achievement. Current research studies indicate that there is lack of knowledge and skills among teachers to internalise goals for professional growth and expand capacity to create the desired performance. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the following question: What are teachers’ experiences of continuing professional development in a secondary school in Tembisa, in order to improve their teaching practices and school effectiveness? The study employed organisational behaviour in education and experiential learning as a theoretical framework. A qualitative research approach was applied and an instrumental case study employed as a strategy to focus on a group of six teachers and four School Management Team (SMT) members. Data was collected through three focus group interview sessions with secondary school teachers and an interview with the SMT as a group. A thematic data analysis was applied. Four main themes emerged as a result of the thematic analysis and interpretation, and revealed teachers’ understanding of CPD, the experiences with CPD as teachers engaged in CPD programmes such as content-subject-based training workshops and the CAPS training programme, improvement of teaching practice, and the SMT creating opportunities for teacher learning and development. A thematic analysis of the interview data with the SMT as a group revealed two themes which were: understanding CPD, and SMT views on creating opportunities for teacher learning and development. Continuing professional development (CPD) in education is reflected as an ongoing experiential learning process by which teachers participate in learning through continual attendance of content-subject-based training programmes, curriculum training workshops, and through registering for those certificates and degree programmes offered by universities. Teacher learning takes place in a cyclical process that consists of experiencing, reflecting, thinking and acting on experiences through the application of acquired knowledge, improved skills and changed attitudes. The findings of the study revealed that teachers experienced CPD as an ongoing process in which learning took place through attendance of content-subject-based training and CAPS training workshops in which collaborative learning played an important role. Even though teachers indicated that their teaching practice was improved, they highlighted the challenges experienced regarding CPD programmes. These challenges included the limited time allocated for CAPS training and content/subject training meetings held after working hours. It was clear that the allocated times for teacher training workshops were not realistic for adequately empowering teachers with knowledge and teaching skills for effective teaching practice in real classroom settings. Teachers took ownership and leadership in their CPD by going an extra mile to seek assistance from professionals with specialised knowledge in Mathematics and commercial subjects, and they collaborated with colleagues from other schools to learn different approaches to teaching. CPD enhances teachers’ ability to set their goals for teaching and it broadens their knowledge and teaching skills, giving them the opportunity to reflect continually on their professional growth and experiment in teaching practice.

Teachers in South African schools are one of the most valuable role players in the execution and implementation of curricular and co-curricular activities. They perform almost every formal and informal task in their daily work to ensure the effectiveness of our schools. Teacher leadership, a relatively new leadership in South African education, which is embedded in a distributed leadership theory, places the emphasis of leadership not only on the principal and the school management team (SMT) but can be located to a wide range of people who work effectively to improve the organisation. The purpose of this study was to determine Post Level (PL) 1 teachers' perceptions of whether the SMT contributes towards teacher leadership in the school. In this case study, through purposive sampling, the researcher made use of one school in a case where a total of 19 teachers participated in the study. The researcher used one instrument to collect data on the PL 1 teachers' perceptions. A set of questionnaires was distributed to elicit responses from PL 1 teachers and the result was analysed by means of themes. Evidence revealed that teachers are not aware of the existence of the new model of teacher leadership. However, findings also revealed that some teachers are ready to perform as leaders. These findings can influence leadership practices, collaboration, improvements in the school, motivation, and job satisfaction, as well as learner performance.

Inclusion is about the organizational change within schools to improve the educational system for all learners. It means changes in the curriculum, changes in how teachers teach and how learners learn, as well as changes in how learners with and without special needs interact with and relate to one another. The quality of leadership makes a significant difference to educator participation in accommodating all learners. However, for this we as educators must ensure that we are fully capable of delivering this service irrespective how old we are or what our qualification levels are. It is my objective to understand the role the school management team plays in facilitating the process of changes, as change cannot be forced and the fear of change must be acknowledged and faced. The qualitative research paradigm and more specifically the participatory action research approach, which is, applied research that treats knowledge as a form of power and designates with the line between research and social action particularly assisted me in answering my research question. xiv used to describe school management team members’ understanding and experiences pertaining to inclusive education and why they are procrastinating. After data analysis of the first step was concluded, the research established that the participant educators were not in favour of inclusive education and for that reason perceived it negatively. Educators are not enthusiastic about inclusivity. Step 2 was the action plan of my research study on which the school management team members decided collective as a method to restructure their thinking towards an implementation programme for inclusive education for their school. The researcher also reflected on the limitations inherent to this study and presented guidelines and recommendations for implementing and maintaining inclusive education.

The principal together with the school management team (SMT) of a public school is responsible for ensuring that all areas in the school function effectively. Effective school-based management is no longer a choice in South Africa but, rather, a must. Seventeen years into democracy, the Grade 12 pass rates in the Eastern Cape for the past three years were 50.6% in 2008, 51.0% in 2009 and 58.3% in 2010. Although there has been an improvement over the last three years, the Eastern Cape was still number seven out of the nine provinces in 2010. Against this background the question arose as to whether the schools in the Eastern Cape were effectively managed. The primary objective of the study is therefore to improve the organisational performance of public schools in the Uitenhage education district by investigating the relationship between the perceived effective implementation of basic managerial tasks (planning, organising, leading and controlling), on the one hand, and organisational performance of schools, on the other hand. Convenience sampling was used to select 100 out of a possible 139 senior management team members from 26 public schools in the Uitenhage education district. The sample was stratified to include principals, deputy principals and heads of departments. The empirical results revealed that the management tasks, leading and controlling, were the main determinants of the organisational performance of participating schools. The empirical results showed that planning and organising do not have a significant influence on the organisational performance of these schools. The managerial implications of the results are discussed and recommendations are made on the basis of these discussions.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication Science University of Zululand, 2003. / This thesis entails a literature survey of the forms of communication required for the successful management of primary schools and high schools by principals and their management teams, followed by an empirical survey of the management team communication practices of 367 principals in the northern section of the eThekwini Region (the area that until 2003 was known as the North Durban Region) in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, on the eastern seaboard of South Africa. In brief, my research shows that female principals predominate in primary schools and male principals in high schools. My research further shows a number of significant differences in the way that female and male principals communicate with parents.

The 1994 democratic elections marked a great turning point in the history the of the South African education system. A call from many politicians and academics for dismantling apartheid education which was racially biased was subsequently made. This was supported by theorists and educational reformers such as Darling-Hammond (1996) and Sizer (1984) who suggested that an educational transformation that would provide South African learners with the necessary knowledge and skills to think critically was required. Following this call, in 1997, a National Curriculum Statement (NCS), with its accompanying assessment policy in a form of continuous assessment (CASS), was introduced in South African schools. This study focuses on the experiences of secondary schools management teams (SMT) in the implementation of continuous assessment. This study is informed by the findings of Chisholm (2001) and Jansen&Christie (1995) who contend that the hasty implementation of CASS was extremely problematic for school managers. The objective was to explore the role of principals, deputy principals, and heads of departments (as managers of schools) in the implementation of the continuous assessment policy. Furthermore, the study aimed to investigate the kind of support the Limpopo Department of Education provides to the SMT for the successful implementation of CASS. The study was conducted in six secondary schools in the Malamulele East Circuit, Vhembe District in Limpopo Province in the following schools: Deliwe, Dlayani, Falaza Gembani, Ndhengeza, and Yollisa and it employed a qualitative research approach. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data from principals, deputy principals and heads of departments. In addition, semi-structured focus-group interviews were conducted with heads of departments in order to get in-depth understanding with regard to their experiences when implementing a continuous assessment policy. This study found that members of the SMT in many secondary schools in the Malamulele East Circuit did not receive training for the implementation of continuous assessment and as a result, they lack clarity in many critical aspects of this assess1nent policy. It has further been found that the majority of the members of the SMT lack a conceptual understanding of what CASS is and also the role they are supposed to play in its implementation. Consequently, educators are still relying much on tests to judge the performance of the learners. In the light of this, it is therefore recommended that principals, deputy principals and heads of departments be provided with extensive training which would generate a deeper conceptual understanding of this assessment policy. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the FACULTY OF EDUCATION at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration, 2007. / This study examines the role of the school management team in staff development as well as factors that help and hinder the team in this regard. The effectiveness of strategies that have been put in place by school management teams is also analysed. The literature review, which involves various textbooks, magazines, newspapers and journals related to the study, makes it clear that the school management team is responsible for staff development in schools. Various approaches to staff development were furthermore identified in order to relate them to staff development practice. * Questionnaires with open and closed-ended questions were used to obtain information from the respondents. The population of the study included members of the school management team and post level-one educators. Analysis of information received from the respondents indicated that staff development could be improved with the cooperation of subject advisers, the organisation of workshops on staff development, by conducting regular staff appraisals, encouraging educators to further their studies, providing intensive induction and by socialisation. The findings of the study necessitated recommendations by the investigator regarding staff development The findings also established that both the post level-one educators and school management team were familiar with the roles of the school management team in staff development. The school management teams were seen not to be doing what was expected of them. It also became clear that post level-one educators were not prepared to accept changes as demanded by the Department of Education and that staff development programmes and policies have to be put in place. It is recommended that funds should be earmarked for staff development and that workshops on staff development must be offered. The school management team should encourage educators to further their studies and thus improve their teaching strategies

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / Employment of educators has never been such a problem as it is now where race and ethnicity are at the centre stage in the recruitment and appointment of educators. The high rate of unemployment and exorbitant cost of living in the country also worsen the situation. The problem of employment in public education is compounded by the semi-literate School Governing Bodies (SGB) especially in most disadvantage rural schools, who are expected to recommend the appointment of educators to the Head of the Department. Employment of educators remains a challenge in the Department of Education. This research study provides a critique and an analysis of the role played by the SGB in school governance as elucidated in the literature and also stated by the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. The aim of the study is to ascertain the alignment of educators‟ employment policies to South African Schools in the Mopani District. The research also highlights the challenges that hinder effective governance and management such as lack of knowledge and skills, to interpret and implement policies and regulations when appointing relevant educators. The study reveals an unethical behaviour amongst principals and governing body of policy non-adherence that amounts to corruption within the public service. The dysfunctionality of governance and management to hire relevant, competent and qualified educators to occupy promotional posts cause more problems in the society as a whole, such as lack of accountability in terms of best education for the learners who are our future generation. The department should revise the roles and laws concerning school governors. The maladministration occurring in public institutions and schools is to be punished by law and public servants are to be accountable for their wrong actions taken. In conclusion the Public Service Act 103 of 1994, section 11 stipulates that filling of posts in the public service must be given a democratic values and must follow democratic principles. Appointments should be based on qualifications, skills and competences. Nevertheless educators are appointed into various positions through corrupt activities. This must come to an end for effective governance in education to prevail.

In the twenty-first century, many educational systems are embracing a new paradigm of educational management that utilises team management in schools. The democratic nature of this notion in South Africa involves the use of School Management Teams (SMTs). Reflecting on this movement, this research explored the capacity of these SMTs to cultivate moral purpose in six purposively sampled schools in Limpopo Province. The data collection methods included a series of semi-structured interviews with SMT members, examination of relevant documents, and scheduled observations. The data from the interviews was transcribed manually and this, together with document analysis and scheduled observations, was analysed in three interrelated stages using the four research questions as guides (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The research highlighted that the moral purpose is a relatively new concept to the majority of SMTs. Only a few school managers presented explicit references to the notion, perceiving it as a “compelling moral imperative” or “moral goal of achievement” or “whole-school vision for academic success” or simply “respect”. Notwithstanding the different perceptions, this moral purpose is directed towards raising the level of learner achievement and it is realised when the SMTs articulate the values of commitment, discipline and responsibility. The SMTs members affirmed their commitment to various aspects of instructional leadership. Furthermore, teamwork exemplified in participative decision-making was highlighted as a notion that enhances learner achievement. The findings also affirmed the opportunities that shared leadership offered schools to share moral purpose. However, the findings also enumerate lack of parent involvement, learners discipline, and teachers’ lack of commitment to moral purpose as crucial factors that inhibit the sharing of moral purpose in schools. The two critical responsibilities accepted by the SMTs to address the constraints of sharing moral purpose are highlighted as consulting with legitimate stakeholders and reinforcing policy in the schools. As a result of this research, a number of recommendations and opportunities for further research are offered to Limpopo schools and their SMTs, the systemic authorities responsible for Limpopo education and for those responsible specifically for policy making and curriculum development in the South African education system. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)