This study explores the experiences of the master teacher in mentoring teachers. Education officials have acknowledged that capacity and skill gaps are impeding progress in education, especially at schools. Within the school context many teachers are either under-qualified or poorly qualified for their job description and this to a large extent has contributed to the schools being dysfunctional. Therefore a well-structured mentorship programme is integral in upgrading education. Within the new occupation specific dispensation (OSD) for educators in the public sector, the category of master teacher has been created to fulfill their roles as mentors in schools. The purpose of the study therefore attempts to critically examine and explore the experiences of the master teacher in a mentoring role. The rationale for choosing the study ("Master teacher experiences of mentoring teachers") is that I am presently a master teacher at Stanger South Secondary, a school 75 kilometres north of Durban, in the KwaDukuza area of KwaZulu-Natal. However the mentoring role by the master teacher, which has been in existence at schools for over two years, is in some cases non-existent or done in a very fragmented way. The phenomenon of the master teacher as a mentor is relatively new in the context of South African education. Hence very little or no research has be done in this domain. Moreover, most of the literature on mentoring focuses on the plethora of definitions of mentoring, the role of the mentor and the experiences of beginning teachers in the induction programmes at schools and very little research on experiences of mentors, especially within the context of education in South Africa. A qualitative methodology was used using the phenomenological approach. The study employed a purposive sampling technique, choosing 3 respondents from 3 different public schools in the Ilembe district of KwaDukuza area (viz. Cranbrook Secondary, Greyridge Secondary and Doesberg Secondary), who are each subjected to a semi-structured interview. The analysis of the data revealed that three master teacher mentors embraced the discourses of collaboration, collegiality and critical dialogue in their mentoring relationship with their mentees, which forms an important part of the radical humanistic approach to mentoring, which is a shift from the rigid functionalist approach to mentoring that emphasizes conformity and maintaining the status quo. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

The broad theme of this investigation is Human Resource Management (HRM) in education. It has been widely publicised both in the media and other areas that the salary bill for state paid educators represents the major area of expenditure. More than ninety percent of the education budget at Al-Fallah is spent on salary bill. It therefore becomes necessary to ensure that, newly appointed educators and those appointed into promotion posts who are earning these salaries do justice in their jobs and produce the goods. School management teams have to ensure that these newcomers settle into their new jobs as quickly as possible. It is therefore important that the educators who are the most expensive assert in the school, are managed effectively. Induction and mentoring should not be optional. Failure to provide staff induction can result in long-term problems for both employers and employees. All newly recruited, promoted or transferred staff need an induction programme which takes account of their particular circumstances. Using a variety of approaches will stimulate interest and help to satisfy the different learning needs of individuals. Communication, as always is of paramount importance, thus regular opportunities for feedback and discussion should form an integral part of the programme. This project has attempted to investigate the management of induction and mentoring, at a school in north of Durban. It has been found that no formal programmes of induction and mentoring exist at the school. It is therefore recommended that the management together with, and in consultation with staff members, draw up and implement policy on induction and mentoring. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

The disillusionment experienced by new entrants to the teaching profession is definitely a cause for concern. A beginner teacher who commences work is faced with the same responsibilities as veteran educators. However, to add to these responsibilities lies the difficulty of adjustment into an organisation with its set rules and policies. With the anxiety and numerous challenges in the lives of new entrants, a call for support from all levels in the organisation is required. Against this backdrop the new democratic dispensation in South Africa calls for a more collaborative approach to leadership and a strong focus on selfmanaging schools (Department of Education, 1996, p.27). Theorizing teacher leadership within a distributed leadership framework, this study aimed to focus on the mentoring relationships between teacher leaders and the novice educators. As Howey (1988) argues, “teachers must assume leadership positions that will enable them to model methods of teaching, coach and mentor colleagues” (p.28). Therefore, my aim was to research induction and mentoring in a High school in KwaZulu-Natal. Key Research Questions: • How do educators understand the role of induction and mentoring? • To what extent is induction and mentoring occurring in the case-study school? • What is the nature of relationships between the teacher leaders and novice educators in the induction and mentoring processes? / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 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 examines the knowledge-base of mentors in two South African schools. Working within an interpretivist paradigm this study gained an in-depth understanding of the knowledge, strategies and the sources of mentoring knowledge the mentor teachers draw on to inform their mentoring practices. Data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews from school-based mentors. The study seeks to construct an understanding of the mentors professional knowledge base in relation to Shulman’s (1985) model of teacher knowledge and Jones’s (2006) model of mentoring knowledge. The study provides a rich, holistic perspective of the mentoring knowledge mentor teachers say informs and underpins their mentorship practices. Firstly, the findings of this study suggest that the majority of mentors draw on their professional practice and personal experience as teachers when enacting their mentoring roles. A central message conveyed is that mentors must have a deep knowledge of subject matter, curriculum issues and teaching strategies to mentor effectively. Secondly, the findings suggest that mentor teachers draw from their personal values and interpersonal skills to inform their practices. Since the mentors works with adult learners careful nurturing of another’s personal and professional growth in a collaborative and reciprocal partnership based on trust, respect, equality, encouragement is key to the cultivation of healthy mentoring relationships. These findings also suggest that it is important that the mentors’ practices are effective, consistent and underpinned by a knowledge base that can serve as a point of reference when training mentor teachers. In order to ensure this, it is necessary to provide mentors access to adequate formalized training programmes that will equip them with a sound knowledge base for mentoring. Mentor teachers also need to be provided with conditions and resources within their schools that allow them to work collaboratively with each other to construct and extend their knowledge base as mentors. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

This study investigates the perceptions of learners and staff of the Dental Technology Extended First Programme (EFYP) currently offered in the Department of Dental Services at the Durban University of Technology. The EFYP has been offered since 1995 in order to meet the needs of under prepared learners in the Dental Technology programme as well as to address transformation of the programme. The Dental Technology EFYP has evolved over a number of years and was one of the first extended programmes offered in South African higher education. No evaluation of this programme has occurred since its inception. Moreover, the present study is particularly relevant as it has been conducted at a time that the Department of Education is concerned with low throughput rates in South African tertiary education. It is hoped that insights into this programme gained from this study will be of benefit to educators either currently providing foundation provision or those contemplating foundation provision in the future. It is noted that little research into foundation provision has, to date, been conducted in South Africa. For this study, learners currently registered in the Dental Technology programme and staff from the programme were interviewed in semi-structured interviews, and the main themes concerning foundation provision emerging from the study were identified. I conclude that the current EFYP is an academically sound programme contributing to the academic development of individual learners as well as to the overall success of the Dental Technology programme. Learners were unanimous in their belief that the EFYP contributed positively towards their academic advancement. Furthermore, learners noted the contribution that the EFYP made to their integration into higher education through a range of interventions such the departmental mentorship programme. Staff, also, favourably viewed the EFYP as academically successful. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.