published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This thesis traces the evolution of learner participation in school governance in South Africa, identifies international trends in school governance, particularly learner participation, and then analyses the progress made in South Africa in moving from policy to praxis in this regard. I have discussed the contextual forces that have influenced the production of the policy text on learner participation in the South African Schools Act. This is followed by an analysis of how the policy text has been interpreted and implemented at provincial level in the Western Cape, taking provincial legislation, regulations, circulars, and the capacity building programme that was implemented into consideration. I also look at how the whole process was experienced at institutional (school) level, and how the policy was interpreted and implemented. I also evaluate the phenomenon of learner participation in school governance in terms of promoting the principles of transformation, placing particular emphasis on the promotion of democratic practices in South Africa.<br /> In conclusion I contend that the present policy of learner participation in school governance does reflect the resolve of the National Government to promote the principle of participation by all stakeholders in matters affecting them. However, the study has shown that the implementation of the policy at provincial and institutional level has not been as effective as it might have been and has hampered the development of praxis in learner participation. This has hindered learners from making meaningful contributions towards the attainment of the goals as set out in the constitution. Furthermore, present rumblings of curtailing the powers of the school governing bodies because of limited progress in attaining the above goals seem to be a retrogressive step. I strongly contend that given the support, training and encouragement as set out in Article 19(2) of SASA, learner participation in school governance can make a positive contribution towards attaining the goals of transformation in our country, particularly of advancing democratic practices in our society.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

全球教育改革情境下，国际教育政策议论聚焦于教师在实践中的专业发展，并希冀发展专业学习社群。专业学习社群经由教师互动沟通逐步建构而来，其发展有赖于教师合作的持续开展。回应全球教育改革浪潮，中国内地致力于通过校本教研政策增进教师合作，以促进教师专业发展。 / 本研究以实践社群为理论视角，从南京市两所个案小学选取37名教师，就其对合作的参与、诠释和理解开展深入访谈，并辅以文本搜集和观察，试图探讨校本教研中教师合作开展意义协商的过程。 / 研究所见，教师合作处于校本教研政策引导之下，在科层结构体系中制度化为校本教研教师社群。教师社群在意义协商过程中发展出服从权威、注重和谐、感情和认知并行的沟通规范，以便合作达成工作任务。工具理性之下，教师社群追求短期效用最大化，定位于实用性教学技能再生产。 / 本研究深化了教师参与合作过程的探讨，发展出校本教研意义协商的本土理解，并回应了实践社群、专业学习社群和教师专业性的学术讨论。在社群层面，教师在科层官僚体制下发展出学科社群。在知识领域层面，区教育行政部门主导教研方向。在实务层面，教师分工完成及共享课程规范流程、教案和公开课。在沟通规范层面，教师社群遵从集权式领导，在情感和认知的支持下合力完成技术性工作任务。由于以和谐之名规避不同见解和争议，教师社群并未发展出建设性争议。在实践定位层面，教师社群实践主要定位于问题解决，重教学技能操作再生产，约制了潜在的发展路向和交流空间。教师以多种不同的方式参与教师社群当中，基于不同的发展阶段及个人选择，呈现出多元发展轨迹。个案学校校本教研并未发展成专业学习社群。教师的专业性基于不同的职业生涯阶段，呈现出复合专业性。 / 校本教研教师社群可考虑拓展外延，并通过支持非正式微社群、鼓励参与以提升内涵。教师合作宜摒弃技术取向，开展开放式专业对话，加强专业对话的自我反思，突破模仿借鉴的限制，拓展再专业化空间。 / In the context of global education reform movement, teacher professional development has received much attention in international education arena. It is considered to be a potential way for school-based teacher development develops to be professional learning communities (PLCs). PLCs are viewed to be constructed gradually through teacher interactions and communications. The development of PLCs is tightly related to the continuing teacher collaboration. In response to the wave of global education reform, the Chinese mainland implements school-based teacher development policies to encourage teacher collaboration. / Informed by the theory of communities of practice (CoP), this study adopts a case study approach to explore the process of negotiation of meaning in teacher collaboration in school-based teaching and research. In-depth interviews were conducted on 37 teachers in two primary schools to collect data on teachers’ perception, understanding and participation in collaboration. Observations and document collection were also carried out to collect data to map out a more detailed picture. / Findings revealed that teacher collaboration was institutionalized as subject teacher communities in hierarchical structure system, guided by the policies of school-based teacher development in District Education Bureau. In the process of negotiation of meaning, teacher communities developed into three major norms of interaction: obedience to authority, relational harmony, emotional and cognitive support being combined. With the principle of instrumental rationality, teachers pursued the maximization of short-term utilizing teaching materials. Teacher collaboration was oriented towards the reproduction of teaching skills. / This study enriches the academic discussion on the process of teacher collaboration, develops local understanding of negotiation of meaning in school-based teacher development, and makes theoretical contributions to the international academic discussion on the understanding of CoP, PLCs and teacher professionalism. Concerning the teacher community, teachers were guided to develop subject communities in hierarchical structure system. For the knowledge boundry, district administrators led the direction of school-based teacher development. Regarding the practices, teachers worked together and shared standardized course procedures, teaching plans and open lessons. Concerning the norms of interaction, teacher followed patriarchal leadership, provided emotional and cognitive support reciprocally, and worked together to finish technical tasks. As divergent ideas and opinions were avoided for the sake of harmony, teacher community did not generate constructive conflict. Regarding the orientation of practice, teacher community targeted problem solving, laid emphasize on the reproduction of teaching skills, and limited the potential space for teacher communication. Teacher professionalism underwent a mixed effect based on developmental stages and personal choices. Subject teacher groups were not developed into PLCs in our case schools, but they demonstrated unique local features. Teachers showed divergent learning trajectories in their professional career within the teacher community. / It would help to extend external boundary of communities through developing networked learning communities. The capacity of communities would be cultivated through supporting informal micro-communities and encouraging participation. Teacher collaboration should abandon technical approach, and open professional dialogues should be encouraged. Enhancing reflection in the process of professional dialogues helps to nurture professional judgment to extend professional space. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 乔雪峰. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 263-279). / Abstracts also in English. / Qiao Xuefeng.

Thesis (D. of Education)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-128). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Canberra, 2007. / Includes bibliography (p. 321-340)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-205). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-131). Also available on the Internet.