Research problem This research revolved around the problem: Which management strategies could be formulated and used in the caring role of the principal with regard to the educators? Research aims Arising from the problem, the aim of the research was firstly to describe the nature and determinants of the caring role of the principal with regard to the educator. Secondly, to determine empirically to which extent school principals fulfil their caring role with regard to educators in primary schools of the North–West Province. Finally the aim was to develop management strategies in order to optimise the caring role of the principal. To address the aim of the research, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken, followed by an empirical investigation. Research methodology In the empirical investigation, quantitative methodology was used in the format of survey research, which is embedded in the post positivist paradigm. The instrument used for data collection was a postal questionnaire, based on the literature review. The validity and reliability of the instrument was determined. Collected data was analysed by means of different statistical techniques, these techniques included frequency analysis, t–tests, ANOVA's, post hoc t–tests and paired t–tests. In the discussion of the results descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Development of management strategies The results of the literature review as well as the empirical investigation were taken into account during the development of the management strategy. Separate management strategies were developed in addressing the three main determinants of the caring role, as identified in the literature review. In the management strategies, the identified problems were focussed in specific aims, which were then addressed by action steps. The success of the strategy were then determined with specific evaluation measures. Main findings Finding with regard to the expansion of the theory That the caring role of the principal establishes a managerial leadership approach within the human capital theory, where the principal cares in a self–sacrificing way about the well–being of the educator in the school as organisation. Finding with regard to the improvement of caring practice That the levels of emotional intelligence of principals need to be developed and that emotional intelligence should be taken into account during the selection process with the aim of appointment of school principals. Finding with regard to optimising the caring relationship between the principal and the educator That educators want principals to cross the professional line to a greater extent towards a more personal (work–) relationship with them. Recommendations Finally the recommendation is when new principals are appointed, apart from the usual interviews, psychological evaluations by qualified industrial psychologists should also be used. With regard to current principals, the recommendation is that they use self–evaluation questionnaires which should be filled in by both themselves and the educators. From the results of these evaluations, actions such as further psychological interventions or attending development opportunities can follow. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Research problem This research revolved around the problem: Which management strategies could be formulated and used in the caring role of the principal with regard to the educators? Research aims Arising from the problem, the aim of the research was firstly to describe the nature and determinants of the caring role of the principal with regard to the educator. Secondly, to determine empirically to which extent school principals fulfil their caring role with regard to educators in primary schools of the North–West Province. Finally the aim was to develop management strategies in order to optimise the caring role of the principal. To address the aim of the research, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken, followed by an empirical investigation. Research methodology In the empirical investigation, quantitative methodology was used in the format of survey research, which is embedded in the post positivist paradigm. The instrument used for data collection was a postal questionnaire, based on the literature review. The validity and reliability of the instrument was determined. Collected data was analysed by means of different statistical techniques, these techniques included frequency analysis, t–tests, ANOVA's, post hoc t–tests and paired t–tests. In the discussion of the results descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Development of management strategies The results of the literature review as well as the empirical investigation were taken into account during the development of the management strategy. Separate management strategies were developed in addressing the three main determinants of the caring role, as identified in the literature review. In the management strategies, the identified problems were focussed in specific aims, which were then addressed by action steps. The success of the strategy were then determined with specific evaluation measures. Main findings Finding with regard to the expansion of the theory That the caring role of the principal establishes a managerial leadership approach within the human capital theory, where the principal cares in a self–sacrificing way about the well–being of the educator in the school as organisation. Finding with regard to the improvement of caring practice That the levels of emotional intelligence of principals need to be developed and that emotional intelligence should be taken into account during the selection process with the aim of appointment of school principals. Finding with regard to optimising the caring relationship between the principal and the educator That educators want principals to cross the professional line to a greater extent towards a more personal (work–) relationship with them. Recommendations Finally the recommendation is when new principals are appointed, apart from the usual interviews, psychological evaluations by qualified industrial psychologists should also be used. With regard to current principals, the recommendation is that they use self–evaluation questionnaires which should be filled in by both themselves and the educators. From the results of these evaluations, actions such as further psychological interventions or attending development opportunities can follow. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Text in German and English / This MTh dissertation is about the meaning and change of the pastoral position and role as it is reflected in pastoral theological literature of the last thirty years. For this purpose different concepts of work satisfaction are described and applied to the pastoral context. Furthermore, results of empirical investigations among ministers in German speaking and various other countries are discussed and aspects of job satisfaction of pastors are presented. This is followed by an investigation of changing expectations regarding the pastoral role which affect the job satisfaction of a minister. A comparison of two church orders (1991 and 2003) from Chrischona Switzerland demonstrates the changing job descriptions of pastors within a freechurch denomination. The final chapter is a discussion of some pastoral theological consequences of the relation between changing job descriptions and job satisfaction. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

Against the background of various socio-economic barriers in many South African school-community contexts, I compared how teachers in four schools implemented an asset-based intervention aimed at school-based psychosocial support. The working assumption was that teachers could act as protective resources in implementing the asset-based approach (following their participation in STAR1) to promote psychosocial support in their school-community contexts. The four schools were conveniently selected as information-rich cases to participate in the research study. The four cases comprised one informal settlement primary school in the Eastern Cape, two urban primary schools in Gauteng and one rural secondary school in Mpumalanga. Purposeful sampling was used to select ten participating teachers (n=40) in each school. Methodologically, the study followed a qualitative paradigm and a comparative case study design, implementing participatory rural appraisal (PRA) principles. The asset-based approach was used as theoretical framework. Multiple data gathering (focus groups, observation and intervention artefacts) and documentation procedures (verbatim transcripts, field notes, research journal and visual data) were implemented over a period of three years. Following constructivist grounded theory analysis, three main themes emerged: teachers using an asset-based approach for psychosocial support; teachers addressing barriers resourcefully; and teachers’ demonstrated asset-based competencies. The findings of the current study confirm that schools as part of unique systems are interrelated in terms of networks that mobilise assets, irrespective of the context. Teachers experience and prioritise a) socio-economic barriers (HIV/AIDS, financial constraints due to poverty and unemployment, and child abuse) and b) stressors of teaching (workload and related time constraints, attrition of group members, low levels of parent involvement, as well as context-specific factors). Teachers’ identification of barriers is determined by school contexts. Across school contexts teachers identified a) internal assets in their classrooms, the school context and in their communities together with b) community resources (physical resources, natural and environmental resources, community organisations and institutions). In psychosocial support, teachers mobilised identified assets and resources to ameliorate the impact of barriers. Teachers therefore promoted resilience by means of psychosocial support. The characteristics of school-based psychosocial support include identifying assets, prioritising barriers, mobilising assets to ameliorate the presence of barriers and establishing systemic networks and partnerships. When providing psychosocial support, teachers demonstrated asset-based competencies (positive identity formation, group effectiveness skills and management skills) signified as internal protective resources. By dynamically engaging in the challenges of their school-community contexts, teachers demonstrated self-determination (Deci&Ryan, 1985, 2002; Ryan&Deci, 2000, 2002) In the process, teachers displayed and actualised asset-based competencies, which in turn fulfilled the underlying psychological needs of competence, relatedness and autonomy. When they implemented the asset-based approach, it seemed to enhance teachers’ sense of coherence (Antonovsky, 1987) as they viewed the existence of barriers as being comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. Teachers were able to address barriers at an intrapersonal and interpersonal level as well as by deploying management skills. The three levels on which teachers addressed barriers correlate with their asset-based competencies. Their asset-based competency of positive identity formation was utilised to address barriers on an intrapersonal level; their group effectiveness skills addressed barriers on an interpersonal level and their management skills were deployed to address barriers on a level of administrating barriers efficiently. The study provides empirical evidence to broaden the current knowledge bases of the asset-based approach, resilience and school-based psychosocial support. The study contributes to the existing knowledge base of the asset-based approach by firstly highlighting social capital in school-community contexts as potential outcome of the implementation of the asset-based approach. Secondly, the study introduces asset-based competencies, as well as the dynamic relationship between these competencies and fundamental psychological needs (competence, relatedness and autonomy) as signified in self-determination theory (Deci&Ryan, 1985, 2002; Ryan&Deci, 2000, 2002). Lastly, the study conjectures the interconnectedness between the asset-based approach and a sense of coherence, in the sense that implementation of the asset-based approach could result in enhanced eustress (Simmons&Nelson, 2005) and sense of coherence (Antonovsky, 1987, 1993) when faced with and addressing barriers. Within the context of the existing knowledge base of resilience in schools and school-based psychosocial support, the findings suggest that resilience in schools could be promoted by teacher-driven psychosocial support initiatives. Firstly, the study signifies greater insight in teachers’ perspective on the potential assets and resources available in school-community contexts that could be mobilised for psychosocial support and the promotion of resilience. Secondly, the findings suggest empirical evidence that teachers (in a school context) can mobilise resources so that schools may serve as protective resources to promote resilience through school-based psychosocial support. Thirdly, the study contributes to new insight in possible barriers that teachers could encounter on a daily basis as well as the sort of psychosocial support that could be expected from similar school-based interventions. Lastly, the study provides insight into potential ways in which teachers can address barriers on an intrapersonal and interpersonal level and by deploying management skills. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Text in German and English / This MTh dissertation is about the meaning and change of the pastoral position and role as it is reflected in pastoral theological literature of the last thirty years. For this purpose different concepts of work satisfaction are described and applied to the pastoral context. Furthermore, results of empirical investigations among ministers in German speaking and various other countries are discussed and aspects of job satisfaction of pastors are presented. This is followed by an investigation of changing expectations regarding the pastoral role which affect the job satisfaction of a minister. A comparison of two church orders (1991 and 2003) from Chrischona Switzerland demonstrates the changing job descriptions of pastors within a freechurch denomination. The final chapter is a discussion of some pastoral theological consequences of the relation between changing job descriptions and job satisfaction. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the extent to which body maps could be implemented by educators as part of the fulfilment of their pastoral role. I approached the study from a constructivistinterpretivist perspective underpinned by action research principles. I implemented an instrumental case study as research design and selected a primary school located in an informal settlement community in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. Ten female educators at this school, three other members of a research team and I took part in the process of data generation. Having acquired baseline information during the first field visit, a fellow researcher and I implemented an intervention during which the techniques of body mapping and making memory boxes (the study focus of my fellow researcher) were introduced to the participants. We then requested them to apply the two techniques (as part of a research assignment) before we undertook a second field visit. At the second visit, we attempted to explore the participants' experiences during the application of the techniques. Throughout the study I relied on focus group discussions, observation, critical self-reflection, auditive methods, visual methods, photos, a reflective research journal and field notes as data collection and capture methods. I analysed and interpreted raw data thematically. Baseline information indicated that educators were quite clear about the theoretical nature of the pastoral role, yet the practical application of this role presented a challenge. Data generated after the intervention indicates how educators understood and used the body mapping technique. This theme was refined into subthemes dealing with implementation modes, application contexts and application outcomes of the body mapping technique. The second main theme indicated the applicability of body maps in the classroom context as part of the pastoral role. This theme comprises subthemes relating to general curricula, practical considerations, alternative uses and application modes, pastoral responsibilities that were facilitated (and not) by participants' use of the body mapping technique. Research findings therefore seem to indicate that the body mapping technique could be used by educators in fulfilling their pastoral role. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / MEd / unrestricted