Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration, University of Zululand, 1997. / This research examines the transformation leadership role of principals during the current transitional period. This study makes use of interviews and questionnaires to determine whether principals themselves as facilitators of transformation and whether it has an effect on transformation as seen by members of the governing body, teachers and students. Based on the opinions of respondents, the study concludes that principals in the areas where the study took place viewed as leaders in the transformation process, especially regarding school policy, school vision and curriculum. The research project as undertaken in various regions, found that although the majority of teachers and students principals as leaders in the transformation process saw a significant high proportion of these respondents who are unsure or disagreed that principals transformation export.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION In the Department of Educational Planning and Administration of the University of Zululand, 1999. / The study examined the roles of principals in the supervision of teaching and learning in their schools. The traditional method of supervision of teaching and learning known as Inspection was phased out. The inspectors no longer visit Schools to conduct supervision of teaching and learning. Supervision is now left to the principals. The focus of the study was on how principals could work co-operatively with all stakeholders in ensuring that there is effective teaching and learning in their schools. The study made use of questionnaires that were administered to the principals of Sayidi District. The research project revealed that lack of expertise of principals on supervision, lack of communication between principals and educators and between parents and schools, and lack of motivation of educators and parents, were some of the factors that interfered with the role of principals as supervisors of teaching and learning. The research project, however, established that planning and organising of supervision by principals and all stakeholders and motivation of educators and parents by principals, were some of the strategies principals could use to enhance supervision of teaching and learning in their schools. / Mr A. J. Schoeman

Specialpedagogens uppdrag och yrkesroll har i många år uppmärksammats i forskningen, främst i förhållande till speciallärarens uppdrag och yrkesroll för att belysa likheter och skillnader. Denna studie har en ambition att bidra till att belysa vad som påverkar utformningen av en specialpedagogs uppdrag och yrkesroll. Studien är kvalitativ och utgår ifrån Karen Barads teori om agentisk realism där både mänskliga och icke-mänskliga kroppar (performativa agenter) påverkar föreställningar kring t.ex. specialpedagogens uppdrag och yrkesroll. Materia så som t.ex. styrdokument, utbildning mm och språk är starkt sammankopplade i den verklighet som specialpedagogen verkar i och därför bygger studien på en materiell-diskursiv analys. Syftet med denna studie är att åskådliggöra och identifiera vilka performativa agenter som påverkar hur specialpedagogens uppdrag och yrkesroll utformas i grundskolorna i ett skolområde. Metoddelen bygger på en brevmetod samt semistrukturerade intervjuer med speciallärare, specialpedagoger, rektorer och en skolområdeschef i ett skolområde. För att tydliggöra vilka performativa agenter som äger agens i bearbetningen har ett analysschema skapats utifrån uppdrag respektive yrkesroll. I analysschemat för uppdraget har de performativa agenterna kategoriserats utifrån en figur som jag har skapat för att tydliggöra uppdraget. Resultatdelen visar på hur uppdrag respektive yrkesroll presenteras av specialpedagoger, speciallärare, rektorer samt skolområdeschef och pekar på att det förekommer ett stort antal performativa agenter varav rektorns kompetens, rektorns beslut, verksamhetens behov och specialpedagogens kunskap och kompetens har stor betydelse i utformningen av specialpedagogens uppdrag och yrkesroll. Avslutningsvis diskuteras vilken betydelse de performativa agenterna har för utformningen av specialpedagogens uppdrag och yrkesroll samt hur det specialpedagogiska stödet utformas i en organisation. Men även hur figuren som använts kan vara en tydlig modell att använda för att analysera specialpedagogens uppdrag i förhållande till elevhälsoteamets hälsofrämjande, förebyggande och åtgärdande arbete i skolorganisationen d.v.s. som en del i skolutveckling. / The special educator´s mission and professional role have for many years been noticed in the research, mainly in relation to the special teacher´s mission and professional role to highlight similarities and differences. This study has an ambition to help illuminate what influences the design of a special educator´s mission and professional role. The study is qualitative and is based on Karen Barad´s theory of agentic realism where both human and non-human bodies (performative agents) influence perceptions about, for example the special educator´s mission and professional role. Matter and language are strongly interconnected in the reality in which the special educator works and therefore the study is based on a material-discursive analysis. The purpose of the study is to illustrate and identify which performative agents influence how the special educator´s assignments and professional role are designed in primary school in a school district. The method part is based on a letter method and semistructured interviews with specialist teachers, special educators, principals and a school district manager in a school district. In order to clarify which performative agents own agents in the processing, an analysis scheme has been created based on assignments and professional role. In the analysis schedule for the assignment, the performative agents have been categorized on the basis of a figure that I created to clarify the assignment. The results section shows how assignments and professional roles are presented by special educators, special teachers, principals and a school district manager, and points to the fact that there are a large number of performative agents, of which the principals competence, the decision of the principal, the needs of the organization and the knowledge and competence of the special educator are of great importance in the design of the special educator´s assignment and profession. Finally, we discuss the importance of the performative agents for the design of the special educator´s mission and professional role and how the special educational support is designed in an organization. But also how the figure used can be a clear model to use to analyze the special educator´s assignment in relation to the student health team´s health promotion, prevention and corrective work in the school organization, i.e. as part of school development.