This study explored the assumptions, values and beliefs of principals regarding school leadership and management in Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study was necessitated by the fact that, although in South Africa, the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) invests so much resources on professional educator development programmes to build capacity among principals, every year a significant number of schools are declared ineffective. The study wanted to establish if the assumptions, values and beliefs of principals could have an influence on school leadership and management. The Cultural Model was used in this study. This was because the model focuses on the values, beliefs and norms of individuals. The model also assumes that values and beliefs of individuals influence how they behave and view the behaviour of others. A narrative research design was used because it allowed the participants to share their life-stories and thus also their assumptions, values and beliefs with the researcher. Through the study, the researcher gained a deeper understanding of the participants with regard to their assumptions, values and beliefs and how they may influence their leadership in schools. For the purpose of this study, the extreme group sampling strategy was used to collect data. A total of six principals became part of this study. Three principals were drawn from effective schools and the other three from ineffective schools. After data analysis, it emerged that principals from effective schools are inner-directed in their approach to life and principals from ineffective schools are outer-directed. This means that the latter group is less assertive and lack self-esteem and do not believe that they can influence or change the situation within the school. This finding, amongst others, informs the authorities to consider introducing pre-principal training before appointing principals into posts. Only the assertive and confident trainees should be given posts. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / unrestricted

The role of parents in the education of learners as well as the relationships between and amongst parents and professional educators has long been of interest to researchers and practitioners at all levels of public and private education. The consistent findings that the involvement of parents positively influences educational quality and learners’ academic achievement are well documented. However, the findings also concluded that parental involvement is difficult to implement in rural schools and its practices are more likely to take root in schools that serve urban and suburban populations than in schools that serve rural and low-income populations. Moreover, in most schools where parental involvement is functional, parents are more involved in non-academic activities than academic activities. Against this background, it can be stated that there is insufficient empirical research-based information on whether and how parental involvement in academic education of learners can be practised in economically distressed contexts, especially in Namibia. Therefore, the current study intended to critically analyse whether and how do professional educators and parents of rural lower primary schools in Namibia perceive, think about and practise involvement in the academic education of learners. The framework of this study is based on Critical and Ecological Theories. The Ecological Theory regards both parents and schools as valuable contributors to children’s learning. The critical theory claims that there is no absolute knowledge that people can grasp. All people encounter are opinions. Hence, this study challenged a long held ideal and belief of the capitalist culture in regard to positioning activities, and knowledge and resources of poor families as subordinate. The study employed a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodological research designs. A survey about professional educators’ perceptions on parental involvement was sent to 205 schools (of which 87 responded) to collect quantitative data for Phase 1 of the study. Frequency analysis was done to identify the meaning of the quantitative data. The analysis of quantitative data grouped schools into 3 groups (high, intermediate and low) according to their levels of practising parental involvement. Six schools (2 per group) were selected for Phase 2 of the study. Interviews were conducted among 18 professional educators and 12 parents of the six schools to collect qualitative data on their perspectives, attitudes and practices of parental involvement. Content analysis was made use of to explore meaningful aspects and indicators of parental involvement in lower primary schools in Ohangwena Region. The following indicators revealed by the professional educators’ and parents’ reported experiences of parental involvement practice qualify the researched schools to be regarded as demonstrating parental involvement in learners’ academic education: conducive climate and respectful relationship; provision of educational opportunities to parents; use of community resources; provision of opportunities for technical support to parents; use of various and possible communication options; power sharing with parents and encouraging them to actively participate in decision-making bodies; and professional educators’ positive attitude towards involvement. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

<p>During my study trip to South Africa I met a woman who held a speech. In the speech shesaid that the children in the black community don’t dream anymore, they can’t see a future.This awoke my interest for what was going to be the subject of my exam. Through myinterview with this woman, my observations during my study trip to South Africa and withhelp from relevant literature connected to the subject, I have studied how a child is affectedby growing up under such severe conditions, physical abuse and sexual assaults. I have alsostudied how I as a future educator can relate to a child who lives under these conditions.The woman in my interview told me that many of the children, in the black township I visited,are being sexually abused and she also told me how the children don’t have any grownups intheir surroundings in which they can trust. During my stay in a school in the black township Iwitnessed how the children were disciplined trough punishment, which is against the law inSouth Africa.Being abused and living under poor conditions as a child can have serious consequences.The child can become aggressive and act out on other people. They can also lose their abilityto have faith in adults and the world around them. Further when the child becomes an adultand have children on their own they can use the same behavioral pattern on their ownchildren. This can become a vicious circle, which has to be broken.How I as an educator can help and support these children is not easy and it demands biggerefforts, from social services and commitment from school and the society. You have to stayprofessional as an educator. What an educator can do is to support these children, create a safeenvironment and let the child work with their emotions.</p> / <p>Under min studieresa till Sydafrika mötte jag en kvinna som höll ett tal för oss. Talethandlade om att barnen i den svarta kåkstaden hon bodde i inte drömmer längre, de har ingaframtidsdrömmar. Detta väckte mitt intresse för vad som sen blev mitt examensarbete. Jag harmed hjälp av en intervju med denna kvinna, egna observationer under min studieresa tillSydafrika och via relevant litteratur kopplat till detta, undersökt hur man som barn kanpåverkas av att leva under svåra uppväxtvillkor, misshandel och övergrepp. Jag har ävenstuderat hur jag, som blivande pedagog, kan förhålla mig till barn som lever i kris.I intervjun berättar kvinnan hur många av barnen, i den svarta kåkstaden jag besökte, blirsexuellt utnyttjade och hur barnen inte har någon vuxen att förlita sig på. Under min vistelsedär, på en svart skola, bevittnade jag hur ett av barnen blev utsatt för barnaga, vilket ärförbjudet i Sydafrika.Att som barn bli misshandlad och leva under kris kan få allvarliga konsekvenser. Barnet kanbli aggressivt och utåtagerande samt få bristande tillit till vuxna och omvärlden. Vidare kandet leda till att barnet själv, när den är vuxen, behandlar sina barn på samma sätt. Denna ondacirkel som kan skapas när ett barn far illa måste försöka brytas.Hur man som pedagog kan hjälpa och stötta dessa barn är inte lätt utan det kräver störreinsatser, ifrån socialtjänsten samt ett engagemang från skola och samhälle. En pedagog måsteförhålla sig professionellt. Det han/ hon kan göra är att stötta barnet, skapa en trygg miljö ochlåta barnet bearbeta och förstå sina känslor.</p>

During my study trip to South Africa I met a woman who held a speech. In the speech shesaid that the children in the black community don’t dream anymore, they can’t see a future.This awoke my interest for what was going to be the subject of my exam. Through myinterview with this woman, my observations during my study trip to South Africa and withhelp from relevant literature connected to the subject, I have studied how a child is affectedby growing up under such severe conditions, physical abuse and sexual assaults. I have alsostudied how I as a future educator can relate to a child who lives under these conditions.The woman in my interview told me that many of the children, in the black township I visited,are being sexually abused and she also told me how the children don’t have any grownups intheir surroundings in which they can trust. During my stay in a school in the black township Iwitnessed how the children were disciplined trough punishment, which is against the law inSouth Africa.Being abused and living under poor conditions as a child can have serious consequences.The child can become aggressive and act out on other people. They can also lose their abilityto have faith in adults and the world around them. Further when the child becomes an adultand have children on their own they can use the same behavioral pattern on their ownchildren. This can become a vicious circle, which has to be broken.How I as an educator can help and support these children is not easy and it demands biggerefforts, from social services and commitment from school and the society. You have to stayprofessional as an educator. What an educator can do is to support these children, create a safeenvironment and let the child work with their emotions. / Under min studieresa till Sydafrika mötte jag en kvinna som höll ett tal för oss. Talethandlade om att barnen i den svarta kåkstaden hon bodde i inte drömmer längre, de har ingaframtidsdrömmar. Detta väckte mitt intresse för vad som sen blev mitt examensarbete. Jag harmed hjälp av en intervju med denna kvinna, egna observationer under min studieresa tillSydafrika och via relevant litteratur kopplat till detta, undersökt hur man som barn kanpåverkas av att leva under svåra uppväxtvillkor, misshandel och övergrepp. Jag har ävenstuderat hur jag, som blivande pedagog, kan förhålla mig till barn som lever i kris.I intervjun berättar kvinnan hur många av barnen, i den svarta kåkstaden jag besökte, blirsexuellt utnyttjade och hur barnen inte har någon vuxen att förlita sig på. Under min vistelsedär, på en svart skola, bevittnade jag hur ett av barnen blev utsatt för barnaga, vilket ärförbjudet i Sydafrika.Att som barn bli misshandlad och leva under kris kan få allvarliga konsekvenser. Barnet kanbli aggressivt och utåtagerande samt få bristande tillit till vuxna och omvärlden. Vidare kandet leda till att barnet själv, när den är vuxen, behandlar sina barn på samma sätt. Denna ondacirkel som kan skapas när ett barn far illa måste försöka brytas.Hur man som pedagog kan hjälpa och stötta dessa barn är inte lätt utan det kräver störreinsatser, ifrån socialtjänsten samt ett engagemang från skola och samhälle. En pedagog måsteförhålla sig professionellt. Det han/ hon kan göra är att stötta barnet, skapa en trygg miljö ochlåta barnet bearbeta och förstå sina känslor.

In my thesis I have chosen to examine pre-school from a gender perspective, focusing on the current norms of society that are also influencing pre-school. My thesis is written in the form of an essay, which means that reflections are a substantial part, and writing has become a part of my process of learning. My thesis originates in three different situations that I have experienced during the years I have been working in the pre-school. These situations show how I, as a pre-school educator, unconsciously am a part of creating norms, patterns and gender. The curriculum of the pre-school has been the basis of this thesis, and an important part has been to interpret what the mission of pre-school is in practice. I start by explaining the concepts of sex, gender and norms, and continue by describing how preschool can be viewed as an institution preserving the norms. In the next part of the thesis I have looked more deeply into the three situations, my own gender mistakes. By using literature and my own experiences my objectives have been to find out how I, as an educator, consciously or unconsciously affect the children’s thoughts about gender roles and gender patterns. I reflect upon values, approaches and methods, and what it means to be creative around norms. Work in pre-school is always a tradeoff between being private and being professional, with a personal touch, and my conclusion is that it is not always easy despite the best of intentions. I am influenced by my own situation and the norms around me, and that is the reason why I repeatedly feel that I fail. The only way of creating change is to have an open mind, to be curious, and to dare reflecting upon my own actions. This way I become conscious about my own acting and the consequences it results in. I choose to like my mistakes and make the most of the knowledge that each mistake can give me. / I mitt examensarbete har jag valt att granska förskolan ur ett genusperspektiv, med fokus på de rådande samhällsnormerna som även speglas i förskolan. Jag har skrivit min uppsats i essäform vilket innebär att reflektioner har fått ett stort utrymme och skrivandet har blivit en del av min lärandeprocess. Min uppsats tar avstamp i tre olika händelser som jag varit med om under de år jag arbetat på förskola. Dessa situationer som jag beskriver visar på hur jag som förskolepedagog omedvetet är med och skapar normer, mönster och genus. Förskolans läroplan har varit min utgångspunkt och en viktig del i arbetet med den här uppsatsen har varit att tolka vad förskolans uppdrag innebär i praktiken. Jag inleder med att förklara begreppen; kön, genus och normer, för att sedan beskriva hur förskolan kan ses som en normbevarande praktik. I nästa avsnitt har jag fördjupat mig i de tre händelserna, mina egna genusvurpor. Med hjälp av litteratur och min egen erfarenhetsbaserade kunskap har jag haft som avsikt att ta reda på hur jag som pedagog, medvetet eller omedvetet, påverkar barns tänkande om könsroller och könsmönster. Jag reflekterar kring värdegrundsfrågor, förhållningssätt och metoder och vad det innebär att vara normkreativ. Arbetet på förskola är hela tiden en balansgång mellan att vara privat och att vara professionell med en personlig framtoning och min slutsats är att det inte alltid är så enkelt även om jag har de bästa intentionerna. Jag är färgad av mitt eget bagage och de normer som råder runt omkring mig och det är anledningen till att jag gång efter annan känner att jag misslyckas. Det enda sättet att skapa förändring är att ha ett öppet sinne, vara nyfiken och våga reflektera kring mitt eget handlande. På så vis blir jag medveten om mitt eget agerande och vilka konsekvenser det kan medföra. Jag väljer att gilla mina misstag och ta tillvara på den kunskap som varje vurpa kan ge mig.