The purpose of this study was to to investigate the impact of leadership practices on service quality in private higher education in South Africa as a source of competitive advantage. Higher education institutions and, more specifically, private higher education institutions, have faced increasing pressure on many fronts in recent years. These pressures include increased competition, lack of support from key constituencies, an increase in the size and diversity of the student population, dealing with changing technology, increased calls for accountability, a higher demand for quality by all the stakeholders involved, more responsibility for research and teaching and greater emphasis on efficient and effective management. The literature review for this study suggested that leadership impacts positively on quality and, equally important, on service quality. The academic leaders at these institutions have a tremendous influence on the quality of the education provided and the service rendered to the growing number of students. Using a quantitative methodology and a cross-sectional survey research design, this study was conducted on five campuses of a prominent private higher education provider across South Africa using two survey instruments. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) questionnaire was utilised to conduct the leadership survey while the SERVQUAL instrument was applied in the service quality survey. The campus principals of the five campuses and some of their selected subordinates completed the LPI survey. The SERVQUAL questionnaires were completed by 984 students from the five campuses. Correlation analysis was the major statistical tool used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated a strong positive linear correlation between the leadership practices of principals and service quality to students at these institutions. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die huidige prestasiebestuurstelsel van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch te evalueer en om verbeterings aan te beveel. Die volgende navorsingsdoelwitte is dus bespreek: bepaal of uitsonderlike prestasie beloon word; stel vas of personeellede in die huidige prestasiebestuursproses glo en dit ondersteun; identifiseer die knelpunte in die prestasiebestuurstelsel van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch; bepaal die kenmerke van en vereistes vir doeltreffende prestasiebestuurstelsels; ontwerp ‘n model wat toesighouers in die toekoms as wegspringblok kan gebruik om prestasie as deel van hul daaglikse aktiwiteite te meet; bepaal die potensiële verwantskap tussen prestasie en vergoedingsvlakke; en bemagtig Menslike Hulpbronne om die vergoedingsbeleid konsekwent toe te pas. Eerstens word eietydse literatuur bestudeer om die verskil tussen prestasiebeoordeling en prestasiebestuur te bepaal. Beste praktyk vir prestasiebestuur word deur die literatuuroorsig geïdentifiseer sodat die Universiteit van Stellenbosch dit in die toekoms kan implementeer en sodat die slaggate waarin ander instansies getrap het, vermy kan word. Ander hoër onderwysinstansies word geëvalueer om bestaande stelsels ten volle te begryp en te bepaal waar die Universiteit van Stellenbosch kan verbeter. Data van die 2006-2007 en 2007-2008 prestasie-evalueringstydperke is gebruik om te bepaal of daar ‘n korrelasie is tussen individuele prestasiepunte en bonusse wat ontvang is. Laastens word ‘n elektroniese vraeboog aan alle permanente personeellede aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch versprei word om te bepaal wat die huidige persepsie van prestasiebestuur by bogenoemde instansie is. Die resultate (verwys Tabel 4.4) toon aan dat die Universiteit van Stellenbosch as geheel nie aan die vasgestelde prestasiebestuurbeleid voldoen nie. Sommige personeellede wat ‘n prestasiepunt van 3 en laer behaal het, het ook bonusse ontvang. ‘n Bonus vir ‘n prestasiepunt van 3 kan nog regverdig word as ‘n erkenning vir harde werk. Die Universiteit van Stellenbosch streef ooreenkomstig sy vergoedingsbeleid daarna om ‘n verwantskap tussen prestasie en vergoeding te bewerkstelling deur tussen uitsonderlike, gemiddelde en ondergemiddelde presteerders te onderskei. Dit is duidelik dat die Universiteit van Stellenbosch se beleidsdokumente (vergoeding en prestasiebestuur) uitgevoer word en weldeurdag is. Opleiding, wat saam met opvoeding bevorder word, verseker ‘n hoë vlak van begrip vir prestasiebestuur, die ontwikkeling van die nodige vaardighede en waardering vir die waarde wat prestasiebestuur tot ‘n organisasie kan toevoeg. Die voorgestelde prestasiebestuursmodel (verwys Tabel 5.2) sal verseker dat behoorlike voorbereiding gedoen word (standaard werkprosedures en opleiding) met opvolgaksies (kritiek en hersiening) om te verseker dat die model saam met die organisasie groei. Die huidige prestasiebestuurproses (die hoe) is onsuksesvol. Aandag kan egter aan die proses geskenk word deur opleiding en heropleiding en deur meer finansiële hulpbronne beskikbaar te stel om te verseker dat gepaste verwantskap tussen prestasie en vergoeding geskep word. Verskeie prestasiebestuurprogramme (elektroniese weergawes) is beskikbaar. Dit is vir die toekoms uiters belangrik om elektroniese bestuursmetingsprogramme te implementeer en om die proses hierby aan te pas. Gereelde kommunikasie hou personeel ingelig en verseker dat die verskillende stadiums van prestasiebestuur plaasvind. Die idee dat prestasiebestuur alledaags en tydrowend is moet in ‘n kultuur van maklike en doeltreffende prestasiebestuur omskep word. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to critically examine the current situation regarding the performance management system at Stellenbosch University and make recommendations for improvement. This was done by looking at the following research objectives: determine whether outstanding performance is rewarded; investigate whether staff members believe in and support the current performance process; identify barriers to the performance management system at Stellenbosch University; determine characteristics and requirements of effective performance management systems; design a model that can be used in future as a starting point for supervisors to measure performance as part of their daily activities; determine the potential link between performance and remuneration levels; and empower Human Resources to consistently enforce the remuneration policy. Firstly, contemporary literature was reviewed to understand the difference between performance appraisal and performance management. Best practices for performance management were identified through the literature review to ensure that Stellenbosch University implements those in future and to steer away from the pitfalls other institutions have experienced. Other higher education institutions were evaluated to fully understand what is in place and where Stellenbosch University can improve. Data from the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 performance evaluation periods were used to determine whether a correlation exists between an individual’s performance mark and receiving a bonus. Lastly, an electronic questionnaire was distributed to all permanent employees of Stellenbosch University to determine the current perception of performance management at this institution. The results (refer Table 4.4) indicate that Stellenbosch University as a whole does not comply with the set policy regarding performance appraisal. There were employees who received performance v marks of 3 and below who also received bonuses. Performance marks of 3 can be justified and seen as a “thank you for your hard work”. In terms of Stellenbosch University’s remuneration policy, the University strives to establish a link between performance and remuneration by differentiating between outstanding, average and below average performers. It is clear that Stellenbosch University’s policies (remuneration and performance management) are in place and well thought through. Training, running concurrently with education, ensures a high level of understanding of performance management, the development of the required skills and an appreciation of the value that performance management can add to an organisation. The proposed performance management model (refer Table 5.2) will ensure that thorough preparation is done (standard working procedures and training), with a follow-up action (critique and revision), to allow this model to evolve with the organisation. The current performance management process (how) is not successful. However, it can be fully addressed through training and re-training, and by making more financial resources available to ensure an appropriate linkage between performance and remuneration. Several performance management programmes (electronic versions) do exist. Moving forward, it is vital to implement electronic measuring programmes in conjunction with the re-alignment of the process. Regular communication will keep employees informed and will ensure that the different stages of performance management take place. The idea that performance management is mundane and time-consuming must be changed to a culture of easy-to-do and effective performance management.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Value added links a company’s financial statements to the national income and performs a useful function in macro-economic measurement. At the national level, productivity is a major determinant of economic growth and progress and of vital importance to the survival and wellbeing of all South Africans. The presentation of information in added value terms can provide an effective communication tool that enables all personnel at all levels to understand where the business stands, what their roles in it are and what can be done to improve certain ratios. The concept of value added does not only act as a communication medium in showing how a company is performing, but also demonstrates the need for increased wealth to ensure higher distribution to all the stakeholders. This research report aims to establish, amongst other matters, the future use of value added as a proxy for productivity as a basis (a new mindset) for determining salary increases at tertiary institutions. Because this could be regarded as a leap into the unknown, this study used the results of the industrial sector for benchmarking. As tertiary institutions never previously published a value added statement it was decided to follow the practice of the Value Added Scoreboard since 2002; that is, to compile a value added statement for tertiary institutions using the audited annual reports and, specifically, the income statement. The handling of part-time, casual or seasonal employees can cause measurement problems in the value added per employee ratio. The matter is also further complicated by the fact that there is a lack of full description of employee data in the financial statements as to whether or not the published employee numbers refer to either full-time equivalent, average number of employees over the period or number of employees at year end. If one is to use employee numbers to do an analysis of certain ratios there needs to be clarity in future on how these numbers must be reported. In conclusion it was found that the low increase or decrease in salaries, together with the increase in employee numbers resulted in a negative growth rate in salaries per employee. The conclusion can thus be made that the tertiary institutions did not take productivity into account when granting salary increases. Finally, though this research report was only exploratory, the recommendation can be made that the concept of value added should be implemented at tertiary institutions, preferably by firstly taking the research staff of the entire institution and from there the distribution per department into account, and lastly to reflect the value added for the institution as a whole. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Toegevoegde waarde verbind ’n maatskappy se finansiële state met die nasionale inkomste en vervul ’n nuttige rol as makro-ekonomiese maatstaf. Op nasionale vlak is produktiwiteit ’n vername bepaler van ekonomiese groei en vordering en is dit van kardinale belang tot die oorlewing en welstand van alle Suid-Afrikaners. Die aanbied van inligting in terme van toegevoegde waarde kan ’n doeltreffende kommunikasie-instrument wees wat alle personeel op alle vlakke in staat stel om te verstaan wat die stand van sake is, wat hulle rolle binne die besigheid is en wat gedoen kan word om sekere ratio’s te verbeter. Die toegevoegdewaarde-konsep dien nie slegs as kommunikasiemiddel om die maatskappy se prestasie aan te dui nie, maar toon ook aan dat daar ’n behoefte is aan groter rykdom om hoër verspreiding aan alle belanghebbendes te verseker. Hierdie navorsingsverslag het ten doel om onder meer die toekomstige gebruik van toegevoegde waarde te vestig as ’n aanduider vir produktiwiteit as ’n grondslag (’n nuwe geestesingesteldheid) vir die vasstel van salarisverhogings by tersiêre instellings. Aangesien dit beskou kan word as ’n sprong in die duister, het hierdie studie die resultate van die nywerheidsektor as normstelling gebruik. Omdat tersiêre instellings nog nooit vantevore ’n toegevoegde waarde-staat gepubliseer het nie, is daar besluit om die praktyk van die Toegevoegdewaarde-telbord sedert 2002 te volg. Dit beteken dat ’n toegevoegde waarde-staat vir tersiêre instellings saamgestel is deur die geouditeerde jaarverslae en, spesifiek, die inkomstestaat te gebruik. Die hantering van deeltydse, los of seisoenwerkers kan metingsprobleme in die toegevoegde waarde per werknemer-ratio tot gevolg hê. Die saak word ook verder bemoeilik deur die feit dat daar ’n gebrek aan volledige werknemerinligting in die finansiële state is wat betref of die gepubliseerde werknemergetalle verwys na die voltydse ekwivalent, die gemiddelde getal werknemers oor die tydperk, of die werknemers met jaareinde. Indien die werknemergetalle gebruik word om ’n ontleding van sekere ratio’s te doen, is dit duidelik dat daar in die toekoms meer klaarheid moet wees oor die wyse waarop hierdie getalle gerapporteer moet word. Daar is gevolglik bevind dat die lae styging of daling in salarisse, tesame met die styging in werknemergetalle, tot ’n negatiewe groeikoers in salarisse per werknemer lei. Die gevolgtrekking kan dus gemaak word dat die tersiêre instellings nie produktiwiteit in ag geneem het toe salarisverhogings toegestaan is nie. Laastens, alhoewel hierdie navorsingsverslag slegs verkennend van aard was, kan die aanbeveling gemaak word dat die konsep van toegevoegde waarde by tersiêre instellings geïmplementeer word. Verkieslik deur eerstens die navorsingspersoneel van die instelling te neem, daarna die verdeling per departement en dan laastens om toegevoegde waarde vir die instelling as geheel weer te gee.

This pilot research survey was undertaken as a result of the need to assess the service quality within Higher Education in general and the Department of Management at UWC in particular. This report focuses on the complexities of measuring service quality in higher education. The quality of service delivery within education is becoming more important as the competition for students increases.<br /> The literature was searched to find a suitable measure with a sound theoretical structure. This measure was then adapted for the department.<br /> <br /> In a preliminary way this instrument was then applied to students in the department and initial results are reported on.<br /> The results revealed that undergraduates overall were uncertain in their attitude to the service quality in the department. On the other hand, postgraduate students tended to rate the service quality rather more negatively (p &lt / 0.004). Furthermore there were no gender differences except for tangibles (p = 000.5).<br /> <br /> This pilot study could serve as a pilot study of the service quality in an academic environment. It is the main contention of this report that students themselves should be part of defining quality.

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-03-18T19:20:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 qualidade_educacao.pdf: 1467884 bytes, checksum: dc4c536105cb0d75ad72a9fcbab44a5d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-18T19:20:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 qualidade_educacao.pdf: 1467884 bytes, checksum: dc4c536105cb0d75ad72a9fcbab44a5d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-21 / CNPQ – Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A investigação "Qualidade da Educação Superior e o Prouni: Limites e Possibilidades de uma Política de Inclusão" integrou o Projeto Observatório de Educação - CAPES/INEP e a Rede Sul Brasileira de Investigadores da Educação Superior - RIES. A pesquisa assumiu uma perspectiva qualitativa de cunho interpretativo que se utiliza de dados quantitativos e teve como foco central a qualidade da educação superior. O estudo se propôs a investigar o Programa Universidade para Todos - PROUNI, enquanto uma política de inclusão na Educação Superior, com o intuito de averiguar se a presença dos bolsistas deste Programa impacta a qualidade de ensino nas Instituições que os acolhem. A abordagem metodológica assumiu a condição de estudo de caso, tomando como foco uma universidade da região sul do Brasil. Para a obtenção dos dados, além das fontes documentais, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores e gestores da IES e aplicados questionários com os estudantes beneficiados pelo Prouni. Para o aprofundamento dos conceitos de qualidade na educação superior, foram feitas, ainda, algumas entrevistas com professores da Universidade de Sevilha, por ocasião do estágio sanduíche, com beneficio da bolsa do CNPq. O referencial teórico envolveu, principalmente, aportes de READINGS(2003), DIAS SOBRINHO (2005), PAIM (1982), MOROSINI (2007), CHAUÍ (2001), CUNHA (2006, 1998), OLIVEN(2007),FREIRE(1980), SZYMANSKI (2002) e SILVEIRA(2002) e outros. Comoresultado do estudo foi possível ensaiar alguns indicadores de qualidade da educação superior e, mais especialmente, do ensino de graduação. Os dados empíricos foram organizados em cinco categorias, expressas como: Democratização e ampliação do acesso na educação superior; Permanência dos estudantes na universidade; Ascensão na escala social, tendo em vista a condição familiar do estudante; Sucesso no percurso acadêmico; Qualificação do estudante no espaço laboral; e Consolidação de valores democráticos de equidade e solidariedade. Com os dados obtidos através da empiria foi possível fazer algumas inferências. A mais ampla e geral informa que a presença dos alunos bolsistas do Prouni não impacta negativamente a qualidade da Educação Superior, na opinião dos professores, gestores e dos próprios estudantes participantes da pesquisa. Possíveis razões apontadas para tal resultado, dizem respeito à condição de ingresso dos alunos, pautada pelo mérito obtido no Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM). Este estaria garantindo um critério meritocrático que se alia aos demais, relativos ao percurso estudantil prévio em escola pública e à renda familiar. Há, inclusive, indícios de rendimento positivo dos estudantes, justificado pela maior motivação e interesse destes alunos que, assim, estariam valorizando a oportunidade que o Programa lhes proporcionou. Entretanto, os dados quantitativos evidenciam uma significativa evasão, que aponta o rendimento acadêmico insuficiente como um dos principais motivos de tal fenômeno. Esses estudantes evadidos, mesmo que silenciosamente, - já que não se constituíram como amostra nesse estudo -, estão indicando uma condição diferente, que tensiona os resultados obtidos que decorrem daqueles que permanecem na Instituição com bom desempenho acadêmico. Esse dado está estimulando a necessidade de repensar as políticas governamentais e institucionais, no sentido de prever maior apoio aos bolsistas durante o percurso de formação e aprofundar as causas da evasão. Ainda assim, os dados reforçam a importância das políticas de ação afirmativa, com o intuito de minorar as diferenças de oportunidades educacionais que se evidenciam em sociedades desiguais, como é o caso do Brasil. / The investigation The Higher Education Quality and The Prouni: Limits and possibilities of a inclusion policy integrated the Observatory Project of Education - CAPES/INEP and the South Brazilian Network of researchers in Higher Education- RIES. The research adopted a qualitative perspective with an interpretative structure, using quantitative dates structure and had its central focus in the higher education quality. The study proposed to investigate the Program College to All - PROUNI, while a policy of inclusion in the High Education, in order of inquire whether of presence of this scholarship students in this Program impacts in the education quality in the institutions that host them. The methodological approach has assumed a condition of a case study, focusing a university in southern Brazil. To obtain the data, beside the documentary sources, semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers and IESs managers and applied questionnaires with the benefited students by Prouni. To deepen the concepts of quality in higher education, were made, still, some interviews with the Seville Universitys teachers, at the sandwich stage, with the benefit of scholarship from CNPq. The theoretical reference involved, mainly, contributions of READINGS (2003), NEPHEW (2005), PAIM (1982), MOROSINI (2007), CHAU (2001), CUNHA (2006, 1998), OLIVEN (2007), FREIRE (1980), SZYMANSKI (2002) and SILVEIRA (2002) and others. With the study‟s result was possible to test some indicators of quality in the higher education, but specially, of the graduations teach. The empirical data was organized in five categories, like: Democratization and expansion of access in higher education; Permanence of students at college; Rise in social scale, in view of the familiar students‟ condition; Success in a academic way; Qualification of students in a laboral space; and consolidation of democratic values of equity and solidarity. With de data earned trough the empiric, was possible do some interferences. The wider and general reports that the scholarship students Prouni do not impact negatively in the quality of higher education, in the teachers opinion, managers and students own research participants. Possibly reasons aimed for such result, concern to the conditions of students enrollment, based on merit earned in the National Exam High School (ENEM). This would be guaranteed a meritocratic criterion with is allied to the other, relative to student route prior public school and a family income. There is, including, traces of positive income of the students, justified by the most motivation and interest of this students that, still, would be valuing the opportunity that the program gave them. However, quantitative data show a significant drop which indicates inadequate academic performance as one of the main reason to this phenomenon. This escapees students, even that silently, - since it isnt constituted as a sample in this study-, it is indicating a different condition, that tense the results earned those who remain in the institution with good academic performance. This data is encouraging the necessity to rethink the government politics and institutional, in order to provide greater support to the scholarship students while the formation way a deeper the evasion causes. Still, the data reinforce the importance of affirmative action policies, in order to decrease the differences in educational opportunities that is evident in a unequal societies, as is the case in Brazil.

Rådande föreställningar, förväntningar och normer bland högskolestudenter menas vara präglade av samhälleliga förändringar, varav det akademiska förhållningssättet till högre studier manifesteras annorlunda mot vad det tidigare har gjort (Arensmeier &amp; Lennqvist Lindén, 2014). Detta hänvisas bland annat till de senaste decenniernas kraftigt ökade studentvolym och breddade rekrytering från tidigare underrepresenterade grupper (Universitetskanslersämbetet, 2018). Detta har i sin tur har följts av friktion i att mötet mellan studenter, lärare och utbildning som konsekvens av att tidigare etablerade förväntansstrukturer successivt omförhandlas (Olofsson, 2013), vilket menas vara präglat av negativa tendenser i förhållande till utbildningens kvalitet (Arensmeier &amp; Lennqvist Lindén, 2014). Föreliggande studie syftade därmed till att studera hur problematiken kan förklaras i termer av akademiskt berättigande hos svenska högskolestudenter. Med en svensk översättning av Academic Entitlement Scale (Wasieleski et al., 2014) kartläggs potentiella förklaringsfaktorer genom åskådliggörande av dagens högskolestudenters attityd till högre utbildning. Resultatet erhöll underlag för preliminär validering av den svenska översättningen av Academic Entitlement Scale, vars reliabilitet uppmätte Cronbach’s α =.78 (n = 274) hos en svensk studentpopulation. Vidare indikerades ett signifikant negativt samband mellan akademiskt berättigande och studiemotiv, baserat på intresse inför ämnet studenten läser. Sammanfattningsvis framhåller studien att förklaringsfaktorer som bakomligger svenska studenters förhållningssätt till högre studier kan erhållas med hjälp av akademiskt berättigande, varav studiens diskussion förs kring resultatets möjliga implikationer samt hur framtida forskning förslagsvis kan bedrivas för att fortsatt undersöka området. / Current beliefs, expectations and norms among today's Swedish university students are meant to be characterized by the social changes, of which the academic approach to higher studies manifests differently to what it was done in the past (Arensmeier &amp; Lennqvist Lindén, 2014). This is referred to the recent decades of increasing student volume and broadened recruitment from previously under-represented groups (Universitetskanslersämbetet, 2018). This has in turn been followed by friction in that the meeting between the pupil, teachers and education as a consequence of the earlier established expectation structure is gradually renegotiated (Olofsson, 2013), which is meant to be characterised by negative tendencies in relation to the education’s quality (Arensmeier &amp; Lennqvist Lindén, 2014). The present study aimed to investigate how the problems can be explained in terms of Academic Entitlement among Swedish university students. With a Swedish translation of the Academic Entitlement Scale (Wasieleski et al., 2014), potential explanatory factors are pointed out by illustrating the current attitudes toward higher education among students. The result supported a preliminary validation of the Swedish translation of Academic Entitlement Scale, which reliability measured Cronbach’s α =.78 (n = 274) within a Swedish student population. Further on was an indication of a significant negative correlation between academic entitlement and study motives, based on interest regarding the subject which the student is involved in. In conclusion, the study gives prominence to that explaining factors underlaying Swedish students approach to higher studies can be obtained by using academic entitlement, of which the study’s discussion is conducted around the result’s possible implications as well as which course of action future research suggestively might apprehend in their further research of the field.

The purpose of this study was to to investigate the impact of leadership practices on service quality in private higher education in South Africa as a source of competitive advantage. Higher education institutions and, more specifically, private higher education institutions, have faced increasing pressure on many fronts in recent years. These pressures include increased competition, lack of support from key constituencies, an increase in the size and diversity of the student population, dealing with changing technology, increased calls for accountability, a higher demand for quality by all the stakeholders involved, more responsibility for research and teaching and greater emphasis on efficient and effective management. The literature review for this study suggested that leadership impacts positively on quality and, equally important, on service quality. The academic leaders at these institutions have a tremendous influence on the quality of the education provided and the service rendered to the growing number of students. Using a quantitative methodology and a cross-sectional survey research design, this study was conducted on five campuses of a prominent private higher education provider across South Africa using two survey instruments. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) questionnaire was utilised to conduct the leadership survey while the SERVQUAL instrument was applied in the service quality survey. The campus principals of the five campuses and some of their selected subordinates completed the LPI survey. The SERVQUAL questionnaires were completed by 984 students from the five campuses. Correlation analysis was the major statistical tool used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated a strong positive linear correlation between the leadership practices of principals and service quality to students at these institutions. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

This pilot research survey was undertaken as a result of the need to assess the service quality within Higher Education in general and the Department of Management at UWC in particular. This report focuses on the complexities of measuring service quality in higher education. The quality of service delivery within education is becoming more important as the competition for students increases.<br /> The literature was searched to find a suitable measure with a sound theoretical structure. This measure was then adapted for the department.<br /> <br /> In a preliminary way this instrument was then applied to students in the department and initial results are reported on.<br /> The results revealed that undergraduates overall were uncertain in their attitude to the service quality in the department. On the other hand, postgraduate students tended to rate the service quality rather more negatively (p &lt / 0.004). Furthermore there were no gender differences except for tangibles (p = 000.5).<br /> <br /> This pilot study could serve as a pilot study of the service quality in an academic environment. It is the main contention of this report that students themselves should be part of defining quality.

Most school management teams (SMTs) do not do their tasks either due to lack of time or inability to fulfil this obligation. Should this be true for South African schools, it would reflect negatively on the SMT job performance. This led to undertaking research in order to ascertain the fit between organisational policies of induction, mentoring, curriculum assessment training and curriculum supervision and the SMT job performance by way of establishing the effect of organisation policy on SMTs’ job performance. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design of the correlational type. Two sets of questionnaires, one for independent variables and the other for the dependent variable, were used to elicit information from the respondents. Some of the findings show that aspiring SMT members need some training so as to know what will be expected of them to do once they get selected as SMT members. It was further proven that common tests that are normally set at the provincial and district and/or school based levels are invariably not of the standard that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) prescribes nationally. The foregoing led to the conclusion that the SMT job practice is invariably not informed by the relevant organisational policies. Hence a cascade model of SMT training is recommended, as is the notion that training toward organisational policies under review should be done cohesively.

Thesis (Dtech( Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / The study focused on teacher education in South African universities. The major purpose was to examine how teacher educators in South African universities prepared teacher education students for teaching and learning within a context of quality. It is important to start with quality teachers before being able to speak about quality education because "you cannot give what you do not have" (Parliamentary Monitoring Group of South Africa, 2009:3).Consistent with the postmodern qualitative paradigm I used phenomenology as the strategy of research. The main epistemological assumption was that the way of knowing reality was through exploring the experiences of others regarding a specific phenomenon, in this case teaching and learning of teacher education students. To this end the stories, experiences and voices of the respondents were the medium through which I explored and understood reality embedded in the teaching and learning of teacher education students.The research sites included four Faculties of Education nationally. Purposive sampling was conducted to adequately capture the heterogeneity of institutions especially of those faculties that offer Initial Professional Education for Teachers (IPET) programmes.Purposive sampling was also used to select both students and lecturers because respondents were selected on the basis of some defining characteristic that made them holders of the data needed for the study.