This study explored secondary school teachers’ experiences of their principals’ use of power and control at schools in the Matlosana area in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, North West province. The aims of the study were to (i) explore and describe secondary school teachers' experiences of their principals’ power and control at school, (ii) explore how their principals’ power and control affects secondary school teachers at school, and (iii) provide suggestions for secondary school teachers to help them to deal with their principals’ power and control at school. The theoretical framework was based on a number of theories of power and control. The study was situated in an interpretive paradigm. The researcher chose a qualitative research design and methods that were appropriate for a phenomenological approach. The participating teachers were purposefully selected for the data-generation process that involved photo-elicitation-narratives (written) and photo-elicitation group interviews. Ethical requirements were met by ensuring confidentiality and the anonymity of these participants. The following criteria were applied in order to ensure the trustworthiness of the study: truth value (credibility), applicability (transferability), consistency (dependability) and neutrality (confirmability). The data analysis was done by means of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). The main themes that emerged from the data analysis process were: * Theme 1: principals’ expression of power and control evoked a range of feelings in secondary school teachers, and * Theme 2: teachers were oblivious to their own role in managing their experiences of their principals’ power and control at school. The findings of the study were used to provide suggestions for secondary school teachers to help them to deal with their principals’ power and control at school and to sustain their overall well-being. / MEd (Educational Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This article offers a perspective on adolescents' experiences of aggression in a secondary school, with a focus on the manifestation, contributing factors, consequences, and learners' opinions on aggression. An inductive qualitative research approach was chosen, where learners wrote about their experiences and participated in focused semi-structured interviews. Central themes were derived by means of thematic content analysis. The results revealed that a substantial number of learners experienced negative feelings about aggression at school and that aggression was related to individual characteristics, the adolescent's developmental stage, socialisation, status, competition, home environment, prior experiences, learnt behaviour and the effect of the media and music. Aggression was present among all genders. ages and cultures in school. It seemed to have a higher prevalence among boys, but was also significantly present among girls. Physical and emotional bullying had a high prevalence. which showed that bullying is problematic at schools. Passive aggression was mostly present in the form of oppositional behaviour towards authorities at school and educators are often verbally abused and ignored by learners, but their classrooms are also damaged. Individual characteristics, interpersonal relationships, multicultural interaction and a lack of sufficient social skills contributed towards many acts of aggression. Aggression was prominent in the reciprocal relationships between adolescents and their social environment. Being part of a group and forming a social identity are very important. Confiding in groups may expose learners to peer pressure, which may lead to activities and behaviour that are aggressive in nature. There were reports of discrimination and it seemed that learners get along better with others who share an equal status. This may possibly explain why aggression seemed less between white English-speaking and black English-learners, while it was more common between white Afrikaans and white/black English-speaking learners. Increased social contact between members of different social groups could reduce prejudice if these persons have an equal status. Exposure to aggression had emotional consequences, and some learners were prone to feelings of anger, fear, depression, being controlled and a loss of self-content. Behavioural responses included retaliation, pacifism, vandalism and suicide. Exposure to aggression (directly and indirectly) provoked several responses. These responses may be emotional or behavioural in nature. Emotions such as fear and anger and feeling overwhelmed, depressed and helpless may be elicited in response to aggression. Some learners may retaliate towards an aggressive incident through physical or verbal behaviour; others may withdraw and avoid social interactions. Learners may direct their aggression towards others (people and objects) or themselves. In the case of the latter, it may lead to depression, self-harm or even suicide. No single factor propels an adolescent to act aggressively. Instead, the causes of such behaviour are complex and multifaceted. Most participants in this research experienced aggression at school as unhealthy. Aggression may have emotional and behavioural consequences such as disruption, discomfort and disturbance of normal functioning. Although aggression seemed relatively under control at this particular school, there are signs of an increase in aggression and in the severity of some of the incidents, and of the possibility of desensitisation towards aggression, with the agonising possibility that aggression is serving as a form of entertainment for some learners. The need for learner involvement, school guidance programmes and life-skill training was prominent, accompanied by the need for school counsellors to assist in the management of aggression. Teachers must have better knowledge of the adolescent developmental phase so that they could understand and identify behavioural problems among learners. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Mathematical manipulative materials (manipulatives) invite students to explore and represent abstract mathematical concepts in varied, concrete, tactile, and visually rich ways. Considering the prominence of the use of mathematical manipulatives in current K-12 curricula, pedagogical resources and professional development, research studies show that few secondary school teachers use them. While these studies do not examine this issue from the teachers’ perspective, they posit that some teachers lack the mathematical knowledge connected to manipulatives, are uncomfortable with or uncertain how to use them, or do not believe that manipulatives have value in the teaching of secondary school mathematics. As a result there is a great need for research that provides further detail as to why and how secondary school mathematics teachers use manipulatives in their classrooms. This study, guided by the research questions: ‘How do secondary school teachers view the use of manipulatives in teaching mathematics?’ and ‘How do secondary school teachers describe their use of manipulatives in teaching mathematics?’, sought to examine these issues through semi-structured interviews with six secondary school mathematics teachers. This study supports the notion that the use of manipulatives in secondary school mathematics classrooms is influenced by teachers' views and experience with manipulatives. It highlights some of the challenges that teachers face, and supports from which they gain confidence and competence in their efforts to integrate the use of mathematical manipulatives into their teaching practice.

Declining science enrolment, with the greatest decline in physics, has generated concern surrounding students’ future abilities to function in an increasingly scientific and technology-focused society. In an attempt to understand why students select or reject physics, a multiphase qualitative phenomenological study was designed, with the following questions: (a) Why do students select or reject physics courses? (b) What role does physics identity play in student course selection? (c) What other factors, extrinsic or intrinsic, affect their choices to pursue physics? Questionnaire, interview, focus group and student drawing data indicate students reject physics when it is not required for further studies in university based on their belief that physics is a difficult math-reliant subject, they do not identify with physics, and they are unsure what physics is and what they would study. Recommendations include teaching physics aligned with students’ interests, and teaching physics to promote a positive physics student identity.

Declining science enrolment, with the greatest decline in physics, has generated concern surrounding students’ future abilities to function in an increasingly scientific and technology-focused society. In an attempt to understand why students select or reject physics, a multiphase qualitative phenomenological study was designed, with the following questions: (a) Why do students select or reject physics courses? (b) What role does physics identity play in student course selection? (c) What other factors, extrinsic or intrinsic, affect their choices to pursue physics? Questionnaire, interview, focus group and student drawing data indicate students reject physics when it is not required for further studies in university based on their belief that physics is a difficult math-reliant subject, they do not identify with physics, and they are unsure what physics is and what they would study. Recommendations include teaching physics aligned with students’ interests, and teaching physics to promote a positive physics student identity.

Within the social, cultural and political contexts for arts education in Singapore today, this thesis describes a framework for the development of a dance curriculum for 13 to 16 years old secondary school students. This study considers the question: What kind of Dance Elective Programme will address the needs of the diverse communities in Singapore? The framework for the Dance Elective Programme that emerges from the research describes rationale, content, and approaches as identified by the research participants. Research data collected includes dance syllabi; dance journals; questionnaires and interviews with various individuals in Singapore. The significance of dance in the school curriculum is accentuated by several Singapore government reports where the issue of the promotion of arts education is raised. Currently in the secondary school curriculum in Singapore, the arts subjects offered are visual art and music; dance has yet to be offered as an academic subject. A comprehensive arts education should encompass other disciplines, so as to provide a holistic learning environment in schools. It is hoped that this suggested framework will provide an impetus for further development and implementation of dance curriculum in Singapore schools in the near future.

This research focused on how three principals in Melbourne boys-only schools view and influence the place of massed singing within their respective school cultures. The views of the principals themselves and their own capacity for self-reflection were critical to the thesis. The study was underpinned by three theoretical propositions: principals, although not usually involved in the teaching of massed singing, nevertheless exert an influence on it; massed singing has a unique power to enhance the broader school culture; and, cultural assumptions about gendered participation in music-making can affect student attitudes towards massed singing. The review of literature highlighted three themes which informed the conceptual framework underpinning the research: organisational and educational leadership; the construct of masculinity in boys’ education and in leadership; and the nature and benefits of massed singing. Given the themes of the review, it seemed appropriate to undertake a study which would be essentially qualitative, interpretive, and based on indepth interviews with the key stakeholders. In the case of each of the three participating principals, data was collected from key documents produced by the schools, from a written questionnaire, and from a semistructured interview. The questionnaire was designed both to collect data and to raise participants’ consciousness prior to the interview. The questionnaire’s 17 questions, structured so as to address the three themes identified through the review of literature, were designed to create a flexible framework for an in-depth exploration of key issues in the context of the interview itself. Findings from the study indicated that there was a very strong belief amongst the participating principals that massed singing affects the overall culture of their schools in a range of profound and significant ways; that they themselves exercise a sponsorial or support role in relation to the singing programs in their schools, and rely on experts for the effective delivery of musical content; that traditional stereotypes of gender can be challenged and debunked through student participation in massed singing; and that their own personal histories of singing, and their favourable disposition towards it, are significant factors in how effectively they are able to promote and support it. The study findings have implications for school leaders and their boards; the teaching profession in general, and choral and vocal educators in particular; parents and the arts community; government education authorities and policy makers; and this researcher himself. Recommendations for further research have also emerged out of this study.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Educational Administration, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 19, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 190-200). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1979. / Title from title page screen, viewed Feb. 2, 2005. Dissertation Committee: J.H. McGrath (chair), Ronald Laymon, Mary K. Huser, Benjamin Hubbard, Clinton Bunke. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-92) and abstract. Also available in print.