Submitted in part fuImment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OFEDUCATION IN THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2002. / The study focuses on staff development in secondary schools in the Eshowe District in order to examine its effectiveness. The aims of the study were as follows: • To determine the nature of staff development; • To determine whether staff development is there at secondary schools in Eshowe District; • To examine the staff development practices in Eshowe District and • To provide recommendations regarding the improvement of staff development programmes and to suggest methods on how schools should initiate staff development programmes. Survey method was used to gather the information. A 50 item questionnaire on provision of staff development were given to 15 high schools' principals of Eshowe District as a way of collecting data about staff development. The Eshowe District was divided into five circuits during the time of investigation. Three principals in each circuit were chosen randomly. The study identified the following areas: time constraints for staff development; staffing of schools; several departmental workshops and curriculum transformation. The conclusion drawn from the study was that staff development was ineffective in most secondary schools. In the light of the findings from the study the investigator suggested several recommendations.

Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education, in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Zululand, 2001. / The study deals with staff development at secondary schools in the Mthunzini district. Staff development practices at various secondary schools are examined in the study. The aims of this study were the following: • to determine the nature of staff development as described in relevant literature; • to investigate staff development practices at secondary schools in the Mthunzini district, and • to present the findings and recommendations which emanate from this study. Literature review was done on various textbooks, newspaper articles and journals related to the study. Various staff development theories and models were identified in order to relate them to the current staff development practices in the district under consideration. Detailed discussion of staff development initiatives that have been started by the KwaZulu-Natal department of education (Mthunzini district) also forms part of this study. The population of the study comprised principals of secondary schools in the Mthunzini district. Questionnaires were used to facilitate the process of collecting data. The study attended to learning/developmental activities; provision of staff development materials; sharing of knowledge and tasks, and work related skills that influence one's understanding of the job. Data analysis was both quantitative and qualitative. The findings of the study necessitated the investigator to make recommendations regarding staff development. / University of Zululand.

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No description available.

The national 'Investors in People' (IiP) standard seeks to set a level of what it regards as good practice for aligning staff development and management with an organization's goals. This dissertation questions why some English universities adopt 'Investors'. Whilst many other education institutions have adopted the Standard since its launch in 1991, universities' adoption of 'Investors' has been patchy. Throughout the 1990s, the UK public sector has been urged by successive governments towards what is perceived as a new managerialism. As public service organizations, universities (which I have conceptualized in the dissertation as "ivory cages") have been subject to radical reforms that have in turn created new internal rationalities of purpose, work and performance in higher education institutions (HEIs) as they seek to manage externally-imposed changes. Sectoral reports have encouraged HEIs to adopt 'Investors in People' as part of wider change strategies, yet whole institution accreditation in England is largely limited to post-1992 universities, with departmental accreditations greater amongst service or para-professional departments. Three key questions underpin this dissertation: Why is 'Investors in People' adopted? How is the decision implemented? And to what extent (and under what conditions) is IiP institutionalized or embedded? These are considered primarily from a Sociological Institutionalist perspective, through Tolbert and Zucker's (1983) framework of the component processes of institutionalization. My own metaphors of ivory cage and theatre stage are used as structural and illustrative tools. PART I of this dissertation presents the rationales and contexts for the conceptual framework and methodology used. PART II focuses on the stages of institutionalization and on accounts of 'Investors in People' implementation from within the ivory cages. The final chapter returns to the research questions and argues that internal and external environments and the power, roles and perceptions of social actors are important factors in understanding change in higher education and, specifically, in decisions to adopt 'Investors in People'.

Distance education delivered via broadband networks and sophisticated electronic technologies is one innovation often recommended for helping rural schools and their communities provide students with curricula and educational opportunities necessary for success in a global economy. This case study explored how eight rural Virginia school systems with little prior experience involving these technologies implemented a regional telecommunications network (SVCC-TN, part of Net.Work.Virginia). Over a one year period, 54 administrators, teachers, and students (representing nine schools) joined together in multi-role telecommunications teams to learn how the technology functioned and could enhance teaching and learning opportunities, and then facilitated implementation at their local sites. The following questions were addressed: (a) How was the process of implementing distance education initially characterized? (b) What barriers did schools face? (c) How did school teams function? (d) How did this process affect perceived attitudes, concerns, and self-efficacy of participants? and (e) In what ways did individuals and schools redefine, reorganize or reinvent the initial process in order to optimize implementation? Qualitative research methods, supported by qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments, were utilized. Teachers and administrators on school telecommunications teams completed questionnaires at the start and close of the study that addressed attitude, concerns (measured via Concerns-Based Adoption Model [CBAM] instrument) and self-efficacy. Additional data was obtained from analysis of open-ended surveys; focus group transcripts; documents; interviews; and researcher notes, comments, and observations of workshops and meetings attended by school teams and superintendents. The outcomes of this study identified that both technical and top-level institutional leadership are needed to support full-scale implementation of distance education within a regional consortium and that a multi-role collaborative approach to staff development utilizing hands-on strategies is an effective strategy for enhancing participants' self-efficacy towards technology. Findings identified (1) barriers and drivers of distance education; (2) initial programming strategies; and (3) needs to cultivate a wider audience of users, increase communications, and establish new organizational structures for promoting cross-district utilization of distance education. Recommendations are presented for enhancing distance education in rural schools. / Ed. D.

No description available.

Staff Development and Performance Review (SDPR) was introduced in Northern Ireland in 1992, in compliance with the Education (School Teacher Appraisal) Regulations (1991) in England and Wales. This qualitative study examined issues relating to SDPR and staff development. Qualitative research was chosen because the research involved an in-depth examination of social processes and the researcher would be closely associated with the research, the findings of which would have direct implications for her professional practice. The research involved four case studies, each conducted in four post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, a voluntary grammar school, an integrated school, a maintained school and a controlled school. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were carried out. Findings showed that there is a close relationship between the management of SDPR and the perceptions held of it. When the principal for example embraced SDPR in a positive light, other teachers in the school did likewise. Constraints to SDPR included: lack of time; SDPR being perceived as appraisal; the difficulty of choosing a suitable focus for review; concerns about writing up the report following the review; and inadequate training. Personal professional development was being encouraged and supported in all four schools. Two of the schools offered funding for in-service degree courses. The other two did not. This highlighted inequity in relation to financial support for teachers undertaking part-time degree courses. A number of respondents thought that the introduction of performance related pay (PRP) would have a positive effect on the staff development aspect of the SDPR process. Others believed that if performance related pay and SDPR were to be linked, the purpose of SDPR would be defeated. The study refers to a number of recommendations. These include the fact that money should be held centrally by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland for the purpose of supporting personal professional development.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Nursing) / Management development has been identified as one of the priorities in the Gauteng Health Department [GHD]. The nature of public service management is changing. There is an emphasis on new and more flexible management approaches in the public sector; this requires public service managers to acquire new kinds of skills. Further to this, the changing nature of management in general, caused by globalization increases the need for new kinds of skills amongst managers. This changing framework is facilitated by various new laws, which provide a watershed in the way that human resource development is undertaken in South Africa. It is necessary to ensure that training and development initiatives in the Department are aligned to the new legislative framework. The Employment Equity Act requires representivity in the workplace; there is a need for management skills development programmes to redress past imbalances. The GHD provides several management development programmes for its employees every year. In keeping with current trends and legislation it is necessary to evaluate these programmes to identify strengths and weaknesses in order to improve future management development programmes in the GHD, and ensure that money is well spent. The main goal of this research is to formulate guidelines for the effective implementation of management development programmes in the GHD. The objective of the study is to explore and describe the perceptions of the participants of management development programmes provided by the Department between 1999 and 2001. The researcher used focus groups for data collection and individual interviews for methodological triangulation. The population (N) in this study comprises of all the people who attended management development programme/s purchased by the Department between 1999 and 2001. Three Hundred and forty eight managers attended the programmes between 1999 to 2001 (N = 348).Purposive samples were used for the focus groups and individual interviews. An independent interviewer was used to conduct the interviews in order to ensure objectivity, and anonymity of the participants. Fields notes were taken and the interviews audio-recorded. Written consent was obtained from the participants for the audio recording of the interviews. The data were transcribed verbatim. The Tesch method was employed to analyse the data. The data were grouped and coded. Emerging themes and sub-themes were identified and contextualised through a literature control. Scrutiny of the study by the Ethics Committee of the University of the Witwatersrand ensured ethical rigor. The findings were used to formulate guidelines for future management development programmes in the GHD. The research report was communicated to the GHD. / WHSLYP2017

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University, 1959.