DEd (Educational Management) / The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership role of principals in creating a culture of teaching and learning in rural public schools of Mopani District, Limpopo Province. The performance of learners below the expected standards in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, despite, massive resources that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is providing annually to schools to improve quality of teaching and learning, has raised public concern. When seeking answers to these schools’ dysfunctionality, focus, however, was laid on the leadership role of school principals in some rural public schools of Mopani District, Limpopo Province. The study was guided by Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership theory, complemented by Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. This study was conceptualised within the interpretive paradigm, subsumed under a qualitative research approach. A qualitative case study was used with four rural public high schools. A total of sixteen participants were purposefully selected, made up of four school principals, four deputy principals and eight Heads of Departments (HoDs). Research data were gathered through individual interviews, observations and documents analysis. Data from interviews were thematically analysed, and data from documents and observations were analysed descriptively in words. Findings from interviews revealed that school principals do not monitor and support curriculum implementation. In supporting the findings from interviews, the documents analysed revealed the absence of an administered class-visits monitoring-tool. Data from the observations revealed that schools were without vision and mission statements and had inadequate resources. The study recommended principals to monitor and support curriculum implementation, and develop staff professionally. Suggestions for further study were provided. A proposed model of Action-Based COTL was developed to assist school principals in creating a COTL in schools. / NRF

MEd (Educational Management) / Department of Educational Management / Subject heads of departments (SHDs) play pivotal role in the leadership and curriculum delivery in secondary schools; yet they are still expected to lead departmental teams and to promote quality of teaching and learning. They find themselves in complex situations of leading departmental teams and of leading instructions in secondary schools. The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges facing SHDs in promoting quality teaching and learning of dysfunctional Secondary schools. Qualitative research methodology was employed using case study research design to collect data through interviews and on-site observation checklists. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select four (4) out of seven (7) dysfunctional secondary schools. Sixteen (16) SHDs from the seven secondary schools were the population of this study. A total of ten (10) SHDs were sampled to be the participants in this study. Semi-structured individual interview schedules and on-site observation check list were used to collect data from participants. A voice recorder was used to record interviews and data collected was interpreted verbatim. The purpose of using on-site observation was to serve check the practicability and verification of data collected during interviews. Data from the two instruments was triangulated, analysed and interpreted verbatim. Common themes were drawn followed by interpretations and conclusions. The researcher presented general views of participants and linked them with relevant literature. The researcher hoped that this study will benefit teachers, school management teams (SMT) and researchers in understanding the challenges facing SHDs in promoting quality teaching and learning in dysfunctional Secondary schools (DSS). Empirical findings revealed that SHDs are facing complex challenges of promoting quality teaching and learning in dysfunctional Secondary Schools. Furthermore, it is recommended that SHDs should be supported internally by Principals and deputy principals. Equally importance is that external support by curriculum advisors should be ongoing. / NRF

Seventeen years after the passing and enactment of the South African Schools Act (SASA), Act 84 of 1996 which regulates the establishment of democratically elected school governing bodies (SGB) and which contains directives on how to organise and manage school funds, SGBs are still struggling to understand their roles and responsibilities. This study is aimed at investigating the perceptions of school governing body members as regards to their financial management roles in selected no-fee schools in the Maraba Circuit of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study used a qualitative research design within the interpretive paradigm. In addition, decentralisation theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. A sample comprising 22 participants from six selected no-fee schools was purposefully selected to act as the research participants. Semi-structured interviews and document analyses of official documents were conducted in order to collect the requisite data. The research participants included school principals, SGB chairpersons, treasurers and finance officers. The data collected was qualitatively analysed through coding and categorisation. The study revealed that the perceptions, experience and understanding of their financial management roles of SGB members often differ. In addition the study discloses that many of the participants lacked competency. In other words they lacked the proper knowledge and skills required to manage their school funds effectively. It would appear that their lack of the proper knowledge and skills was related primarily to their literacy levels and lack of training. The study concluded with the recommendations that SGB members be empowered through continuous and effective training to enable them to understand and fulfill their financial management roles. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This dissertation of a limited scope focuses on the Heads of Departments’ perceptions of the Integrated Quality Management System for teachers at selected quintile 5 Primary Schools in the East London Region of the Eastern Cape Province. It reveals the positive and negative aspects of the staff appraisal system, its implementation and purpose, as well as views on its improvement. By means of a qualitative case study and the Cognitive Evaluation Theory as theoretical framework, the researcher has determined that the Performance Measurement component of the appraisal system has a detrimental effect on the intrinsic motivation of teachers and that it should be separated from the Developmental Appraisal. Individual interviews with the Heads of Departments revealed the need for revising the assessment rubric in order for Performance Measurement to be conducted effectively. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Seventeen years after the passing and enactment of the South African Schools Act (SASA), Act 84 of 1996 which regulates the establishment of democratically elected school governing bodies (SGB) and which contains directives on how to organise and manage school funds, SGBs are still struggling to understand their roles and responsibilities. This study is aimed at investigating the perceptions of school governing body members as regards to their financial management roles in selected no-fee schools in the Maraba Circuit of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study used a qualitative research design within the interpretive paradigm. In addition, decentralisation theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. A sample comprising 22 participants from six selected no-fee schools was purposefully selected to act as the research participants. Semi-structured interviews and document analyses of official documents were conducted in order to collect the requisite data. The research participants included school principals, SGB chairpersons, treasurers and finance officers. The data collected was qualitatively analysed through coding and categorisation. The study revealed that the perceptions, experience and understanding of their financial management roles of SGB members often differ. In addition the study discloses that many of the participants lacked competency. In other words they lacked the proper knowledge and skills required to manage their school funds effectively. It would appear that their lack of the proper knowledge and skills was related primarily to their literacy levels and lack of training. The study concluded with the recommendations that SGB members be empowered through continuous and effective training to enable them to understand and fulfill their financial management roles. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Sesotho / Classroom discipline is one of the pillars of good education globally. This study aimed to determine the role of teachers and HODs in maintaining effective classroom discipline among learners in selected primary schools in Gauteng East. The research question set by the researcher to gather the relevant information was: How does a purposively selected group of primary school HODs and teachers in the Gauteng East District view their experiences, skills and knowledge of classroom discipline and management in a post-corporal punishment era, as explored through a qualitative study using multiple techniques of data gathering? The researcher sought to determine how classroom discipline and management took place and which strategies teachers and HODs could adopt for effective classroom discipline and management. A qualitative research approach was employed for the empirical inquiry carried out at the selected research sites. Information about classroom discipline and management strategies was gathered from selected participants, made up of 24 teachers and six HODs from six primary schools. This was achieved using semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, document analysis and observation tools. The study revealed that all the selected participants were applying the reactive or punitive disciplinary approach rather than a proactive or positive approach. The literature review on the causes of poor classroom discipline and management, along with the research-based behavioural strategies and the empirical enquiry in the selected schools, allowed the researcher to critically assess the current disciplinary strategies implemented by teachers and HODs in Gauteng East primary schools and to make meaningful recommendations for improvement of discipline and classroom management. The main recommendations entail that teachers and HODs extend their horizons in order to be able to use the three models of control proposed by Wolfgang and Glickman in their classrooms. Use of the three models would aid them in exercising effective and meaningful classroom discipline and in utilising the strategies emanating from the research on effective classroom management. These main recommendations are further extended in the additional recommendations put forward. / Klaskamerdissipline is wêreldwyd een van die hoekstene van goeie onderwys. Hierdie studie is uitgevoer om die rol van onderwysers en departementshoofde in die doeltreffende handhawing van klaskamerdissipline by leerders in uitgesoekte laerskole in Gauteng-Oos te bepaal. Die navorsingsvraag wat deur die navorser gestel is om die tersaaklike inligting in te samel, was: Hoe beskou ʼn doelbewus gekose groep laerskooldepartementshoofde en laerskool-onderwysers in die Gauteng-Oos-distrik hul ervarings, vaardighede en kennis van klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur in ʼn post-lyfstraf-era, soos ondersoek in ʼn kwalitatiewe studie met behulp van verskeie data-insamelingstegnieke? Die navorser het gepoog om te bepaal hoe klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur plaasgevind het en watter strategieë deur onderwysers en departementshoofde aangewend kan word vir doeltreffende klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gevolg vir die empiriese ondersoek wat by die gekose navorsingsplekke uitgevoer is. Inligting oor klaskamerdissipline en -bestuurstrategieë is verkry van gekose deelnemers bestaande uit 24 onderwysers en ses departementshoofde van ses laerskole. Dit is gedoen deur halfgestruktureerde onderhoude, fokusgroeponderhoude, dokumentontleding en waarnemingshulpmiddele te gebruik. Die studie het getoon dat al die gekose deelnemers die reaktiewe of strafbenadering tot dissipline gevolg het, eerder as ʼn proaktiewe of positiewe benadering. Die literatuuroorsig oor die oorsake van swak klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur, tesame met die navorsingsgebaseerde gedragstrategieë en die empiriese ondersoek in die geselekteerde skole, het dit vir die navorser moontlik gemaak om die huidige dissiplinêre strategieë wat deur onderwysers en departementshoofde in laerskole in Gauteng-Oos geïmplementeer word, krities te assesseer en om sinvolle aanbevelings vir die verbetering van dissipline en klaskamerbestuur te doen. Die vernaamste aanbevelings behels dat onderwysers en departementshoofde hul horisonne moet verbreed sodat hulle in staat sal wees om die drie modelle van beheer wat deur Wolfgang en Glickman voorgestel word, in hul klaskamers te gebruik. Die gebruik van die drie modelle sal hulle help om doeltreffende en sinvolle klaskamerdissipline te beoefen, en om die strategieë wat uit die navorsing oor doeltreffende klaskamerbestuur voortspruit, te gebruik. Hierdie hoofaanbevelings word verder uitgebrei in die bykomende aanbevelings wat gemaak is. / Kgalemo ka phaposing ya ho rutela ke e nngwe ya ditshiya tsa thuto e hantle lefatsheng ka bophara. Phuputso ena e ne e reretswe ho tseba boikarabello ba matitjhere le Dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) ba ho boloka kgalemo e sebetsang phaposing ya ho rutela hara baithuti dikolong tse kgethilweng tsa mathomo Gauteng Botjhabela. Potso ya patlisiso e entsweng ke mofuputsi ho bokella tlhahisoleseding e nepahetseng e ne e le hore na: Sehlopha se kgethilweng ka boomo sa dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) le matitjhere a Setereke sa Gauteng Botjhabela se bona boiphihlelo ba sona jwang, bokgoni le tsebo tsa kgalemelo ya phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso nakong ya kamora nako ya ho tloswa ha ho shapuwa ha baithuti jwalo ka ha ho hlahlojwa ka phuputso ya boleng ho sebediswa mekgwa e mengata ya ho bokella datha? Mofuputsi o ile a batla ho tseba hore na kgalemo ya phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso di etsahetse jwang le hore na ke mawa afe ao matitjhere le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) ba ka a sebedisang bakeng sa kgalemo e sebetsang ya phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso. Mokgwa wa ho etsa dipatlisiso wa boleng o ile wa sebediswa bakeng sa patlisiso ya tlhahlobo e entsweng dibakeng tsa patlisiso tse kgethilweng. Tlhahisoleseding mabapi le kgalemo ya phaposing ya ho rutela le maano a tsamaiso e ile ya bokellwa ho tswa ho bankakarolo ba kgethilweng, ba entsweng ka matichere a 24 le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) tse tsheletseng dikolong tse tsheletseng tsa mathomo. Sena se fihletswe ka dipuisano tse batlang di hlophisitswe, dipuisano tsa sehlopha se kgethilweng, manollo ya ditokomane le disebediswa tsa temoho. Phuputso e senotse hore bankakarolo bohle ba kgethilweng ba ne ba sebedisa mokgwa wa kgalemo o sebetsang kapa o fanang ka kotlo ho fapana le mokgwa o sebetsang kapa o nepahetseng. Tlhahlobo ya dingodilweng ka disosa tsa boitshwaro bo bobe ba phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso, hammoho le maano a boitshwaro a ipapisitseng le dipatlisiso tse matla dikolong tse kgethilweng, e dumelletse mofuputsi ho lekola ka botebo maano a kgalemo a tshebetsong a sebediswang ke matitjhere le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) dikolong tsa mathomo tsa Gauteng Botjhabela le ho etsa ditlhahiso tse nang le moelelo bakeng sa ntlafatso ya boitshwaro le tsamaiso ya phaposi ya ho rutela. Ditlhahiso tsa mantlha di kenyeletsa hore matitjhere le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) ba batle mekgwa e meng eo ba ka sebetsanang le sena ka yona e le hore ba kgone ho sebedisa dimmotlolo tse tharo tsa taolo tse hlahisitsweng ke Wolfgang le Glickman diphaposing tsa bona tsa ho rutela. Tshebediso ya dimmotlolo tse tharo e ka ba thusa ho sebedisa kgalemo e sebetsang le e nang le moelelo phaposing ya ho rutela le ho sebedisa maano a tswang dipatlisisong a mabapi le tsamaiso e sebetsang ya phaposi ya ho rutela. Ditlhahiso tsena tsa mantlha di boetse di atoloswa ho feta ditlhahisong tsa tlatsetso tse hlahisitsweng. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)