Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed. M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

During the apartheid era, that is, before 1994, principals tended to regard schools as their properties. Principals were expected to manage schools on their own without consulting the rest of the staff. From 1994 with the advent of a new political era, South Africa ended up having one National Education System. That system came up with many changes. In the new education system, the management of the school was taken from being the principal‟s duty only, to the responsibility of a management team which is referred to as the school management team (SMT). Because of the democratic nature of the SMT, it is required that educators work co-operatively as a team. The researcher has observed that this has been a challenge in some schools where principals resisted change. On the other hand, principals of schools are facing challenges due to a lack of cooperation amongst their subordinates. The establishment of SMTs does not nullify the authority of the school principal but the challenge that lies therein is that each member of the SMT must play his or her role properly. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges facing SMT members in the GET band schools of Circuit 2 in Centane. A qualitative investigation was undertaken with the purpose in mind to develop a better understanding of the challenges facing SMTs in Circuit 2. This study was undertaken among 5 schools in Circuit 2 in Centane which falls under Butterworth District. The researcher used convenience sampling in selecting the SMTs of schools that would participate in this research study. Due to the fact that the researcher is a principal in one of the schools in Circuit 2 he could obtain easy access to SMTs of other schools in the Circuit. The following stakeholders were identified and participated in the selected schools: principal, deputy principal and Head of Department. Qualitative data were collected through semi- structured interviews. The study was framed within the interpretive approach, and sought to unpack the perceptions of SMT members with regard to team-management . An interpretive paradigm made it possible for the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of SMT members‟ perceptions of team-management within their contexts. The outcomes pointed to several challenges ranging from the SMT terms of reference, cooperation, sources of support and stress as a result of the work overload involved. Based on the findings, SMTs have brought the phenomenon of cooperation to the fore, and cooperation may be perceived to have many advantages. However, in order for the SMTs to play a meaningful role in curriculum management and governance issues, there is a need for them to be conversant with issues and kept abreast of developments in education as a system. It is therefore recommended that members of the SMT be exposed to continuing professional training and development in the aforementioned governance areas.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and explore the challenges faced by female secondary school principals when discharging their duties. This study was done because it was not a normal practice before 1994 to have a female person as the head of a learning institution. This was specifically linked to the implementation of equity as enshrined and entrenched in the constitution no.108, of 1996 of the Republic of South Africa. It is almost 18 years since the proclamation of equity in the constitution; it was therefore of great importance to evaluate the ground covered in terms of implementation of this equity. The equity mentioned in Chapter 2, section 9 of the constitution resulted in the formulation of the Employment Equity Act no.55 of 1998 as amended. The implementation of the Employment Equity Act no.55 of 1998 was expected to have an impact on the way the female school secondary principals were received by the community. Currently all departments are compelled to employ women in managerial positions and this receives opposition in some sectors of the population. This study was conducted in Qumbu education district in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It focused on secondary school principals. The study used a quantitative research design to elicit data from the respondents. Data were collected from 46 participants through the use of a questionnaire. 32 questionnaires were returned and the data were processed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in the analysis of the data. The findings of the study revealed several challenges confronting female secondary school principals both in the workplace and at home. In the workplace, on one hand, female principals are faced with insubordination from male educators; poor parental involvement and cultural stereotypes; and on the other hand, at home, they were confronted by minimal support from their partners/ spouses. In the light of the findings, the researcher recommended that the Department of Basic Education organize capacity-building workshops to develop leadership skills; replacement strategies for ageing principals; women‟s conferences to advocate women‟s rights; and programmes for female principals and their husbands, called Men As Partners (MAP). The study succeeded in portraying a picture of what is presently taking place in secondary schools that are headed by female principals. Some of the limitations encountered by the researcher during the study included the reluctance of the participants to take part in the research, the non-accessibility of schools in deep rural areas, the return rate of completed questionnaires; and the obtaining of permission to undertake the study.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 21, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 106-118).

This research examines the relative customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction (CS/D) of international post-graduate students from Asia with the university as a study destination. The investigation is guided by the main research question: Are there differences in the level of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction between international postgraduate students from Asia studying in Victorian universities? A conceptual model of post-choice satisfaction is developed and tested to support the analysis of four groups of students from China, India, Indonesia and Thailand studying in five universities in Victoria: Deakin University, La Trobe University, Swinburne University of Technology, the University of Melbourne and Victoria University of Technology. The research comprised two interrelated studies: a qualitative investigation, and a quantitative study. The qualitative study included a literature review and an exploratory study, which consisted of focus groups and depth interviews, and the development of the preliminary model of post-choice satisfaction. The analysis of this stage resulted in the identification of 36 variables influencing post-choice satisfaction of students, which were operationalised in a survey questionnaire based on the seminal expectancy disconfirmation paradigm and the SERVQUAL instrument. A final model of post-choice satisfaction was developed following the preliminary analysis of the qualitative data, and tested at the quantitative stage of the study. During this stage, the total variables included in the model were reduced to 26 variables within four composite constructs that were used to measure CS/D supplemented by the testing of eleven hypotheses using multiple techniques. The results showed that there were differences in the level of satisfaction between student groups and universities. In terms of the overall satisfaction, there were significant differences in the number of satisfied students, with students from India recording the lowest satisfaction levels followed by students from Thailand, Indonesia and China. The tests of significance indicated that education standards and facilities (UNISAT1) customer value and study outcomes (UNISAT3), and image, prestige and recognition (UNISAT4), were the most dominant factors in influencing post-choice satisfaction among student groups. Among the classificatory variables, age and semester were the most significant in explaining the variances in the satisfaction levels of students. High student expectations, the strength of student-lecturer relationship, the perceived role of lecturers, university bureaucracy, lack of student friendly policies, passive complaining behaviour and the lack of opportunities for industry experience were among the key findings of the study, which were directly related to the student satisfaction formation process. The thesis makes a contribution to knowledge by developing a conceptual model of post-choice satisfaction, cross national comparison of post-choice decision making behaviour of international postgraduate students, the use of triangulation methodology to ensure rigour in research and particularly the use of ratio scores in addition to weighted average gap scores to measure satisfaction. At a practical level, the major findings of this research provide greater insight into the post-choice decision-making process of postgraduate international students, which would enable Australian universities to devise appropriate strategies to enhance their attractiveness and competitiveness in a highly globalised industry. Several limitations of the research are identified and suggestions for future research including more longitudinal studies to improve the validity of the research and the findings are presented.