Workplace bullying studies have gathered an increasing impetus among researchers throughout the world in the last decade. Previous research has concentrated on bullying in the context of students. Recent research has shifted focus towards workplace bullying of staff by managers. Little is known of upwards bullying where staff members bully managers or students bully their teachers. In this study, workplace bullying focuses on the bullying of teaching staff by the School Management Team. The researcher used the qualitative method for this study. Questionnaires were administered to 80 teachers. Interviews were held with eight members of the School Management Team (SMT) and ten teachers who perceived that they had been subjected to bullying. Data was coded and arranged thematically using Colaizzi’s (1978) phenomenological method of analysis. Results indicate that bullying of the teaching staff thrives in all schools but with varying degrees to certain teachers who are vulnerable due to social and environmental circumstances. The researcher recommends that schools identify cases of bullying and develop an anti- bullying policy that is incorporated in the whole school development strategy. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study is based on a need for teacher union involvement in the management of schools to enhance effective teaching and efficient learning. The rationale behind it was to disclose the current perceptions of school managers concerning teacher union involvement in the management of schools in the Vryheid region, with a view to determining the extent to which their perceptions of teacher unions could be positively influenced to allow for proper consultative school management as well as active participation of teacher union members in the decision-making process. The study revealed that the school managers' perceptions and attitudes are central to teacher union involvement in the management of schools. If negative, no effective participatory school management can materialise. The role of the perceptions and attitudes of school managers in the realisation of the goal of participative school management is indispensable. The empirical survey and literature revealed that school managers are in a good position to address the serious shortcomings regarding the manner in which teacher unions are perceived in schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

In this study, the researcher explored the prevalence of distributed leadership practices in schools in Johannesburg South in order to illustrate how the principals in effective schools collaborated with different members of staff to ensure the school’s success. To this end, a literature study was undertaken on relevant theories and on the results of previous research on the issue. The study explored literature from local and international perspectives on distributed leadership to understand how this form of leadership impacted the functioning of primary schools in Johannesburg South. This was followed by an empirical investigation using judgemental and purposive sampling methods to select participants. A mixed methods research design was employed to elicit both quantitative and qualitative data from a single, structured questionnaire. Participants included 86 respondents from 9 primary schools. Throughout the research study, ethical considerations like keeping confidentiality of information provided and anonymity of research participants were upheld. Data analysis involved a mix of quantitative data analysis and content analysis. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to the GDE and school principals on support needed by teachers if distributed leadership is to ensure school effectiveness. The study found that distributed leadership not only motivated teachers, but compelled them to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses, and contribute to school leadership by taking on roles that interest them. Schools in Johannesburg South have created a culture in which distributed leadership tends to flourish. Distributed leadership ensures that a myriad of well-developed teachers exist at all ranks of the school, who have the capacity to fill vacant positions when a need arises to ensure the smooth functioning of schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and practices of School Management Teams (SMTs) in the control and management of school bullying in the Tshwane West District of the Gauteng Province. This study came out of a global concern about the security and safety of learners in schools. While there is substantial international and national literature on violence in schools, South Africa continues to experience high levels of violence in schools more than ever before and this in the Tshwane West District is no exception. In this study, a mixed method approach was undertaken to explore the experiences and practices of SMTs in the controlling and managing of bullying in the Tshwane West District. The questionnaires and focus group interviews were used as research tools for data gathering to unpack the experiences of the SMTs. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Teenage pregnancy in South African schools poses a serious management and leadership challenge. Statistics from Statistics South Africa (2008) reflect the seriousness of this problem in all provinces wherein Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Limpopo (where this study is situated) and Eastern Cape report high levels of early pregnancy. The main objective of this study was, therefore, to explore the challenges faced by the SMTs regarding teenage pregnancies at secondary schools in the Vhembe District in Limpopo province. A mixed methods approach was used to collect data from SMTs in schools that are located in Vhembe district. Questionnaires were distributed to the school management teams (SMTs) of different schools. In addition, qualitative data were collected through interviewing the SMTs. The study findings reflected that management of teenage pregnancy is still a problem at Vhembe District of Education despite the laws and policies that are in place. SMTs also felt that the issue of pregnant learners at schools should be left for medical experts to deal with them. The study recommends that there ought to be intervention programs including training of SMTs, SGBs and Educators regarding management of teenage pregnancy. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of this study is to investigate the role played by parents in improving discipline in rural secondary schools, particularly those in the Kgakotlou Circuit of the Capricorn district. The problem is investigated using a literature study and empirical investigation with school management teams, teachers and the parents of learners in four secondary schools in the Kgakotlou circuit. The literature review explores the development of parental involvement in education during the pre-apartheid, apartheid and post-apartheid eras. The benefits of parental involvement and barriers thereto are also explored as well as the management of parental involvement. The empirical study is done qualitatively and data is collected face-to-face from the participants during interviews. The interview questions examine the extent to which parents are involved in their children’s education, school policies on parental involvement, communication between parents and educators and the duties of the school governing bodies. The findings indicate that some of the parents are willing to participate in their children’s schoolwork, but do not know how to achieve this. Schools do not create enough opportunities for parental involvement. Based on the literature review and empirical investigation, recommendations are made for school management teams, educators, and parents. The school management teams should design parental involvement plans according to their schools’ unique characteristics. Educators are urged to guide parents as they are more knowledgeable. Parents should try to devise strategies to overcome their barriers to parental involvement in their children’s education. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study focused on the challenges female school principals face in managing their schools effectively and the possible strategies to overcome these challenges. Ten schools from Mpumalanga province were purposively selected as research sites. Participants were the school principal and a member of the school management team of each school. Individual interviews with the school principals and an open-ended questionnaire to the school management team members were used to collect data. The findings revealed that a lack of confidence in female leadership with related gender discrimination, a lack of support and respect from staff and the community, and unfair practices with the promotion procedures of women are the main challenges that hamper female leaders in managing their schools well. The fostering of a positive attitude towards female leadership, a strong support system, female leaders empowering themselves and an effort to build good relationships with all stakeholders represent solution strategies. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The idea of district support for schools is based on the view that local education offices are best placed to play a critical role in the promotion of quality teaching and learning. In performing this mandate whose characterisation has, over time, moved away from ‘inspection’ and ‘supervision’ both of which are seen as old fashioned and undemocratic, to support, which is seen as developmental. The aim of this study was to understand how three categories of district based officers, Subject Advisors, Integrated Quality Management System Coordinators and Education Development Officers support teaching and learning in schools. This was a case study of two districts in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A total of six district officials and four school based officials participated in this study. In-depth interviews and document analysis were carried out. There were four main findings. First, support for schools by three district based officials was understood and practiced as administrative tasks, mainly consisting of monitoring policy implementation and monitoring resource provision to schools. School Management Teams saw district officers’ visits as focussing on compliance rather than support. Second, some pedagogical support was given by Subject Advisors through training teachers in subject content and methods of teaching that subject. This was done through workshops and demonstration lessons. However Subject Advisors did not at any time observe actual classroom teaching to see if teachers were implementing what they had learnt at workshops. Third, none of the officers mentioned direct support for teaching and learning at classroom level. Visits by officials were not directly linked to influencing teaching and learning classroom level. Fourth, schools saw district officials as working in separate pockets and sometimes sending different signals to them, despite claims by district officials that inter-disciplinary meetings were held among district officials, however, the nature of the coordination and the use to which it is put remains unclear. There were three main conclusions, first that although the district officials’ visits to schools were described as support, they exhibited the trappings of technicism of inspection; supervision and control; and appeared to neglect the developmental aspects implied in the notion of support. Second, the conception and practice of support visits by district officials were characterised by tension between support and control. Third, at district level support to schools lacked coordination among the three categories of officers who visit schools. This has implications for quality management in schools. Given the findings and conclusions of this study; it is recommended that the issue of support for schools be the focus of a survey research for which a probability sample must be drawn in order to generate findings that are generalisable across the participating target population. Other research could focus on investigating mechanisms by which the tension between support and control can be resolved. To improve practice of a framework for the development of a coordinated district support focusing on the core business of teaching and learning is suggested.

This study aims to determine how School Management Teams (SMTs) are managing the issue of violence in their schools. Specifically, it sought to understand the different management strategies being used and whether SMTs have experienced challenges in implementing these strategies. Methodologically, the study sampled School Management Teams and teachers who are in schools of the Tshwane West Area using a non-probability sampling technique to collect information regarding the issue of violence management in schools using structured interviews. The interviews delved deeply into the psychological effects of violence, its prevention and some legal implications of managing violence in schools. Using thematic analysis, data collected was analysed and interpreted within the theoretical lenses of school violence. The study reached a number of conclusions and made several recommendations. In summary, violence in school requires urgent attention, SMTs and teachers are still struggling to curb an increasing number of sexual assaults and deaths as a result of violent activities in their schools. These challenges are mainly due to the problem of policy on school safety and its implementation within the management structure of schools. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Educational Management)

A quantitative, descriptive method was used in this study. A purposeful sample of 239 (N=239) participants was chosen. At a theoretical level, the study provided insight into the causes of stress among educators, the impact of stress on them and the influence of school management teams to support educators in the management of their stress. The literature review confirmed that stress of educators is caused by internal and external factors. It also confirmed that stress may lead to physical and mental illnesses and may influence the emotional state of an educator. The literature confirmed that where school management teams support educators, it reduces the stress levels of the educators. From an empirical perspective, the study confirmed that external factors such as long working hours and workload do have an impact on the educator’s stress levels. This then leads to educators feeling irritated, exhausted and burned out. On the role of school management teams supporting educators to manage the stress levels, the empirical outcome was neutral. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Educational Management)