M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Education Management) / A notable feature of the school principal as managerial leader's task is its comprehensive and complex nature. Behavior modification is a managerial skill, that should make the principal more effective in interpersonal relations and communication in the school as organisation. In this short dissertation the focus is on behavior modification as managerial task of the principal. Behavior modification has as its goals the explanation, prediction and control of. behavior. Behavior modification as described in this short dissertation relies extensively on the psychology of learning, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning and modelling. On managerial level classical conditioning has little or no application, consequently it will not receive much attention in this study. The use of operant conditioning is, however, discussed in detail emphasising the use of the positive aspects of operant conditioning. The principles of operant conditioning describe the relationship between behavior, and various environmental events (antecedents and consequences) that influence behavior. Although both antecedents and consequences can alter behavior, most applications of operant conditioning principles emphasize the consequences that follow behavior. In this short dissertation operant conditioning is divided into two sets of techniques to be used on managerial level: Techniques to alter unacceptable behavior and techniques or procedures for teaching acceptable behavior. Techniques to alter unacceptable behavior - punishment, extinction, saturation and counter conditioning - can all be used by the principal as managerial leader.

Text in Afrikaans / The being, nature and importance of organisational climate as well as the role of the educational manager in this regard is described. A study regarding cultural differences in the South African milieu was conducted. A pilot study preceded the qualitative, empirical survey for which a questionnaire was designed. Interviews with principals and staff members of different cultural groups were conducted at a primary, secondary and tertiary educational institution. The data is described, analysed and interpreted. Results indicated that a closed organisational climate prevailed at the majority of educational institutions in South Africa with multi-cultural staff. Guidelines for the appointment, training and development of educational managers are given. It is recommended that applicants for educational manager posts are to be selected according to psychometric tests. Current educational managers should be trained with reference to the creation of organisational climate. Management principles, management style, leadership and cultural sensitivity should be addressed. / Na aanleiding van 'n literatuurstudie is die wese, aard en belangrikheid van organisasieklimaat asook die rol van die onderwysbestuurder in die verband beskryf. 'n Literatuurstudie in verband met kultuurverskille in die Suid-Afrikaanse milieu is onderneem. 'n Loodsstudie is gedoen. 'n Vraelys is antwerp vir 'n kwalitatiewe, empiriese ondersoek. Onderhoude is by 'n primere, sekondere en tersiere onderwysinstansie met drie hoofde en elf personeellede van verskillende kultuurgroepe gevoer. Die data is beskryf, geanaliseer en gei"nterpreteer. Daar is gevind dat 'n geslote organisasieklimaat by die meerderheid onderwysinstansies in Suid-Afrika met multikulturele personele heers. Riglyne is verskaf vir die aanstelling, opleiding en ontwikkeling van onderwysbestuurders. Daar word aanbeveel dat aansoekers vir onderwysbestuursposte na aanleiding van psigometriese toetsing gekeur word. Huidige onderwysbestuurders meet indiensopleiding en ontwikkelingsgeleenthede ontvang ten opsigtevanorganisasieklimaatskepping metverwysingnabestuursbeginsels, bestuurstyl, leierskap en kultuursensitiwiteit om hulle toe te rus vir hulle moeilike taak. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)

Since 1994, South African education has experienced major educational reforms that have resulted in a shift in the management and administration of schools. These educational reforms have had remarkable impact on the management of schools. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the perceptions of Head of Departments – (HODs) on the effects of educational reforms linked to globalisation on the professional lives and work of educators serving in the middle management positions at secondary schools. The study focused on the effects of educational reforms on the roles and responsibilities of educators serving in middle management positions in secondary schools in Pietermaritzburg. It was located within the critical paradigm, which aims at interrogating power relations and underlying forces that shape the dynamics of educational institutions in South Africa. It drew on contrasting views of social justice to analyse the educator’s experience. The neo-liberal construct of social justice and critical construction of social justice were used. The study was an exploratory case study that used focus group interviews and semi-structured in-depth interview methods as qualitative methods of data collection. Thematic analysis has been used to analyse data that has been collected. The globalisation theories and themes were used as lenses for data interpretation. Eight secondary schools middle managers (HODs) managing Mathematics and Physical Science from schools in Pietermaritzburg District participated in the study. Schools selected represented the racial, social, gender, economic and linguistic diversity of the province. The findings suggested that the effects of education policies influenced by neo-liberal globalisation have redefined the roles and responsibilities in ways that minimize the HODs autonomy and lead to the deskilling of educators who have been trained to perform their duties successfully and efficiently. The new education policies have coerced the educators including HODs to become ‘skills technicians’ degrading them as autonomous professionals. The neo-liberal policies exploited the HODs by coercing them to do both administrative work whilst being responsible for curriculum leadership. The HODs experienced dialectical tensions between allegiances to the subject (curriculum leadership) versus administrative role. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermarizburg, 2009.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes, effects and management of conflict among school based educators. The dissertation acknowledge the existence of conflict in every human interaction. Conflict in organizations should be managed systematically. An appropriate approach in conflict management should aim at enhancing the benefits of conflict. The study aimed at determining whether site-managers possess the essential skill of managing healthy conflict while defusing unhealthy conflict. The institution of effective management of conflict techniques and guidelines is essential in a number of practical ways for preventing, managing and resolving workplace conflict, because the long term effects of unresolved conflict may impact negatively on an organization. The subjects of the study were 44 educators and one circuit manager based at the Area Project Office. Questionnaires and interviews were used to evaluate the perceptions in areas such as:- Conflict in the workplace, causes and effects of conflict and conflict management. The Research findings revealed that there is a lack of a conflict management system in schools. The absence of a conflict management system result in an array of problems related to conflict. Other findings include:- the management style of site-managers contributing to conflict management, lack of communication between stakeholders in the schooling system and a deficiency in Conflict management skills. / M. Admin. (Industrial Relations) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

Text in Afrikaans / The being, nature and importance of organisational climate as well as the role of the educational manager in this regard is described. A study regarding cultural differences in the South African milieu was conducted. A pilot study preceded the qualitative, empirical survey for which a questionnaire was designed. Interviews with principals and staff members of different cultural groups were conducted at a primary, secondary and tertiary educational institution. The data is described, analysed and interpreted. Results indicated that a closed organisational climate prevailed at the majority of educational institutions in South Africa with multi-cultural staff. Guidelines for the appointment, training and development of educational managers are given. It is recommended that applicants for educational manager posts are to be selected according to psychometric tests. Current educational managers should be trained with reference to the creation of organisational climate. Management principles, management style, leadership and cultural sensitivity should be addressed. / Na aanleiding van 'n literatuurstudie is die wese, aard en belangrikheid van organisasieklimaat asook die rol van die onderwysbestuurder in die verband beskryf. 'n Literatuurstudie in verband met kultuurverskille in die Suid-Afrikaanse milieu is onderneem. 'n Loodsstudie is gedoen. 'n Vraelys is antwerp vir 'n kwalitatiewe, empiriese ondersoek. Onderhoude is by 'n primere, sekondere en tersiere onderwysinstansie met drie hoofde en elf personeellede van verskillende kultuurgroepe gevoer. Die data is beskryf, geanaliseer en gei"nterpreteer. Daar is gevind dat 'n geslote organisasieklimaat by die meerderheid onderwysinstansies in Suid-Afrika met multikulturele personele heers. Riglyne is verskaf vir die aanstelling, opleiding en ontwikkeling van onderwysbestuurders. Daar word aanbeveel dat aansoekers vir onderwysbestuursposte na aanleiding van psigometriese toetsing gekeur word. Huidige onderwysbestuurders meet indiensopleiding en ontwikkelingsgeleenthede ontvang ten opsigtevanorganisasieklimaatskepping metverwysingnabestuursbeginsels, bestuurstyl, leierskap en kultuursensitiwiteit om hulle toe te rus vir hulle moeilike taak. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Onderwysbestuur)

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Education Management) / The individual behaviour of the involved experienced teacher gives form and direction to the practice of teaching and education. The improvement of the school's effectiveness can be the consequence of the dedication and enthusiasm of involved experienced teachers. By developing highly motivated involved experienced teachers, the educational leader creates the potential for effective teaching and the improvement of school efficiency. Education leaders should regard their motivational task as a high priority. From the research material it is clear that there is a large variety of problems facing the uninvolved experienced teacher. These problems differ in degree and scope. For every separate problem area specific solutions will have to be found. In order to find sensible solutions for these problems." it is desirable to group them together in separate areas or categories. From a wide variety of problems, it is possible to isolate the following areas or categories, viz: + discontent with aspects of management + adaptation to the school environment, and + limited promotional opportunities Although not all uninvolved experienced teachers experience the same problems, there are, however, problems that are common to them all. Communication is one such problem that could bring about major change. Communication is a way of Iiving and forms an integral part of one's existence. It forms the basis of the establishment, maintenance and improvement of human relations. Due to the educational leader's managerial function, manifold opportunities arise for effective communication, which are enhanced by his qualities, such as leadership, guidance, the ability to organise, to be decisive and to exercise discipline. The school climate, human relations and the management style within a school constitute the basic requirements for a particular mode of communication. The educational leader should always endeavour to communicate effectively in order to prevent and rectify communication barriers. xii In order to allow the educational leader to formulate a sensible motivation strategy it is necessary for him to be aware of and get an overall picture of the multiplicity of existing theories of motivation. Each theory, in its own way, gives expression to the nature of human needs and motives as forces governing motivation. At the same time it is an indication of the human personality and these theories allow educational leaders to: + improve the uninvolved experience teacher's attendance, quality of work, and personal involvement + bring about the acceptance of responsibility without the use of threats, and + turn traditional practises into innovative teaching methods. It would be unrealistic to think that a perfect approach to motivation could ever be achieved. The educational leader must, of necessity, apply motivation in a specific situation, adapting the motivational strategy to suit each individual, depending on his needs in changing circumstances. A positive school climate is of particular importance if the pupils are to achieve maturity and teachers are to enjoy job satisfaction. The success of motivation as a managerial skill applied by the educational leader depends on the efficiency of the execution of his other managerial activities. This efficiency can be achieved by training during which the educational leader becomes more skilled in dealing with the key elements of the task of motivation, viz: + the importance of school climate in the development of highly motivated uninvolved experienced teachers, and + the effect of different leadership styles on the motivation of the uninvolved experienced teacher. The creation of the so-called ideal or positive school climate should form part of the educational leader's managerial strategy. In this regard the leadership style of the educational leader is of paramount importance in the creation of a positive school climate in order to encourage motivated behaviour of the uninvolved experienced teacher.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract