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

The introduction of outcomes-based education in South African schools has changed the roles of all role players. For outcomes-based education to be successfully implemented everyone should fully understand these new roles. Since the principal should ensure that there is effective teaching and learning at school, this study explored his/her role in the implementation of outcomes-based education. This study includes a literature review of instructional leadership and outcomes-based education in South African schools. A qualitative investigation of the role of the school principal in the implementation of outcomes-based education in KwaMashu schools was conducted. Data were analysed, discussed and synthesised. It was found, inter alia that principals and educators do not fully understand the instructional role of the principal in the implementation of outcomes-based education. Lack of training appeared to be the major reason that exacerbates the problem. Based on findings, recommendations for improving the role of the principal were proposed. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

With the advent of democracy in South Africa, education has undergone major changes. One of these changes seeks to entrench democratic management and governance in schools. In terms of section 16 of the South African Schools Act of 1996 the governance of public school is vested in the governing body, but the professional management must be undertaken by the principal under the authority of the Head of Department. Parents are not involved in the teaching and learning domain. This study investigated the leadership role of the principal in the management and governance of the public schools in the Ekurhuleni East Education District (Gauteng Province). The data were obtained through a structured questionnaire and the stakeholder participation grid. Respondents were principals from the primary and secondary schools. It is recommended that consideration be given to the ongoing capacity building of the SGB's so that they give better, efficient and effective service. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

In 1997 a policy of rationalization and educator redeployment was adopted in South Africa to ensure funding equity among the provinces. This research investigates policy implementation with particular reference to the Limpopo Province. A literature review provided an overview of the policy including the determination of excess educators and the establishment of bodies to facilitate redeployment. Problems of implementation and the role of the school principal in this process are discussed. An empirical investigation using a qualitative approach explored the experiences of key stakeholders affected by educator redeployment: a government official, principals, educators who were transferred and educators awaiting redeployment. Participants were selected by judgement sampling and data gathered interviews. Findings illustrated the key role of the Department of Education, the educators' unions and principals; the effect on teachers' motivation; educator stress and the impact on receiving and sending schools. Based on the findings recommendations for practice are made. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study investigated the impact of HIV/AIDS on education management and the self-actualization of teachers and learners in the context of HIV/AIDS and the role of the principal in dealing with this. The impact of HIV/AIDS on various key management structures including curriculum coverage, academic outcomes and control of stock and attendance registers, and importantly also the role principals should play, is probed. South Africa has the largest number of HIV infected people in the world, and also the largest number of AIDS orphans. In 2004 more than 4000 teachers died of HIV/AIDS complications and 12.5% of the teacher workforce is reported to be HIV-positive. A quarter of these are between 30 and 40 years of age, pointing to future teacher shortages. Learner absenteeism impact negatively on school management, as learners who are affected by HIV/AIDS are not able to attend school regularly. Many drop out of school due to the impact of AIDS, unplanned pregnancies and drug abuse. Absenteeism of learners and teachers, impact negatively on management structures in the school. The role of principals to provide quality education in worst affected schools is becoming increasingly complex. Sexual and substance abuse is a huge problem in many South African schools, and an aggravating factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS. In a third of sexual abuse cases teachers are implicated. Moreover, the large numbers of increasing orphans in the school system threatens to become a serious disciplinary problem. Many of these learners become disruptive and often turn to substance abuse to relieve their distress. The managerial costs of HIV/AIDS in education include costs due to absenteeism, lost productivity, hospitalization, and replacing administrative workers and teachers. These factors impact negatively on school management, academic performance and self-actualization. The most profound affects of HIV/AIDS are concentrated in education where the presentation of quality education is threatened. Principals in South Africa face the daunting task of providing quality education with an increasingly ill, absent and demoralised teacher corps, to increasingly ill, absent and disrupted learners of whom many are AIDS orphans. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.

The study was conducted in the secondary schools of Vhembe district. Five secondary schools were selected for study. Data were collected by interviews. Interview involved asking questions, listening and recording answers and then following up with additional relevant questions. The findings revealed that lack of training regarding change influences people to resist change. Therefore, before the initiation of any change, the Department of Education should train all stakeholders involved in the day-to-day implementation of change. This will minimize resistance during the implementation stage. The study recommends that educators and HoD's should work hand in hand to support their principals in order to ensure the smooth running and management of change in their schools. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This research investigated the instructional leadership role of the school principal in the improvement of the quality of education. A qualitative method, using a case study, was employed. A literature study was conducted to explore the nature and scope of instructional leadership and quality. A purposefully selected sample from five secondary schools in the Potchefstroom area in the North West Province was used to collect data. The method entailed observation, interviews and document analysis. The principals and educators were asked to fill in biographical questionnaires. Findings indicated that principals could improve the quality of teaching and learning through their instructional activities. These included, amongst others, formulating a clear vision; participatory decision making; resource provision; good time management and educators’ development programmes. In-service training was recommended to help the principals and educators with the new curriculum; the funding model; IQMS and discipline. Newly appointed principals also needed to be adequately inducted. / Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Educational Management)

This study investigated the factors that affect the job satisfaction of principals of previously disadvantaged secondary schools in the North West Province. The aims of the study were to determine empirically, through quantitative and qualitative means, the factors that influence the job satisfaction of the principals, and to make recommendations of ways to improve their job satisfaction. In the quantitative phase the research design was a survey. Data were collected from a purposefully selected sample of 30 principals of 30 secondary schools conveniently situated and accessible, in rural villages and townships. Thereafter a phenomenological approach was used to select eight principals from the same sample. The aim was to, by means of interviews, find clarity on the trends observed in the quantitative phase. The researcher purposefully selected participants representing a maximum variation regarding gender, geographical location, and years of experience as a teacher or a headmaster. The results indicated that the factors that enhanced the job satisfaction of the selected principals related to the nature of their work in the sense that it was stimulating, important and varied. Their interpersonal relationships were also gratifying. These relationships referred to cooperative staff, appreciative colleagues and supervisors, well-behaved learners, and supportive parents. Specific factors also brought about job dissatisfaction. In particular, the majority of the principals were frustrated with poor management on the part of the Department of Education. This was linked to a lack of autonomy of the principals, excessive bureaucracy, and poor policies. The principals believed that these policies exacerbated the problems they already had with ill-disciplined learners, the poor work ethics of some educators, unsatisfactory matriculation results, pitiable physical working conditions, and uninvolved parents.Results from the research also showed that the principals thought their workloads were not aligned to their salaries, and that reward systems were needed. Recommendations to enhance the job satisfaction of the principals of the identified secondary schools were made to the SGB and other school managers, as well as to the Department of Education, and recommendations for future research were also put forward. Finally, a number of limitations of the study were pointed out. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

School principals have a key role to play in managing educators with HIV/AIDS because it poses a serious threat to the quality of education provision. The aim of this study was to identify needs and challenges facing school principals in managing educators with HIV/AIDS and to provide school principals with in-depth information on how to manage educators with HIV/AIDS. A literature study was conducted to determine the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education sector. In order to obtain a better understanding of the problem, a qualitative research strategy was used. Data collection was done through individual interviews with school principals and focus group interviews with educators. Data analysis was done using Colaizzi‟s phenomenological approach. The findings of the research confirmed that HIV/AIDS has a disruptive effect on education provision. Finally, recommendations were made to address the identified problems. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis (MEd (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / After the election of the new democratic government in April 1994, bold steps were taken to transform the South African education dispensation, seeking for an appropriate approach to address the educational imbalances of the past. The immense disparity in the provision of education for the vast majority of South Africans was the main reason for educational change. Curriculum reform/educational change emerged as the key focus in restructuring the educational system. A qualitative research design, guided by an interpretive research paradigm, was employed to answer the research question which would be integrated with the aim of the study in a logical way. The aim of the study was to explore how principals experienced their new roles and responsibilities as curriculum leaders and managers in a changing educational system. Data was generated by means of semistructured questions to provide rich descriptions and explanations of how principals experienced educational change in their particular contexts. The literature review revealed that during educational change principals are faced with the challenge to create a climate for change through their particular style of leadership and management, acting as key agents for initiating the desired change, or leading the way as agents of change. Principals, as curriculum leaders, have an important role to play in setting the tone to provide direction, executing their roles as both curriculum leaders and managers and building democratic schools. To keep up and cope effectively with the constant and rapid educational change, principals are also urged to demonstrate positive, supporting leadership and professionalism, and to acquire new learning and thinking skills to manage change. Moreover, by developing a better understanding of change, the principal will be able to give effective direction and empower their staff, guiding and supporting them in the process of accepting change. While leadership skills are essential for providing effective leadership, the leader must also possess a sense of purpose and direction. The challenge is to develop leaders’ sensitivity and knowledge so that they will know when to be directive and when to act within a collaborative framework, or to delegate responsibility to others. The research findings indicated that principals do fulfil their new roles and responsibilities as educational leaders during educational change, but the challenge is to identify adequate approaches and to enhance their professional and personal growth and development. The study concludes by pointing out that although principals perform their roles and meet their responsibilities as curriculum leaders, they still require additional support to execute certain aspects of their duties.