Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The National Department of Basic Education is aware that it is not succeeding in providing quality education for all school children. At present the performance of grade 3 and grade 6 learners, in both international and local assessment, is a matter for great concern. The results suggest that most learners lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. Learners’ performance in the National Senior Certificate Examinations is also far from what it should be. The way in which schools are managed largely determines the quality of education learners receive. As the managers of schools, therefore, principals are held responsible for the poor performance of learners during these annual systemic evaluations. The study aimed to investigate whether the school principals are aware of their powers and whether they perceive themselves as able to use their power to influence school practices positively and thus promote quality education. The study indicates that principals rely on a combination of positional and personal power sources to promote quality education. The study also indicates that principals are aware of their power but have a limited understanding of the concept of power. They also seem to lack the knowledge and understanding to exercise these powers effectively. Although they seem able to exercise considerable power in different situations, principals are reluctant to use their power. It seems that various external and internal factors influence their ability to use their power effectively. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen Afrikaanse opsomming

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mentoring as a professional development strategy forms an integral part of the Advanced Certificate: School leadership that was introduced in 2007 by the National Education department as an entry qualification in the school principalship. The Advanced Certificate in Education: School Leadership is aimed at capacitating school leaders to address the challenges experienced by school principals. The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether the mentorship component of the course is experienced as a form of social learning by the candidates. To achieve this goal, open-ended questions were prepared and administered during semi-structured interviews with the school principals who have been mentored within the ACE programme. The interviews were conducted to ten (10) participants including principals, deputy principals and heads of departments (school level) within the Gert Sibande District (Mpumalanga Province). The investigation highlighted that principals do indeed experience mentoring as a form of social learning. This was confirmed by the statements given by the interviewed principals that their learning was based on learning from each other through observation and engagement as well as through their mentors. This learning is confirmed by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1977) which suggests that learning takes place through observation and positive behaviour of the mentor. Based on the findings, the main recommendations were that mentorship, as social learning, should be extended to all school leaders and ultimately to school educators, that a mentoring unit should be based at each district office, that the selection of mentors should be carried out carefully so that protégés could benefit maximally and that the period of mentoring should go beyond merely being a component of an academic course. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mentorskap as ‘n professionele ontwikkelingstrategie vorm ‘n integrale deel van die Gevorderde Onderwyssertifikaat: Skoolleierskap wat in 2007 deur die Nasionale Onderwysdepartement as ‘n toetree-kwalifikasie vir skoolhoofde ingestel is. Die Gevorderde Onderwyssertifikaat: Skooleierskap is gerig op die kapasitering van skoolleiers om die uitdagings wat die posisie van Skoolhoof meebring aan te spreek. Die primêre doelwit van die studie was om vas te stel of die mentorskapkomponent van die kursus deur kandidate as ‘n vorm van sosiale leer ervaar word. Om die doel te bereik is oopvrae voorberei en geadministreer tydens semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met skoolhoofde wat as deel van die Gevorderde Sertifikaat: Skoolleierskapkursus gementor is. Die onderhoude is gevoer met tien skoolhoofde, adjunkhoofde en departementshoofde van die Gert Sibande distrik (Mpumalanga). Die ondersoek het aan die lig gebring dat skoolhoofde wel die mentorskapproses as ‘n vorm van sosiale leer ervaar. Hierdie aspek is bevestig deur die respons van skoolleiers dat hulle van mekaar geleer het deur observasie en braadslaging asook deur die modelering van mentors. Diè vorm van leer strook met Bandura se Teorie van Sosiale Leer (2007) wat die idée onderskryf dat leer plaasvind deur observasie en modelering van positiewe gedrag van die mentor. Gebaseer op die bevindinge is die hoof aanbevelings wat in die studie gemaak word dat mentorskap, as sosiale leer, uitgebrei behoort te word na alle skoolleiers en uiteindelik na alle onderwysers, dat ‘n mentorskapeenheid by elke distrik gebaseer behoort te word, dat die keuring van mentors omsigtig moet geskied sodat protégés maksimaal voordeel trek en dat mentorskap verder moet strek as bloot ‘n komponent van ‘n akademiese kursus.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relevance of School Management Training (SMT) to school practice; present an overview of SMT in Zimbabwe; and identify and analyse relevant SMT models to school headship. The research methods involved a literature study of primary and secondary sources, as well as an empirical situation analysis of SMT in Zimbabwe. The secondary sources comprised books, journals, research dissertations and thesis. The primary sources comprised official circulars, courses outlines the B.Ed (EAPPS) degree programme and the Heads Training Support Programme (HTSP) modules. The knowledge drawn from these sources was the basis for developing appropriate models for SMT. The empirical situation analysis comprised the use of questionnaires and interviews to examine the content, typology, the modes of SMT in Zimbabwe, as provided by a sample of 218 randomly selected school heads in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South regions. Personal and group interviews were conducted with selected school heads. The findings revealed the following strengths of SMT in Zimbabwe:  Induction SMT is offered to newly-appointed school heads in order to inspire their confidence in leadership.  Various forms of continuing on-site SMT on-the-job training opportunities to school heads.  Whilst off-site SMT workshops inculcate skills from school headship experience, SMT conferences and seminars run by heads' professional associations cater for SMT needs of school heads. Weaknesses of SMT in Zimbabwe exposed by the study involve:  Lack of SMT newsletters to encourage self-induction  Lack of institutional provision for the smooth co-ordination of SMT  Little involvement of university experts in non-formal SMT A tripartite collaborative SMT model which integrates self-development, university tuition and HTSP tuition is recommended. For the smooth operation of the model a dedicated institute for SMT is recommended. Any further research study, local or in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, should investigate the feasibility of a tripartite collaborative model and the dedicated institute in SMT. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of the research was to reflect phenomenologically on the role of the school principal as educational manager and instructional leader in enhancing a culture of teaching and learning in schools, and to reflect critically on this state of affairs in Limpopo Province. A literature study was undertaken to expose problems that deter principals from fulfilling these roles. Qualitative research in the form of ideograms, as well as, unstructured interviews with principles, was used to elicit principals' views concerning how they perceive their roles in an attempt to enhance a culture of teaching and learning in schools. Research findings indicated that principalship is beset with many problems which have to be addressed in order to restore the collapsed culture of teaching and learning in schools. Results revealed among other issues that: - The training of principals for the introduction of Outcomes Based Education in schools was not well carried out. It was incomprehensible for the Education Department to exclude principals from the training when the whole system of teaching and learning was supposed to change with the introduction of Outcomes Based Education - The redeployment and rationalisation of teachers has given rise to many complicated problems in schools, leaving teachers demoralised and being a major cause of job dissatisfaction for principals The research findings revealed that the role of principals as educational managers and instructional leaders in Limpopo Province is not authentically enacted. Recommendations include among other issues that: - The Department of Education in Limpopo Province review the implementation of Outcomes Based Education, particularly the training of principals - Attention should be given to problems arising from the process of redeployment and rationalisation of teachers in schools - There is a need for ongoing, effective and in-service lifelong training for teachers, principals and the School Governing Body with regard to education management. Attention to these issues, amongst others, it is proposed, will contribute to the effective implementation of the role of school principals as educational managers and instructional leaders, particularly in Limpopo Province. This will reinforce the desired culture of teaching and learning in schools. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relevance of School Management Training (SMT) to school practice; present an overview of SMT in Zimbabwe; and identify and analyse relevant SMT models to school headship. The research methods involved a literature study of primary and secondary sources, as well as an empirical situation analysis of SMT in Zimbabwe. The secondary sources comprised books, journals, research dissertations and theses. The primary sources comprised official circulars, course outlines of the B.Ed (EAPPS) degree programme and the Heads Training Support Programme (HTSP) modules. The knowledge drawn from these sources was the basis for developing appropriate models for SMT. The empirical situation analysis comprised the use of questionnaires and interviews to examine the content, typology, the modes of SMT in Zimbabwe, as provided by a sample of 218 randomly selected school heads in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South regions. Personal and group interviews were conducted with selected school heads. The findings revealed the following strengths of SMT in Zimbabwe: • Induction SMT is offered to newly-appointed school heads in order to inspire their confidence in leadership. • Various forms of continuing on-site SMT on-the-job training opportunities to school heads. • Whilst off-site SMT workshops inculcate skills from school headship expenence, SMT conferences and seminars run by heads' professional associations cater for SMT needs of school heads. Weaknesses of SMT in Zimbabwe exposed by the study involve: • Lack of SMT newsletters to encourage self-induction • Lack of institutional provision for the smooth co-ordination of SMT • Little involvement of university experts in non-formal SMT (iii) A tripartite collaborative SMT model which integrates self-development, university tuition and HTSP tuition is recommended. For the smooth operation of the model a dedicated institute for SMT is recommended. Any further research study, local or in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, should investigate the feasibility of a tripartite collaborative model and the dedicated institute in SMT / Educational Leadership and Management / D.Ed. (Education Management)

This study explored the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs to determine how they aligned to research-based best practices for school leaders. The research questions that guided this work were: To what degree are the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities addressed in the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs? How do the leaders of the nontraditional principal preparation programs view the degree to which their competencies include the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities? A multi-case study analysis was conducted that compared the competency frameworks of four nontraditional principal preparation programs. The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), New Leaders, New York City Leadership Academy (NYCLA), and Teaching Trust were the nontraditional programs selected for this study. Leaders from the four organizations were interviewed. The findings from the research illustrated that a majority of the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities were included in the competency frameworks of nontraditional principal preparation programs. The study revealed that four of the McREL 21 were not included in any of the competency frameworks. Another finding was the lack of focus on talent management and personal dispositions in the McREL 21 Leadership Responsibilities. Nontraditional principal preparation programs are a growing avenue for principal preparation, as such their use of research on principal success was promising.