Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Leadership and Foundations. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

This study provides an account of the agendas, participation and influence of management, teachers, students and parents at a primary school in Tigray, Ethiopia. A literature review revealed gaps in the knowledge of these stakeholders’ involvement in school leadership structures in the current national policy context. A broader review of the major traditions of school research informed the design of this ethnographic case study. Fieldwork at ‘Ketema School’ took place over an eight-month period in 2014, and involved participant observation, informant-led interviews, and the collection of institutional documents. Data collection focused on the meetings of various bodies, and the activities of a single class in Grade 6 and 7. Inductive analysis of the case data was supported by Atlas.ti. The study reveals a convergence of understandings about the purposes and processes of the school consistent with the state-authorised model of schooling for national development. Structures and processes of surveillance and control incentivise and normalise compliance with government directives. These include positions of distributed leadership and mechanisms of mutual surveillance and internal accountability through which teachers and students share responsibility for supervising peers and colleagues. For example, the student leaders of the ‘one-to-five’ networks perform an academic support and behavioural control function in relation to their peers; and gim gima is a practice of public critique used for exposing misconduct. Meetings and other participative spaces enable members of the school community to share their views on conditions in school according to their interests and priorities; however, these forums are dominated by management agendas, and school-level decisions are restricted by a strong external policy context. This study extends knowledge of school leadership practices in Ethiopia and informs wider debates around community participation, accountability and school autonomy in developing countries. Recommendations are made for sharing and strengthening democratic practices and for future research.

p. 1-114 / Submitted by Santiago Fabio (fabio.ssantiago@hotmail.com) on 2013-02-26T17:10:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 555.pdf: 546163 bytes, checksum: 3fb34d5fc6f01156b27d6b57aa0ef8e8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Tatiana Lima(tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2013-03-13T19:50:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 555.pdf: 546163 bytes, checksum: 3fb34d5fc6f01156b27d6b57aa0ef8e8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-03-13T19:50:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 555.pdf: 546163 bytes, checksum: 3fb34d5fc6f01156b27d6b57aa0ef8e8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / A gestão do sistema educacional brasileiro foi significativamente descentralizada pela Constituição Federal de 1988 (CF/88) ao reconhecer a autonomia entre os três níveis federativos e ao introduzir o princípio da gestão democrática da Educação. Assim motivado, o sistema educacional baiano iniciou sua reforma em 1999, tendo como referencial oferecer maiores níveis de autonomia e capacidade local de gestão para as unidades escolares. Para fortalecer a gestão, o programa de Governo, através do Projeto Fortalecimento da Gestão e Autonomia Educacional (PFGAE), introduziu o planejamento estratégico como ferramenta de gestão das escolas públicas estaduais baianas, no período compreendido entre os anos de 2001 a 2005, apoiado em um amplo programa de financiamento para a sua implementação. O investimento público neste programa de Governo totaliza US$216 milhões, 60% deles oriundos de um acordo de empréstimo junto ao Banco Mundial. Para subsidiar a sua análise, este trabalho recorre aos conceitos de autonomia e gestão escolar e a trajetória brasileira nos últimos quarenta anos. Esta pesquisa retrata a introdução e desenvolvimento do planejamento estratégico e sua contribuição para o fortalecimento da gestão participativa, buscando compreender se os estímulos lançados estão em harmonia com a realidade prática da sua gestão. Para isto, foi apresentado o planejamento estratégico em uma dimensão instrumental e uma processual, sendo estudadas as práticas que lhe são inerentes num modelo de análise inovador. Como referencial, utiliza a percepção dos dirigentes escolares para avaliar a incorporação dos conceitos e práticas concernentes ao planejamento estratégico e a sua contribuição para a gestão participativa, sendo neste trabalho apresentada uma distinção conceitual entre a mesma a gestão democrática, confusão comum na literatura da área. A metodologia de pesquisa tem ênfase nos aspectos qualitativos, aproximando-se de múltiplo estudo de caso, pois que a amostra não permite considerá-lo uma survey. A análise do resultado deste trabalho sinaliza o estágio de contribuição do planejamento estratégico nas práticas de gestão participativa das equipes escolares, revelando que a escola pública não incorporou satisfatoriamente o planejamento estratégico como instrumento de gestão, embora o mesmo tenha um papel importante ao ajudar a escola a avançar no desenvolvimento da gestão participativa. / Salvador

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The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that cause most Lesotho secondary schools to perform poorly in the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate examinations. The findings of the study show that the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools are multiple and interrelated. These problems can be identified at the macro or policy-making level at the Ministry of Education, and at the micro or the individual school level. At macro level, there appears to be a lack of adequate capacity among the senior management staff to perform the management and governance functions effectively, so that substantive improvement could be realised in the day-to-day operations, and academic results of schools. An upshot of this is that the professional support that the Ministry of Education provides to secondary schools is inadequate. Furthermore, despite the deepening poverty in Lesotho, the state does not provide textbooks to learners in secondary schools. Consequently, many learners do not have all the textbooks, and this affects their learning negatively. At micro level, the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools include teacher tardiness, teacher absenteeism and a lack of learner determination. It is contended that these factors indicate that the management of the school principals is weak. Moreover, because of poverty, many parents fail to pay school fees for their children on time. As a result, many learners are frequently sent back home by the principals to fetch money, and this reduces their academic learning time. The study also revealed that prior academic achievement of learners in primary schools is, to a large extent, a major predictor of their achievement in secondary schools. In this regard, the highly effective schools, which have selective admission policies and accept mainly Form A applicants, tend to consistently outperform the average and less effective schools, which have open admission policies. In order to improve the academic performance of secondary schools, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education officials, principals, teachers and learners should work more diligently and refocus their efforts on the core business of schools, namely, teaching and learning. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that cause most Lesotho secondary schools to perform poorly in the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate examinations. The findings of the study show that the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools are multiple and interrelated. These problems can be identified at the macro or policy-making level at the Ministry of Education, and at the micro or the individual school level. At macro level, there appears to be a lack of adequate capacity among the senior management staff to perform the management and governance functions effectively, so that substantive improvement could be realised in the day-to-day operations, and academic results of schools. An upshot of this is that the professional support that the Ministry of Education provides to secondary schools is inadequate. Furthermore, despite the deepening poverty in Lesotho, the state does not provide textbooks to learners in secondary schools. Consequently, many learners do not have all the textbooks, and this affects their learning negatively. At micro level, the problems that contribute to the ineffectiveness of most secondary schools include teacher tardiness, teacher absenteeism and a lack of learner determination. It is contended that these factors indicate that the management of the school principals is weak. Moreover, because of poverty, many parents fail to pay school fees for their children on time. As a result, many learners are frequently sent back home by the principals to fetch money, and this reduces their academic learning time. The study also revealed that prior academic achievement of learners in primary schools is, to a large extent, a major predictor of their achievement in secondary schools. In this regard, the highly effective schools, which have selective admission policies and accept mainly Form A applicants, tend to consistently outperform the average and less effective schools, which have open admission policies. In order to improve the academic performance of secondary schools, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education officials, principals, teachers and learners should work more diligently and refocus their efforts on the core business of schools, namely, teaching and learning. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Education plays prominent role in the development of nations considering that the progress of nations depends on the capability of its workforce which is informed by the quality of education offered its citizenry. Program for international students‟ assessment revealed the need to improve upon the quality of education across nations. This need was corroborated by the unimpressive performance of the secondary schools learners in Egbeda local Government of Oyo State. Ironically, secondary schools management in the local government have been found to have very little discretionary powers in the administration of their schools – a situation that could have contributed to the poor performance of the learners. The study thus focussed on the effect of school autonomy on learners‟ performance in Egbeda Local Government secondary schools of Oyo State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 72 Principals, 158 Vice Principals and 125 Heads of Departments from the 72 schools covered by the study. Thirty schools were excluded from the study for not meeting selection criteria of ten years of establishment. Sample size of 355 was purposively selected for the study. Response rate was 97.7%. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that school autonomy dimensions have statistically significant effect on learners‟ work quality (F5, 341 = 221.357, Adj. R2 = 0.761, p < 0.05); school autonomy dimensions have statistically significant effect on learners‟ affective performance (F5, 341 = 66.085, Adj. R2 = 0.492, p < 0.05); school autonomy dimensions have statistically significant effect on learners‟ character formation (F5, 341 = 553.982, Adj. R2 = 0.889, p < 0.05); school autonomy dimensions have statistically significant effect on learners‟ personal development (F5, 341 = 104.177, Adj. R2 = 0.599, p < 0.05); school autonomy dimensions have statistically significant effect on learners‟ social development (F5, 341 = 45.928, Adj. R2 = 0.394, p < 0.05). The study concluded that school autonomy affected learners‟ performance. The study recommended that education authorities should make policy provisions that will enhance school autonomy in both private and public secondary schools in the Egbeda Local Government of Oyo State to improve learners‟ performance. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Education Management)

The changes within the South African education system have turned-around the view that regards principals as “sole” people responsible for leadership and management of schools. The task of the school principal has undergone a radical change. Over the years the notion has been replaced by the view that sees management and leadership as prerogative of many, including stakeholders within and outside education. The move has become world-wide phenomenon compelled by the dual imperatives changing societal values and the rate of change. This study is aimed at investigating the perceptions and experiences of School Management Teams (SMTs) on teamwork as an alternative to school management. The investigation was framed within the mixed-method approach, and sought to unpack the experience of SMT members with regard to teamwork. An interpretive paradigm made it possible for me to gain an in-depth understanding of SMT members’ experience of teamwork within their school contexts. I used interviews and questionnaires as research tools to gather data. This study has found that, although the concept of teamwork is well-received, there are still significant obstacles to the implementation of teamwork as an alternative form of school management / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of the study was to investigate the experiences and challenges of the SGBs in secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal. The research study focused mainly on the following key areas: the handling of learner discipline, the management of school finances, the formulation of the admissions policy and finally, the appointment of staff. The South African Schools Act promulgated in 1994 was committed to ensuring democracy in education through the active involvement of all stakeholders such as parents, learners (in secondary schools), educators and principal in the decision-making processes in schools. However, the evolution of school governance within the South African context during the past sixteen years has gone through many challenges in its determination to create an equitable society. Many School Governing Boards (SGBs), especially those in rural and previously disadvantaged schools do not adhere to the practices stipulated within the South African School Act of 1996 and as a result fail in their mandate. The empirical approach, namely qualitative research was successful in obtaining information from participants about the challenges they faced in school governance. The study revealed that SGBs faced immediate challenges and were not adequately capacitated to handle these challenges. Findings on learner discipline included cases such as stabbings, bullying, theft, alcohol and substance abuse, gang fights, school violence and learner fights. Findings on the handling school finances included cases such as the misappropriation of funds and the lack of proper financial planning. The adoption of discriminatory admissions practices by schools was also evident. In particular, cases of discrimination against age, religion and the use of admission tests were reported. A high level of corruption, nepotism, personal preferences and the abuse of power was common in the staff appointments vii made by the SGBs were also reported. Finally, the study made a number of recommendations with regard to the research findings for all stakeholders in South African education to consider. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to analyze ways in which the roles of instructional support staff as perceived by principals and instructional support staff members in a large, suburban school district have been affected by the implementation of site-based decision making (SBDM). Research questions focused on changes which have occurred in the roles of instructional support staff and in the services provided to schools by support staff since the implementation of SBDM, the roles which support staff members believe they have in SBDM, the perceptions of principals regarding the roles of instructional support staff in SBDM, and a comparison of the views of instructional support staff and principals regarding the district's implementation of SBDM.