Low teacher morale and high attrition rates can be attributed in part to educational policy changes and instructional decisions made by individuals who are not connected to the classroom. Time constraints, logistical struggles of getting a critical mass of teachers together, and the geography of rural Iowa schools all play a role in teachers' inability to form a unified voice. The Voices Ideas Vision Action (VIVA) Idea Exchange-?¢ is an online process that combines crowd-sourcing methods with individual engagement strategies over a 6- to 8-week period. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact the VIVA program has on teachers' perceptions of their role within the educational system, specifically in the areas of morale, leadership, and ownership of school policy. The literature revealed when teachers were not involved in the process, they became disenfranchised, attrition rates rose, and student learning was impacted. The theoretical framework of positive administrative engagement was the basis for the research. Using a qualitative approach, individual interviews were conducted with 10 participants to determine the effectiveness of the VIVA with regard to participants' views on their ownership in school policy reform. Interview data were transcribed and coded for emergent themes and patterns. Analysis of data revealed 5 themes: (a) program format, (b) teachers' role in policy development, (c) improved communication needs, (d) VIVA as a proactive tool, and (e) moving forward with VIVA. This study may empower teachers earlier in their careers, which may result in lower attrition rates and a higher level of teacher buy-in to the policies and procedures instilled by local and state government. Implications are that the online VIVA exchange can build morale by positively engaging classroom teachers and infusing their voices in policy-making.

Schools and districts are implementing more change initiatives because of an increase in accountability through national, state, and city requirements. Teachers and administrators are responsible for adhering to change initiatives and producing the results to bring the reform initiative to a successful fruition. This study explores the attitudes that are prevalent in the schools regarding reform initiatives and the change process. A qualitative research method was used to explore the prevailing attitudes about change among teachers and administrators. Teachers were not opposed to changing if their students would benefit from the change; however, changing just for change sake was not acceptable. Themes of teacher empowerment and voice were prevalent. Teachers wanted to be heard because they had the expertise within the classroom with their students and they wanted the autonomy to shape reform initiatives to fit the needs of their classrooms. School support, district support, and community support were important systems to ensure success of reform initiatives. Within each support system were important roles and responsibilities teachers depended upon for resources as a reform initiative progressed. In addition, teachers spoke candidly about essential professional development opportunities and collaboration within their schools. Teachers addressed the 4 reform initiatives pertinent to this study and discussed the impact of the initiatives on the classrooms. Reform initiatives are not cure-alls for what is ailing the public schools; however, there is a place for reform within each school and district. Teachers want to have valid data and clear cut goals and objectives to support the reform. Principals and superintendents have roles and responsibilities before, during, and after a reform initiative because teachers look to them for cues regarding reform. The 4 reform initiatives studied are still having an impact on classes today, some more than others. This study adds to the development of knowledge about the change process and change initiatives. It provides a framework for administrators involved with change to understand the preconceived notions and explore ways to reshape those notions. It may also aid future developers of reform initiatives as they develop programs for schools to adopt.

Although public school teaching by its inherent nature presents numerous classroom challenges, the public high school teacher today is faced in addition with multiple external mandates from several outside stakeholders. Given the established track record of professional learning communities (PLCs) to provide teacher support and development, I created a PLC that would serve as an intervention designed to support teachers in their classroom work and with their multiple mandates as well. This enhanced PLC was informed by interviews with administrators, researched best practices of traditional PLCs, and uniquely, by what teachers told me they needed in an optimal PLC experience. The PLC was facilitated and based on inclusive, holistic social justice principles that provided a framework for and experience of inclusive teaching practice, while specifically addressing ongoing teacher concerns and issues raised by the multiple mandates. The PLC intervention I designed was for participants only, and I studied them along a range of outcomes that were compared to a control group of teachers identified from the same general population, but who did not experience the intervention. I used a multiple methods, predominantly qualitative approach, that included closed and open field questions taken before and after the intervention. I concluded by conducting in-depth end of term interviews with the participants in the intervention, enriched by my own field notes and observations. Findings included participants unanimously reporting this PLC uniquely satisfying, both professionally and personally. Professionally, they reported a significant gain across a range of knowledge, skills, self efficacy, and classroom management; an enhanced understanding of student diversity, and of the complex interactions between their choices of pedagogy and curriculum within the learning experience between and among students and teacher--leading to more effective professional interactions. After closely examining a published holistic teaching and learning model, participants exercised their professional power by creating one organizing tool to help them personalize and connect the apparently disparate mandates, and another organizer that schematically designed their future professional development requirements. Post-PLC, participants felt affirmed, empowered, less stressed, more closely affiliated, and spiritually supported by the PLC. Many continue to meet since the study's conclusion.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2007 / The role of school principals as managers in empowering educators and learners in Tshinane Circuit. This study was carried out to investigate the role of school principals as managers in empowering educators and learners in Tshinane Circuit. Empowering is the process of development and growth where a person is enable to take decisions independently and in an autonomous way to make a contribution to the development of his/her organization ( a school) .empowered people feel confident that they can perform adequately. Empowerment aimed at improving the educator’s and learner’s livelihood ultimately, in order to improve teaching and learning. It also equip educators with information, knowledge, skills and new classroom teaching strategies, which put learners in the centre of the didactic situation required for them. Chapter two is devoted to literature review. The aim of chapter two is to clarify concepts related to empowerment of educators and learners, concepts such as school climate, principals’ management role, participatory school governance, educator’s empowerment mechanism, learners empowerment mechanism, purpose of empowerment, the impact of empowerment on motivation, importance and significance of empowerment and making empowerment possible. Chapter three outlines the methods and techniques used to gather data for this research. The researcher used the qualitative research parading to collect data from selected respondents. Two instruments for collecting data were used in this study. Questionnaire in (Appendices A, B and C) were handed out to school principals, educators and learners. Interview schedules in (Appendices D and E were for circuit manager and subject advisor. The main findings of this study were: • Educators were poorly empowered and in effective as a results of poor attendance of in service training, no proper techniques for supervision and no proper coordination between educators organizations and schools management teams. • Educators competence and effectiveness in enhancing learner performance were found to be remarkably low as a result of indiscipline learners, no involvement in curriculum planning and curriculum development, poor management of schools by principals, lack teaching media and high educator-learner ratio. • Amongst learners, educators were disempowered and ineffective and visible sign were absenteeism , no preparation of lessons when teaching , continuous boycott of classes in attending meeting of their organizations. • Subject advisor and circuit managers indicated that educators were ill empowered and in effective in enhancing scholastic achievement of learners as a result of their being rejected by educators in supervising their activities. Main conclusions Educators are poorly empowered and ineffective in enhancing learner’s performance as a result of: • Poor attendance of in-service training by educators. • There is no proper techniques for educators supervision. • Learners are not disciplined with visible sign-posts such as absenteeism , bullying and negligence of written work. • Poor management behaviour and performance of the management teams by education managers. • Teachers are not involved in the curriculum development of their subjects. • There is high educator-learner ratio, which prevents educators from executing individual teaching necessary for the betterment of learner performance. Resultant Recommendations Several recommendations are made and they are detailed in Chapter Five

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This thesis points to mechanisms that aim at the political ecology of the resources derived from oil production, while, at the same time, sheds light on the debates about distribution and sharing of royalties to states and cities that are producers, confronters, affected or not affected by the flow of the aforementioned hydrocarbon, by proposing that oil royalties be used as inputs to improve elementary and high school teachers' training processes in Brazilian territory, especially in oil-producing states, which hold the largest royalties. In this sense, it aims to unveil the teacher power through the promotion of oil royalties‘ resources in the implementation of actions, programs and public policies aimed at school education, in order to provide instruments and broaden the theoretical and methodological horizons of the teacher‘s professionalization process, co-occurring for their empowerment. The implementation of these resources in the educational area is vital for the development of strategies that guarantee the fulfillment of the goals established in Municipal and State Plans in Brazil, in order to, in addition, aim at perennial improvements in formal education. It is true that an efficient teacher training enables and empowers the teacher in the development of strategies to implement environmental education in formal environments, as well as impels the school community for environmental development, through applicable and sustainable practical actions in the perspective of leveraging the anthropological performance in nature, in a conscious and effective way, by everyday school praxis. To obtain the data, we carried out a bibliographical and documentary research, based on the literature review technique in books, scientific articles, legislation, regulations, Brazilian Education Plans, programs and public policies. We also elaborated two indicators that can offer public managers a framework for the application of resources in teacher training, enabling a quantitative and qualitative increase in technical and pedagogical training and strategies aimed at teacher‘s empowerment, so that the teacher power extrapolates school walls, through the conscious use of compensatory reversal. The study showed that teacher empowerment, as an individual and collective attitude, enables the development of strategies and skills that can ratify the pedagogical action in school environment, reflecting in actions of appreciation and care for the environment, besides explaining that the application of at least 50% of oil royalties in actions to strengthen teacher training, contribute to unveiling the teacher power and, consequently, to generate positive impacts on local and regional (environmental) and educational development. / Esta tese aponta mecanismos que visam à ecologia política dos recursos advindos da produção do petróleo, ao mesmo tempo que lança luz nos debates sobre a distribuição e partilha dos royalties aos Estados e Municípios produtores, afetados, confrontantes ou não afetados pela vazão do referido hidrocarboneto, ao propor que os royalties do petróleo sejam utilizados como insumos na melhoria dos processos de formação dos professores da educação básica no território nacional, sobretudo nos Estados produtores de petróleo, detentores das maiores parcelas em royalties. Neste sentido, objetiva desvelar o poder do professor por meio do fomento dos recursos dos royalties do petróleo na efetivação de ações, programas e políticas públicas voltadas para a educação escolar, a fim de instrumentalizar e ampliar os horizontes teórico-metodológicos do processo de profissionalização do professor, concorrendo para o seu empoderamento. A implementação destes recursos na área educacional é vital para o desenvolvimento de estratégias que garantam o cumprimento das metas estabelecidas em Planos Municipais e Estaduais, para, além disso, visarem perenes melhorias na educação formal. É certo que uma formação docente eficiente habilita e capacita o professor no desenvolvimento de estratégias de efetivação da educação ambiental em ambientes formais, bem como impulsiona a comunidade escolar para o (des)envolvimento ambiental, através de ações práticas aplicáveis e sustentáveis na perspectiva de potencializar a atuação antropológica na natureza de modo consciente e eficaz pela práxis escolar cotidiana. Para obtenção dos dados, realizou-se uma pesquisa do tipo bibliográfica e documental, a partir da técnica de revisão de literatura em livros, artigos científicos, legislações, normativas, Planos Nacionais de Educação, programas e políticas públicas. Foram, também, elaborados dois indicadores que podem oferecer aos gestores públicos um referencial para aplicação dos recursos na formação dos professores, possibilitando um aumento quantitativo e qualitativo nas formações técnico-pedagógicas e nas estratégias que visam ao empoderamento docente, de maneira que o poder do professor extrapole os muros escolares, pelo emprego consciente da reversão compensatória. O estudo demonstrou que o empoderamento docente, como atitude individual e coletiva, possibilita o desenvolvimento de estratégias e habilidades que podem ratificar a ação pedagógica em ambiente escolar, refletindo-se em ações de valorização e cuidado com o ambiente, além de explicitar que a aplicação, de, ao menos 50% dos royalties do petróleo em ações de fortalecimento na formação docente, contribuem para desvelar o poder do professor e, consequentemente, gerar impactos positivos no (des)envolvimento ambiental e educacional local e regional. / São Cristóvão, SE

The researcher became interested in the topic regarding job satisfaction amongst male teachers when he attended his university reunion, more than 40% of the male teachers who graduated with a degree in education left the education system within 5 years. After making contact with some of the graduates, the researcher found that all of them left the education system because they were not satisfied within their work environment; hence, the researcher became interested in the topic. The most rewarding aspect of being a teacher is the joy of being in the classroom with learners and seeing them progress. However, what if there is no progression, but only statistics indicating failure to educate learners, an education system in crisis and educators without proper qualifications? A shortage of teachers, increasing learner enrolment and work overload are enough to create a highly stressful profession. The learning environment of a school depends on teachers, because they are in the frontline and directly involved with the transfer of knowledge. Teachers have a direct impact on a school’s success. Therefore, it is important that principals identify ways to support their staff in order to promote job satisfaction and motivation. The aim of this study is to investigate, from an educational management perspective, the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst male teachers in schools in the Ehlanzeni school district, Mpumalanga. The sequential explanatory mixed-method approach is used during this study; the quantitative phase investigated factors affecting job satisfaction amongst male teachers by means of distributing 200 Likert-scale questionnaires amongst male teachers in the Ehlanzeni school district. Structured interviews is being scheduled with twelve school principals (three rural primary school principals, three former Model-C primary school principals, three rural secondary school principals and three former Model-c secondary school principals) in the Ehlanzeni school district in order to determine the cause and effect of factors affecting the job satisfaction amongst male teachers. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The researcher became interested in the topic regarding job satisfaction amongst male teachers when he attended his university reunion, more than 40% of the male teachers who graduated with a degree in education left the education system within 5 years. After making contact with some of the graduates, the researcher found that all of them left the education system because they were not satisfied within their work environment; hence, the researcher became interested in the topic. The most rewarding aspect of being a teacher is the joy of being in the classroom with learners and seeing them progress. However, what if there is no progression, but only statistics indicating failure to educate learners, an education system in crisis and educators without proper qualifications? A shortage of teachers, increasing learner enrolment and work overload are enough to create a highly stressful profession. The learning environment of a school depends on teachers, because they are in the frontline and directly involved with the transfer of knowledge. Teachers have a direct impact on a school’s success. Therefore, it is important that principals identify ways to support their staff in order to promote job satisfaction and motivation. The aim of this study is to investigate, from an educational management perspective, the factors that influence job satisfaction amongst male teachers in schools in the Ehlanzeni school district, Mpumalanga. The sequential explanatory mixed-method approach is used during this study; the quantitative phase investigated factors affecting job satisfaction amongst male teachers by means of distributing 200 Likert-scale questionnaires amongst male teachers in the Ehlanzeni school district. Structured interviews is being scheduled with twelve school principals (three rural primary school principals, three former Model-C primary school principals, three rural secondary school principals and three former Model-c secondary school principals) in the Ehlanzeni school district in order to determine the cause and effect of factors affecting the job satisfaction amongst male teachers. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

No description available.

Teachers leaving the profession is an ongoing problem; fewer teachers enter the profession each year and the number of teachers leaving the profession has increased. Many teachers listed job satisfaction as a reason for leaving the education profession, whilst citing the lack of mentoring as a cause of job dissatisfaction. Mentoring is known as the planned paring of a more experienced person with a lesser individual to help with the professional development of that individual and reduce teacher turnover. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of an effective mentoring programme at primary schools by developing and implementing such a mentoring programme to support and improve job satisfaction among beginner teachers in the province of Mpumalanga entering the profession for the first time. The following quantitative techniques were used during this study: document analysis and Likert-scale questionnaires, completed by 1 000 male and female teachers (principals, deputy principals, heads of departments, teachers and student teachers) from different races and cultures (20 teachers per school) from 50 randomly selected rural primary schools, private primary schools and Quintile 4 and 5 primary schools in the province of Mpumalanga. The analysis of data enabled me to identify a series of factors that were utilised to develop a mentoring programme that school management can implement in their schools to help beginner teachers to cope in their new work environment in order to improve job satisfaction and improve teacher retention. The factors identified include: aspects of job satisfaction that support leaners in achieving their goals; aspects of school management; the contribution of mentoring programme on the job satisfaction of beginner teachers; the responsibility of a mentor in developing a mentoring programme; the responsibility of a mentee in developing a mentoring programme; the responsibility of schools in developing a mentoring programme and characteristics that should be demonstrated by a mentor. From the data gathered, a mentoring programme was developed, namely the Hugo mentoring model. This model outlined the roles and responsibilities of mentors, mentees and school management throughout the mentoring process. The model also provided steps that should be taken into consideration when organising meetings between mentors and mentees. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.