This dissertation compares the work and life of secondary public-school teachers in Ontario with different labour contracts during a time of crisis. The COVID public health crisis along with neoliberalism, the defunding of public education, and a climate crisis have all influenced governmental policies and the labour process of public secondary teachers in Ontario. The influences that different contracts can have on the labour process of teachers, how they feel towards their union, and the impacts on their individual health and household wellbeing before and during the first year of the COVID pandemic is the focus of this dissertation. To help explore these contexts and the influences on the life and labour of public secondary teachers in Ontario with different contracts, I have used research from studies in Labour Process Theory, precarious work, and educational labour to inform my analysis. Along with those areas of discourse, I have also used insights from research into Critical Realism and Thematic Analysis to think through and discuss the differences between the teachers I interviewed and connect their experiences with work, their union, and their individual health and household well-being to larger systems, structures, and histories. The interviews conducted revealed three points of interest: that precarious labour contracts can function as a disciplinary device, that larger contexts outside the contract shaped how the contract was experienced, and that teachers’ unions can act as a source of solidarity and security during a crisis and when there are certain associations with its purpose. This exploratory research aims to open up future areas of research into educational labour and differences between the experiences of educators with different contracts. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This project explored the differences between public secondary teachers with different contracts in Ontario before and during the COVID pandemic. It involved an online survey to help recruit participants and interviews with 36 teachers who were recruited from the online survey. Of the 36 teachers, 13 had permanent contracts, 16 had long term occasional (LTO) contracts, and 7 had occasional teaching (OT) contracts. The interviews and analysis revealed three points of interest: that precarious labour contracts in a tiered relationship with secure contracts can function as a disciplinary device, that larger contexts outside the contract shaped how the contract was experienced, and that teachers’ unions can act as a source of solidarity and security during a crisis and when there are certain associations with its purpose. Teachers with different contracts had uniquely different experiences with their work, their union, and their individual health and household wellbeing before and during COVID.

Summary in Afrikaans and English / Hierdie verhandeling omvat 'n beskrywing van die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van die onderwysersvereniging wat vanaf 1893 onder meer as die Vereeniging vir Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in de Z.A.R. (VVOOZA), die Vereeniging van Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in Zuid-Afrika (VVOOZA) vanaf 1903 en sedert 1923 as die Transvaalse Onderwysersvereniging (TO) bekend gestaan het. Die klem val op uitsprake van TO-voorsitters en aktiwiteite wat deur die TO van stapel gestuur is ter bevordering van die professionaliteit en professionele status van onderwysers en onderwyseresse. Die verhandeling sluit ook 'n ontleding van en kritiese besinning oor die kenmerke van professionaliteit in. In die verband word gefokus op die verhouding van die TO met enkele onderwysbelanghebbendes, die bevordering van die professionele beeId van onderwysers/onderwysersesse en die beginsels wat die TO tydens salarisonderhandelinge gehandhaaf het. 'n Belangrike gevolgtrekking waartoe gekom word, is dat die TO vir meer as 100 jaar nie net professionaliteit in onderwysverband bevorder het nie, maar dat sy uitsprake en aktiwiteite op sigself getuig van 'n professionele ingesteldheid. / This thesis comprises an account of the origin and development of the teachers' association known from 1893 as the Vereeniging vir Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in de Z.A.R. (VVOOZA), as the Vereeniging van Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in Zuid-Afrika (VVOOZA) from 1903, and since 1923 as the Transvaalse Onderwysersvereniging (TO). The accent is on pronouncements of TO chairpersons and activities initiated by the TO to promote professional qualities among teachers and to secure professional status for them. The thesis also includes an analysis and critical consideration of the criteria of professionalism, with special reference to the relationship between the TO and roleplayers with an interest in education, the promotion of the professional image of teachers, and the principles upheld by the TO in salary negotiations. An important conclusion drawn is that for more than 100 years of its existence, the TO not only promoted professional qualities in the educational context, but epitomises professionalism in its pronouncements and activities. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)

Summary in Afrikaans and English / Hierdie verhandeling omvat 'n beskrywing van die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van die onderwysersvereniging wat vanaf 1893 onder meer as die Vereeniging vir Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in de Z.A.R. (VVOOZA), die Vereeniging van Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in Zuid-Afrika (VVOOZA) vanaf 1903 en sedert 1923 as die Transvaalse Onderwysersvereniging (TO) bekend gestaan het. Die klem val op uitsprake van TO-voorsitters en aktiwiteite wat deur die TO van stapel gestuur is ter bevordering van die professionaliteit en professionele status van onderwysers en onderwyseresse. Die verhandeling sluit ook 'n ontleding van en kritiese besinning oor die kenmerke van professionaliteit in. In die verband word gefokus op die verhouding van die TO met enkele onderwysbelanghebbendes, die bevordering van die professionele beeId van onderwysers/onderwysersesse en die beginsels wat die TO tydens salarisonderhandelinge gehandhaaf het. 'n Belangrike gevolgtrekking waartoe gekom word, is dat die TO vir meer as 100 jaar nie net professionaliteit in onderwysverband bevorder het nie, maar dat sy uitsprake en aktiwiteite op sigself getuig van 'n professionele ingesteldheid. / This thesis comprises an account of the origin and development of the teachers' association known from 1893 as the Vereeniging vir Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in de Z.A.R. (VVOOZA), as the Vereeniging van Onderwijzers en Onderwijzeressen in Zuid-Afrika (VVOOZA) from 1903, and since 1923 as the Transvaalse Onderwysersvereniging (TO). The accent is on pronouncements of TO chairpersons and activities initiated by the TO to promote professional qualities among teachers and to secure professional status for them. The thesis also includes an analysis and critical consideration of the criteria of professionalism, with special reference to the relationship between the TO and roleplayers with an interest in education, the promotion of the professional image of teachers, and the principles upheld by the TO in salary negotiations. An important conclusion drawn is that for more than 100 years of its existence, the TO not only promoted professional qualities in the educational context, but epitomises professionalism in its pronouncements and activities. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Historiese Opvoedkunde)

21 March 1990 marked the turning point in the Ministry of Education's policy processes in Namibia when a culture of open debate in policy making commenced. Against this background, this study focused on the role of stakeholders in the policy process with particular reference to the role played by the Namibia National Teachers' Union (NANTU) in the formulation of the staffing norms policy in Namibia. The topic was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews from a small sample of Union and Ministry officials. Findings supported the role of NANTU in what was traditionally perceived a management area of jurisdiction. The role of the teachers' union in policy making is more widely accepted due to professionalism. Findings stressed the significance of stakeholder involvement in policy processes and provided a better understanding of the complex nature of policy. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

This study is based on a need for teacher union involvement in the management of schools to enhance effective teaching and efficient learning. The rationale behind it was to disclose the current perceptions of school managers concerning teacher union involvement in the management of schools in the Vryheid region, with a view to determining the extent to which their perceptions of teacher unions could be positively influenced to allow for proper consultative school management as well as active participation of teacher union members in the decision-making process. The study revealed that the school managers' perceptions and attitudes are central to teacher union involvement in the management of schools. If negative, no effective participatory school management can materialise. The role of the perceptions and attitudes of school managers in the realisation of the goal of participative school management is indispensable. The empirical survey and literature revealed that school managers are in a good position to address the serious shortcomings regarding the manner in which teacher unions are perceived in schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The investigation contributes to a broader understanding of the hegemonic role of teacher organisations and their relation to the dominant structures in society. It also contributes to educational theory since it extends the traditional assertion of an individual teacher who acts as an agent of capitalism and who serves to foster the interests of the State, to teachers who operate through an organisation which becomes more powerful in articulating this hegemony. The historic evidence shows that for much of the period under investigation these teacher organisations have either endorsed, or else have failed to challenge in significant ways, the use of education by the State to ramify the ideology and practice of apartheid. In addition these organisations have had no power to compel action from political and educational authorities. Decades of compliance with State policy, or unwillingness to forcefully articulate the obvious injustices of that policy, have inevitably led to a position whereby established teacher bodies became inward looking. Ultimately, these teacher bodies could not offer a fundamental critique of the apartheid education system and therefore could not empower their members to transform society as they worked within a structural-functional and liberal framework. However, the research also shows that teachers as a collective group became capable of resisting dominant ideologies, especially during the post-1984 period. Progressive teacher organisations, fuelled by the labour movement and African nationalism convicted many conservative teacher bodies to eschew ethnicity and agitate for a unified, democratic non-racial, non-sexist State with a single Ministry of Education. This period saw an escalation in the struggles of resistance by teacher organisations against a newly established Tri-cameral parliamentary system. These empowered members effectively resisted the increasing bureaucratisation and political interference in education through which the State sought to control teachers. The study offers a new way of perceiving teacher organisations as they become involved in long term struggles of transformation which incorporates the reconstruction of a post-apartheid society. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (History of Education)

The study offers a historico-educational investigation of the extent to which the Teachers' Association of South Africa (TASA) satisfied the educational aspirations of the Indian coIIDllunity in South Africa. The discussion begins with a theoretical exposition of characteristic features of teachers' associations. It considers the origin, nature and purpose of teachers' associations. A brief survey of some teachers' associations in the Republic of South Africa is also made. The development and the organisation of the Teachers' Association of South Africa (TASA) is highlighted. In this regard special emphasis is placed on the role of the Association's forerunners, and the nature and functioning of the various organisational structures within the Association. An elaborate discussion is devoted to the achievements of the Association in satisfying the educational aspirations of the Indian coIIDllunity in South Africa. The researcher also offers recoIIDllendations on the role that teachers' associations may play in the future. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (History of Education)

The purpose of this study was to understand what the role of SADTU (South African Democratic Teachers’ Union) is in the implementation of the Teacher Redeployment Policy in schools. The Approach to data collection was that of qualitative research. The methods used to collect data were interviews and literature review. The study used the interpretive paradigm. The theory applied is the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) theory. IPA aims to explore in detail how participants are making sense of their personal and social world. The approach to data analysis was that of a qualitative research. Qualitative data were organised and arranged categorically into themes and patterns emanating from the responses of participants. The data were analysed using descriptive explanations, based on the frequencies and similarities of the responses. The approach was primarily exploratory, just as would be expected of a qualitative research design. A combination of purposive, quota and snowball sampling was used in this research. The main finding in this research is that the role of SADTU in the implementation of teacher redeployment is not limited to observation as the policy prescribes. SADTU members go beyond that role and assume the role of active participation and decision making in the process. The main recommendation was that the policy should be amended to allow SADTU to participate actively in discussions and decision making. This will avert the unnecessary conflicts and instability in schools caused by the suppression of the union to participate actively. When the Teacher Redeployment Policy was conceived, the purpose was to achieve equity in teacher distribution by moving teachers from the historically advantaged White schools to the historically disadvantaged Black schools. The implementation of Teacher Redeployment Policy is causing more harm than good in so far as effective teaching and learning in schools is concerned. For most of the time, teachers are pre-occupied with worrying about how the process of teacher redeployment is going to affect them instead of focussing on delivering quality teaching in schools. Teachers who are most fitting to be the ones identified in excess in some cases enjoy the benefit of escaping redeployment for the simple reason that they are members of SADTU. At the same time, candidates who do not qualify to be placed in specific posts are placed into those posts at the expense of the best suitable candidates because of the biases. The role of the union is not to implement policy, but also to make sure that the policy is implemented in the spirit and letter in which it was formulated. The status of the teacher union in the implementation of policy is that of an observer who only surfaces when an observation is made whether there is unfairness and biases in the manner the Teacher Redeployment Policy is implemented. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)

21 March 1990 marked the turning point in the Ministry of Education's policy processes in Namibia when a culture of open debate in policy making commenced. Against this background, this study focused on the role of stakeholders in the policy process with particular reference to the role played by the Namibia National Teachers' Union (NANTU) in the formulation of the staffing norms policy in Namibia. The topic was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews from a small sample of Union and Ministry officials. Findings supported the role of NANTU in what was traditionally perceived a management area of jurisdiction. The role of the teachers' union in policy making is more widely accepted due to professionalism. Findings stressed the significance of stakeholder involvement in policy processes and provided a better understanding of the complex nature of policy. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The Eastern Cape Department of Education has a constitutional and legislative mandate to provide quality public education in all public schools within the province. The commitment to improve also involves ensuring effective educator personnel provisioning in public secondary xii schools. However, despite various legislative and policy measures relating to educator personnel provisioning, serious concerns have been raised. There have been concerns over the shortage of educators. There are concerns over the lack of suitably qualified educators, especially in Mathematics and Science subjects. Disparities have been noted between legislative and policy directives with regard to educator personnel provisioning and the expectations of educators based on the realities in public secondary schools. The complications and challenges thereof have called upon for the appraisal of educator provisioning. The objective of the study is to describe and explain the nature and place of personnel provisioning in public secondary schools. Thereafter, evaluate its application at selected public secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province. The basic intention is to prove that the educator personnel provision policy implementation in public schools needs to be examined and possibly changed for effective results. Basically, personnel provisioning is the first step in the personnel process. It is classified into: Human resources determination; and the Filling of posts The process of filling public personnel posts involves recruitment, selection, appointment, placement, transfer and promotion. In evaluating personnel provisioning policy in public secondary schools, a research study has to be conducted. As an integral part of scope of study, the survey area includes public secondary schools, provincial department offices and educator union/association offices. The questionnaire is used as the appropriate data collection instrument for this survey. The total population for the study are provincial department officials, public secondary school principals, school governing body chairpersons and educator unions/associations. xiii When data was analysed and interpreted, there were various significant findings. The respondents’ demographic details provided a significant insight into the study and its findings. They ensured divergence of opinions and understanding of the personnel provisioning. Regarding human resources determination and the filling of posts in public secondary schools, it was found that there are challenges in terms of the employment of suitably qualified educators. These include among other issues educator dissatisfaction and lack of effective procedures in the filling of posts. This also results in educator shortage in public secondary schools.