The research started in a school context where the teachers were severely affected by the changes in and closing of their school. In my qualitatively based research project, I embarked with the research participants on a pastoral, narrative- and appreciative inquiry approach which assist the teachers to deal more efficiently with the effects of the changes they experienced. By sharing and reflecting on their stories, a climate that's conducive to their well-being was constructed. I describe how my participatory action research invited the teachers to be active research participants, who are responsible for their own construction of richer or alternative meanings in their lives. / Practical theology / M. Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

South Africa's decade of democracy inevitably gave rise to a transformed South Africa. She enjoys international status in the world and is one of the foremost countries in Africa. This status requires communication to engender good relations. Language is one of the key issues facing South Africa. There are eleven official languages in South Africa alone and a host of other languages in the world. English plays a very important role. It has become the lingua franca for South Africans. This qualitative case study investigated how English how English was taught to primary school pupils. Five teacher-trainees were observed and the lessons they delivered were captured on video camera. The trainees and the pupils have as their mother tongue, Xhosa. The researcher used purposeful sampling when selecting the teacher-trainees. The schools chosen were in close proximity to the college where the trainees lodged. This was convenient and economical. The purpose of the study was to establish how orientated the trainees were towards the communicative approach, the recommended approach by the Collegiate of Education, an arm of the University of Transkei. All colleges of education in the former Transkei fell under the jurisdiction of that Collegiate. Another factor was the transformation and its impact in the classroom. This study addressed the following issues. * Colleges of Education in transition * General educational transformation * State of feeder schools * Culture of learning and teaching The literature study included current changes in education that appeared in newspapers of the day. The paradigm shift from the apartheid system to present day was examined in this qualitative research. The focus of this empirical study was on the method of teaching English adopted by the teacher-trainees. Left to their own resources, the trainees delivered lessons. The data obtained from these lessons were analysed and interpreted using an evaluation sheet. There was clear indication that the lessons generally were teacher-centred. There was a lack of healthy communication in the classrooms. The passive pupils responded to questions posed by the trainees. The pupils were not given much chance to talk freely to the trainees or even among themselves, though they were seated in groups and groupwork was indicated.. Emerging out of these findings are implications for all concerned : the prospective and present teachers ; tertiary teacher training institutions ; and the Department of Education. In conclusion, there is recommendation for INSET and PRESET training for teachers, not only for English language teaching but also other subjects across-the-curriculum as the medium of instruction in a majority of schools in South Africa is in English. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Didacties)

Thesis (masters)--University of South Africa, 2001.

Thesis (doctorate)--University of South Africa, 2001.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Technology: Public Relations Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South African, 2015. / The Southern African Higher Education system in the post-apartheid period had to respond to the various discriminatory practices that existed during the apartheid era. This entailed responding to inequalities in the education system at various levels. As far as higher education was concerned there was a need to serve society based on the principles of equality, equity and inclusivity. One such response was to merge higher education institutions such as ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal to form the Durban Institute of Technology now referred to as the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The merger process revealed numerous challenges one of which was the human resource issue that underpinned the merger of staff between the two technikons which differed in practice. The rationale for this study was that staff at DUT were experiencing alienation; mistrust and a lack of shared purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of internal communication in the transition process of the merger at the DUT. The objectives were to examine existing organisational communication tools; to evaluate staff perceptions of the current methods of communication utilised in the internal communication process; and to determine how internal communication has contributed to the transition process. The study used a quantitative research method; this enabled an evaluation of the role of internal communication in a higher education setting during a transition process. The sample population was 400 administrative and academic staff from across the seven campuses. Staff were assessed via a survey questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The study found that living and coping with change in the work environment is a fact of life for organisations and individuals. The success of any change programme depends on the organisation’s ability to communicate effectively with its employees; therefore internal communication plays a pivotal role in any change programme. Staff at the DUT had limited communication from Management during the change phase. They were of the opinion that effective internal communication could improve productivity in the workforce.

Thesis (MPhil (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Some aspects of South African higher education transformation have been bleak, indicating that the trajectory of innovative teaching and affordability requires attention for the foreseeable future. At CIDA we have seen a different picture of this, in other institutions there may be other milestones yet to reveal other gains of transformation. Briefly, this paper tells the CIDA transformation story; other institutions of higher learning in South Africa can learn from its approach and share in the remarkable sense of determination and commitment demonstrated by CIDA. The purpose of this work is to reflect on CIDA’s pattern breaking that can aid better student equity transformation in the South African higher education system. A limitation of the study is that we examine only one factor at a time and it may not adequately account for what happens when all the factors interact at the same time. It emerged from the discussion that CIDA innovative teaching involves awareness of students’ educational needs, views and emphasis on the physical experience of emotions and reasoning. Students are encouraged to be self-confident and feel good about themselves and others through participation and opportunities for spirituality and diversity.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Republic of South Africa has a population made up of different racial groups. The differences are far reaching. There are differences with regard to the geographic location, wealth, educational levels and quality etc. amongst the racial groups. This has been the case for many years. A new democratic government came into being in South Africa in 1994. The advent of the democratic rule brought along a number of changes. The big change has been the observed concerted effort by the government to improve on the quality of life of the lot of the previously disadvantaged people of South Africa. This effort is observable in almost all spheres of government. One of the areas where such attempts are being made is in education. Several programmes have been put in place to improve the educational level and quality of the majority of the previously disadvantaged people. Much money, effort, time and energy are put into these programmes. The main question is whether these programmes are yielding the results that were intended. In this study, I tried to evaluate the impact of one such programme. I chose the TOPS school management programme as an example of these programmes. The programme was operational in eight areas of the Republic of South Africa. Its activities ended in 1996. I chose the case study approach in this study. The evaluation is summative in nature. One school which participated in the programme was chosen, to see what impact the programme had on its effectiveness. A second school that had not participated in the programme was brought into the study for purposes of comparison. The conclusion I reached is that school management programmes have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the schools that participate in such programmes. This became very clear in the study. The school that participated in the TOPS management programme was found to be very effective. The school met quite a number of requirements for effectiveness. The performance of the programme school was found to be much better than that of the comparison school. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die populasie van Suid Afrika bestaan uit 'n verskeidenheid van rasse wat nog verder verskil as gevolg van geografiese ligging, welvaart, opvoeding ens. Dit was die geval in baie jare. Sedert 1994 het 'n nuwe demokratiese regering die bewind orrgeneem. Sedertdien het daar baie veranderinge plaasgevind. Die grootste hiervan is dat die regering 'n poging daarvan maak om die lewenskwaliteit van die vorige minderbevooregte lede van die samelewing te verbeter. Die verandering is opmerklik in aIle afdelings van die regering. Onderwys is seker die afdeling wat die meeste aadag gegee word ten opsig van verbetering. Verskeie programme word aangebied. Hierin word baie geld, arbeid en energie in geploeg. Die groot vraag egle is word die regte resultate ontvang? In hierdie ondrsoek poog ek om die inpak van hierdie programme te evalueer. Ek het die TOPS sckool bestuur program uit gekies om te evalueer. Hierdie program was in agt streke van die Republiek aangebied; tot en met 1996. In hierdie opsig het ek die gevalle studie metode toe gepas, en die evaluasie is opsommend van aard. 'n Skool wat deelgeneem het aan die program is uit gekies om te bepaal watter inpak die program op sy efektiwiteit gehad het. 'n Ander skool wat nie deelgeneem het aan die program nie is gebruik om as vergelykend op te tree. Die resultate toon aan dat die skool wat deelgeneem het aan die program baie verbeter het. Dit is 'n bewys dat skool bestuur programme 'n beduidende en waardevolle inpak op efektiwiteit het. Die skool wat deelgeneem het aan die TOPS skool bestuur program was baie meer effektief en het verskeie vereiste standaarde maklik gehaal. Die resultate van die skool wat aan die program deelgeneem het was beduidend beter as die vergelykende skool

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / On t.p.: Doctor of Philosophy in Education Policy Studies. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation I critically explore educational leadership and management practices in relation to how current school principals lead and manage schools in a democratic society. The aim of this study is to explore to what extent school leaders and managers are transformative in their approach to deepening democracy in schools. In order to contextualise my understanding, I choose to tell my story. Therefore, I give a narrative account of my personal career experience as a teacher, and specifically as a school principal. I argue that educational leaders and managers continue to think and act according to traditional notions of leading and managing school practices. I contend that educational leadership and management practices ought to change in order for schools to transform into institutions implementing democratic practices in a more thoroughgoing way. I argue that current understandings of leadership and management in schools seem to be embedded in positivist tendencies that undermine transformative practices in schools and that positivist leadership and management engender thin forms of democratic school practices. I show how positivist theories of educational leadership and management connect with indefensible forms of leading and managing, namely skewed authority, gender discrimination and exclusion of cultural diversity. I contend that school leadership and management practices ought to be reconceptualised in relation to a framework of democratic citizenship education. Cultivating democratic citizenship education with reference to the seminal thoughts of Jürgen Habermas, Seyla Benhabib and Iris Marion Young will hopefully strengthen my argument for social justice, renewal and redress in school practices. These theorists have shaped the thinking and actions of educational leaders and managers to provide a critical understanding of transformative educational leadership and management practices in schools. Such ideas conceptualise a critical understanding of deliberative leadership and management practices as constructs for deepening democracy in schools. It is within this context that the dissertation explores a pathway towards deepening democracy in schools through a deliberative leadership and management approach. Such an approach has the potential to cultivate communicative democratic moments in educational leadership and management practices through engaging the voices of “others”. For deliberative leadership and management practice to manifest itself, I propose that conditions ought to be established whereby the democratic rights of “others” as incorporated voices in classroom pedagogy, school management and school governance engender deeper citizenship through the inclusion of these “other” previously marginalised voices. By embracing the voices of “others”, the potential is created to move towards deepening democratic leadership and management practices which can possibly engender “schools of hope” for the future. Keywords: Educational leadership, educational management, positivist, critical, citizenship, deliberative democracy, communicative democracy / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif is ʼn kritiese ondersoek na skoolhoofde se onderwysleierskap en -bestuurspraktyke in die huidige demokratiese bestel. Die doel van die studie is om die mate van transformatiewe integrasie van demokrasie onder skoolleiers en -bestuurders te verken. Ek het besluit om my eie storie te vertel, dus gee ek ʼn verhalende verslag van my loopbaan as ʼn onderwyser, en spesifiek as ʼn skoolhoof. Ek beweer dat leiers en bestuurders in die onderwys nog steeds die tradisionele opvattings oor skoolleierskap en bestuur huldig, en dat hierdie opvattings hulle denke en optrede rig. Ek voer aan dat onderwysleierskap en bestuurspraktyke verander moet word sodat skole tot dieper, demokratiese praktyke kan transformeer. Ek argumenteer voorts dat dit voorkom asof huidige begrippe van leierskap en bestuur in skole in positivistiese tendense vasgelê is wat transformatiewe praktyke in skole ondermyn en dat positivistiese leierskap en bestuur “dun” vorme van demokratiese skoolpraktyke voortbring. Ek toon aan hoe positivistiese teorieë van onderwysleierskap en -bestuur verband hou met onverdedigbare wyses van lei en bestuur, naamlik verwronge gesag, genderdiskriminasie en die uitsluiting van diverse kulture. Ek voer aan dat onderwysleierskap en -bestuurspraktyke geherkonseptualiseer behoort te word binne ʼn raamwerk van demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding. Die ontwikkeling van demokratiese burgerskapsopvoeding wat onder meer voortspruit uit die seminale denke van Jürgen Habermas, Seyla Benhabib en Iris Marion Young, versterk my betoog vir sosiale geregtigheid, vernuwing en herstel binne die skoolpraktyke. Hierdie teoretici vorm die denke en optrede van leiers en bestuurders in die onderwys as deurslaggewende begrippe van transformatiewe onderwysleierskap en bestuurspraktyke in skole. Sulke idees konseptualiseer ʼn deurslaggewende begrip van oorlegplegende leierskap en bestuurspraktyke as konstrukte vir grondliggende integrasie van demokrasie in skole. Binne hierdie konteks ondersoek die proefskrif ʼn werkwyse vir ʼn grondliggende integrasie van demokrasie in skole deur oorlegplegende leierskap en bestuur. So ʼn benadering het die potensiaal om kommunikatiewe demokratiese momente in onderwysleierskap en -bestuurspraktyke aan te moedig deur na die stemme van die “ander” te luister. Ek stel voor dat, ten einde demokratiese leierskap- en bestuurspraktyke te vestig, toestande geskep moet word waardeur die demokratiese regte van die “ander”, wat voorheen gemarginaliseer was, in klaskamerpedagogie en skoolbestuur ingesluit moet word om “dieper” burgerskap te verseker. Met ander woorde, deur na die stemme van die “ander” te luister, word die potensiaal geskep om verdiepende demokratiese leierskap en bestuurspraktyke aan te moedig sodat “skole met hoop” tot stand gebring kan word. Trefwoorde: Onderwysleierskap, onderwysbestuur, positivisties, kritiese, burgerskap, oorlegplegende demokrasie

Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation explores the lack of racial integration in public schools in South Africa. The main argument of this study defends a deliberative conception of racial integration that builds on previous, more limited, conceptions such as assimilation, integration, multicultural education and antiracist education. In this work I further narrate my story in relation to encounters with issues of race, thereby contextualising the topic. I argue that philosophy of education can be used as a tool to explore and illuminate the educational dimensions of a major philosophical problem, that is, racial integration. I further offer a historical account of racial integration, mapping three interrelated phases of such integration in South African public schools, namely the colonial/apartheid period, the democratic period and the post-democratic period. The dissertation also offers a conceptual account of the major theoretical understandings that constitute racial integration. It furthermore investigates racial integration as it is currently unfolding in South African public schools and simultaneously points out the limitations of this project. I argue how and why the lack of effective and genuine racial integration results in social injustice. Moreover, I advance an argument for deliberative racial integration in South African public schools; a notion that, it is hoped, could address some of the weaknesses associated with the present form of racial integration in South African public schools. The study also identifies the implications of deliberative racial integration for school governance, management, leadership, and teaching and learning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif behels 'n ondersoek na die gebrek aan rasse-integrasie in openbare skole in Suid-Afrika. Die hoofargument in die studie is 'n verdediging van .n beraadslagende begrip van rasse-integrasie wat op vorige, meer beperkte, begrippe soos assimilasie, integrasie, multikulturalistiese onderwys en anti-rassistiese onderwys voortbou. Ek konseptualiseer die onderwerp aan die hand van 'n narratief van my eie ervaring ten opsigte van aangeleenthede wat met ras verband hou. Ek argumenteer dat filosofie van die onderwys aangewend kan word om die onderwysdimensies van 'n beduidende filosofiese probleem, naamlik rasse-integrasie, te ondersoek en te belig. Ek bied verder 'n historiese oorsig van rasse-integrasie deur te verwys na die koloniale/apartheidstydperk, die demokratiese tydperk en die postdemokratiese tydperk. Die proefskrif bied ook 'n konseptuele verslag van die vernaamste teoretiese beskouinge wat rasse-integrasie uitmaak. Die studie behels voorts 'n ondersoek van rasse-integrasie soos dit tans in Suid-Afrikaanse openbare skole ontvou en dui terselfdertyd op die beperkinge van die projek. Ek argumenteer hoe en waarom die gebrek aan doeltreffende en ware rasse-integrasie sosiale ongeregtigheid in die hand werk. Verder ontwikkel ek 'n argument vir beraadslagende rasse-integrasie in Suid-Afrikaanse openbare skole; 'n idee waarmee, so word gehoop, die gebreke wat met die huidige vorm van rasse-integrasie in Suid-Afrikaanse openbare skole geassosieer word, die hoof gebied kan word. Die studie identifiseer ook die implikasies van beraadslagende rasse-integrasie vir beheer van skole, bestuur, leierskap en onderrig en leer.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The provision of quality education for all South African learners has been an issue of central concern since the advent of the democratic dispensation in 1994. One initiative since 1998 was the implementation of a new curriculum for South African public schools, C2005 as it was then called. This curriculum was later revised and streamlined as the NCS. There was a mixed reception to this new curriculum. Some perceived it as a progressive initiative by the Ministry of Education, while others argued that it was ambitious and that it undermined the conditions and context of South African schools. Essentially the curriculum policy implementation was intended to change the entire system and introduce new ways of doing in all sectors of education. This links strongly to processes of systemic change and that is the considered policy backdrop to this research. In this study I work from an interpretive perspective and draw on the cognitive sense-making framework to develop in-depth, understanding of teachers’ roles as interpreters and enactors of education policy change in South Africa related to the implementation of the NCS. More specifically, the study examines the ways in which six Arts and Culture school teachers in six diverse South African educational contexts experienced and responded to the implementation of the NCS. Data from the study indicates that teachers found it difficult to adjust to the more complex and demanding teaching methodologies, which took up a great deal of time and required very different roles in the classrooms. Data from the study also suggests that the way teachers come to understand and enact policy or reform initiatives is influenced by their prior knowledge, the social context within which they work, and the nature of their connections to the policy or reform message. The study further suggests that teachers adapt a curriculum rather than adopt it as it is, and that their prior understandings and beliefs about knowledge, beliefs and experiences combined with their contexts in which they work frame their classroom practices explaining why policy is not enacted as intended. Conceptualising the problem of policy implementation in this way focuses attention on how implementing agents construct the meaning of a policy message and their own behaviour, and how this process leads, or does not lead, to a change in how they view their own practice, potentially leading to changes in both understanding and behaviour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die voorsiening van kwaliteit-opvoeding vir alle Suid-Afrikaanse leerders was ʼnsentrale besorgdheid na die totstandkoming van die nuwe demoktratiese bestel in 1994. ʼnInisiatief was die implementering van ʼn nuwe kurrikulum vir Suid-Afrikaanse openbare skole sedert 1998, die C2005 of NKV soos dit tans bekend staan. Die instelling van hierdie kurrikulum was op verskeie maniere ontvang. Sommige het dit as ’n progressiewe inisiatief van die Ministerie van Onderwys beskou, terwyl ander verskillende perspektiewe het en geargumenteer het dat dit ambisieus is en die toestande en konteks van SA skole ondermyn. Vir onderwysers was die resultaat na die oorgang van meer komplekse en veeleiesende onderrigmetdologie moeilik, omdat dit baie tyd geverg het en swaar gerus het om hulle rolle in die klaskamer te verklaar. Wat belangrik was, is dat die doel van hierdie kurrikulum beleidsveranderinge daarop gemik was om die totale skolestelsel te transformeer tot ’n vernuwende manier van hoe dinge in alle sektore van die onderwysstelse egter behoort gedoen te word. Dit sluit sterk aan by prosesse van sistemiese veranderinge en hierdie is die oorwegende beleidsagtergrond van hierdie navorsing. Die doel van die studie was om maniere te ondersoek hoe ses Kuns en Kultuur onderwysers in verskillende onderwyskontekste die NKV ervaar en hoe hulle daarop reageer, veral in die Kuns en Kultuur leerarea omgewing. Die studie was meer spesifiek daarop gemik om te eksamineer hoe onderwysers die KK leer-area in die klaskamer aanneem, aanpas en implementeer. Die studie openbaar, deur die kognitiewe raamwerk te gebruik, dat die wyse waarop onderwysers die beleid of hervormings-inisiatiewe verstaan en begryp, beïnvloed word deur hulle bestaande kennis, die konteks waarin hulle werk en die aard van hulle verbintenis tot die beleid of hervormings boodskap. Die studie suggereer verder dat onderwysers ’n kurrikulum aanneem soos wat dit is en dat hulle bestaande begrippe en opvattings in verband met kennis en opvattings en ervaringe gekombineer word met die kontekste waarin hulle werk en dat dit hulle klaskamer praktyke vorm en hierdeur word verduidelik waarom beleid nie kan plaasvind soos wat dit beplan is nie.