The role of parents in their children’s education presents significant evidence in schools’ academic results, when parental roles in education are given priority. It is noted that parents play a significant role in improving a school’s academic results. The aim of this study was to investigate the techniques utilised by schoolteachers to involve parents in children’s education in selected secondary schools within the Metro-Central Education District, Western Cape. A qualitative research approach was utilised, employing research methods which included face-to-face interviews, reading school polices and going through parents’ meeting minutes. The investigation focused on two secondary schools that were purposefully selected to participate in the study. This investigation revealed that participants in the study overlooked the role of parents in their schools. Therefore, although they involve parents in some school activities, there is a need for training on how the school principals should optimally involve parents in school activities. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)

The purpose of this study was to investigate those aspects of resilient schools which are particularly beneficial for schools within rural communities in Mpumalanga. The study was done in two phases: a literature review focussing on the culture of learning of resilient schools and an empirical investigation focussing on the culture of learning of resilient schools within rural communities in Mpumalanga. Two secondary schools were selected according to criteria of resiliency. The study involved qualitative approaches, in-depth observations and interviews with key informants: principals, teachers, learners and members of the school governing bodies. The data demonstrate that there is no distinctive aspect of the culture of learning of resilient schools because all aspects are interrelated and interdependent. This study discovered that the most effective aspect, which benefits the culture of teaching and learning in resilient schools, was the involvement of all stakeholders. / Educational Management / M.Ed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate those aspects of resilient schools which are particularly beneficial for schools within rural communities in Mpumalanga. The study was done in two phases: a literature review focussing on the culture of learning of resilient schools and an empirical investigation focussing on the culture of learning of resilient schools within rural communities in Mpumalanga. Two secondary schools were selected according to criteria of resiliency. The study involved qualitative approaches, in-depth observations and interviews with key informants: principals, teachers, learners and members of the school governing bodies. The data demonstrate that there is no distinctive aspect of the culture of learning of resilient schools because all aspects are interrelated and interdependent. This study discovered that the most effective aspect, which benefits the culture of teaching and learning in resilient schools, was the involvement of all stakeholders. / Educational Management / M.Ed.

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Swazi / This study aimed to investigate and find strategies that might improve School A's Grade 12 results through the principal's visionary leadership. The theoretical framework that informed this study was the school principal as a visionary leader, which plays a critical role in ensuring the quality of teaching and learning is improved by providing necessary resources for teachers and learners and creating a sound culture of teaching-learning. Upper Echelon Theory's effectiveness is based on strategic choices by visionary leadership and school performance principles that served as the theoretical framework. A qualitative research approach was used for this study, as it allowed the researcher to conduct in-depth interviews with ten school principals in Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga, and examined relevant documents to collect data. The research indicates that most schools acknowledge the importance of visionary leadership and proved that there were many execution gaps in implementing the intervention strategies that needed to be addressed, such as lack of effective visionary leadership, lack of unity, support to teachers, monitoring of teaching and learning and recruiting quality teachers in Grade 12. The study recommends that school principals need to implement more effective leadership, strategic planning and implementation of policy, communication, parental involvement accountability, effective monitoring and placement of quality teachers to teach Grade 12 learners. / Izindlela ezsetshenziswa ngothisha-nhloko abanobuholi obubhekela phambili ekwenzeni ncono izinga lokuphumelela ebangeni leshumi nambili kuzikole ezinemiphumela emihle. Lolucwaningo lugcile ekufunisiseni izindlela ezingenza ncono izinga lokuphumelela ngamalengiso ebangeni leshumi nambili ngokuholwa ngothisha-nhloko ababonela phambili izinto.Lolucwaningo lusekelwe ngolwazi olutholakele kwabanye ababonise ukuthi ubukhona bukathisha-nhloko obukela izinto phambili budlala inzima enkulu ekucinisekiseni ngezinga eliphezulu lokufundisa nokufunda ngoku nikeza izinsiza zokufunda nokufundisa kubothisha nakubafundi kanye nokwakha isiko lokufunda nokufundisa .I- ‘Upper Echelon Theory’, ukuphumelela kwayo kusekeleke kuzindlela nakuncubo-mgomo yabaholi abanombono. Lolucwaningo olukhethekile lokuthola ulwazi ngokukhulumisana nalabo abathinteka-ngco ivumela ukuthi uhlolo lwenziwe ngendlela yamanje yobuchwepheshe ngokukhulumisana nabothisha-nhloko abalishumi kusiyingi sase- Ehlanzeni, e-Mpumalanga, nokuthola eminye lanemininngwane ezincwadini zesikolo . Lolucwaningo luthole ukuthi abahlanganyeli abaningi bavumelana ngokuthi othishanhloko abanemibono babalulekile ekucinisekiseni ukuthi izindlela ezintsha zokuphumelelisa imiphumela; ukuncenga othisha abasezingeni eliphezulu kudinga ukwakhiwa .Lolucwaningo lusekela umbono wokuthi izikolo zidinga othisha –nhloko abazocinisekisa ukusethenziswa kwezindlela ezintsha kanye neku heha othisha abasezingeni eliphezulu ukuze bafundise abafundi bebanga leshumi-nakubili ukuze kukhushulwe imiphumela yebanga leshumi nakubili. / Tindlela letisentjentiswa ngubothishela-nhloko labanemibono kwenta ncono lizinga lekuphumelela ebangeni lelishumi-nakubili etkolweni letinemiphumela lemihle. Lelicwaningo ligxile ekufunisiseni tindlela letingenta ncono lizinga lekuphumelela ngemalengiso elibangeni lelishumi nakubili Lelicwaningo lelikhetsekile lokutfola lwati ngekucocisananalabo labatsintseka-nco kuloko lokukhulunyiswana ngako, ivumela nekutsi lokucocisana kungentiwa ngetindlela tamanje tebuchwepheshe ngekukhulumisana nabothishela-nhloko labalishumiesiyingini sase-Ehlanzeni, eMpumalanga, nekutfola leminye mininngwane etincwadzini tesikolwa letigciniwe. Lelicwaningo litfole kutsi labahlanganyeli kulelicwaningo bayavumelana ngekutsi bothishela-nhloko lababukela tintfo phambili babaluleke kakhulu ngobe ngibo labacinisekisa kutsi kusetshentiswa kwetindlela letisha nekuheha bothishela labasezingeni lelisetulu kuyayikhuphula miphumela yetikolwa. ngekuholwa ngubothishela-nhloko lababonela tintfo phambili. Lolucwaningo lutfole kutsi kuliciniso kutsi bothishela-nhloko lababonela tintfo phambili bayakwati kutsi kuheha bothishela labasezingeni lelisetulu nekusebentisa tindlela letihlukahlukene ekufundziseni kuyayi phakamisa imphumelelo yebafundzi nemiphumela yesikolo. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The study analysed the management constraints in the distribution of qualified mathematics and science teachers in a post-1994 education system of South Africa. The study was qualitative and 14 participants were purposively sampled and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the identified participants. The interview transcripts were constantly compared and analysed and the data was classified into three main categories of management constraints and patterns: beliefs, experiences on management constraints and strategies for the elimination of management constraints. Turning vision into practice (TVP) framework was used to explain the relationship between its seven pillars of managing teacher recruitment and the links in the development, adoption, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a teacher deployment system, focusing on mathematics and science. Findings of this study suggest that the current hybrid post establishment model is generic and focuses more on cost curtailment than on the supply of qualified mathematics and science teachers. The shortcomings of the model are exacerbated by the transgressions of the Employment of Educators Act. Contrary to the Employment of Educators Act, entry-level vacancies are not advertised in the province. In addition, the appointment and service conditions of qualified teachers are differential. While teachers from government bursary schemes are appointed immediately on permanent status and without probation, other qualified and long-serving mathematics and science teachers remain on temporary status for almost two years and without fringe benefits. The differential treatment leads to job insecurity and facilitates the exit of these qualified mathematics and science teachers from the profession. Moreover, schools horde and use qualified mathematics and science teachers in subjects they are not qualified to teach. It is recommended that through the suggested TVP framework, the current teacher recruitment and deployment strategies be revisited regularly to ensure effectiveness of teacher usage in mathematics and science. It is further recommended that school principals and other educational leaders should be provided with personnel management skills to ensure maximum effective recruitment and deployment of qualified mathematics and science teachers, particularly to the impoverished schools. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The study analysed the management constraints in the distribution of qualified mathematics and science teachers in a post-1994 education system of South Africa. The study was qualitative and 14 participants were purposively sampled and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the identified participants. The interview transcripts were constantly compared and analysed and the data was classified into three main categories of management constraints and patterns: beliefs, experiences on management constraints and strategies for the elimination of management constraints. Turning vision into practice (TVP) framework was used to explain the relationship between its seven pillars of managing teacher recruitment and the links in the development, adoption, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a teacher deployment system, focusing on mathematics and science. Findings of this study suggest that the current hybrid post establishment model is generic and focuses more on cost curtailment than on the supply of qualified mathematics and science teachers. The shortcomings of the model are exacerbated by the transgressions of the Employment of Educators Act. Contrary to the Employment of Educators Act, entry-level vacancies are not advertised in the province. In addition, the appointment and service conditions of qualified teachers are differential. While teachers from government bursary schemes are appointed immediately on permanent status and without probation, other qualified and long-serving mathematics and science teachers remain on temporary status for almost two years and without fringe benefits. The differential treatment leads to job insecurity and facilitates the exit of these qualified mathematics and science teachers from the profession. Moreover, schools horde and use qualified mathematics and science teachers in subjects they are not qualified to teach. It is recommended that through the suggested TVP framework, the current teacher recruitment and deployment strategies be revisited regularly to ensure effectiveness of teacher usage in mathematics and science. It is further recommended that school principals and other educational leaders should be provided with personnel management skills to ensure maximum effective recruitment and deployment of qualified mathematics and science teachers, particularly to the impoverished schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Ongoing public concern has been expressed concerning the improvement of academic performance of learners in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools, South Africa. Statistics gathered since 2008 demonstrate that the overall performance of secondary schools in the Grade 12 examinations in this region has been consistently poor. This study focused on the stakeholder perceptions of effect of indiscipline on academic performance of learners in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools. Lack of learner discipline in this region prompted this investigation. The general aim of the study was to understand manifestations of indiscipline in relation to learner performance in selected Bushbuckridge rural schools. The study used qualitative research methods and the sample comprised four secondary schools selected by purposive sampling. Individual structured interviews and focus group interviews were used to gather data. In each school, one school management team (SMT) and three educators participated in individual interviews, while four learners participated in focus group interviews. The findings indicated that schools which yielded poor academic performance were faced with learners’ disciplinary problems, which manifested in poor class attendance, late coming, persistent class disruptions, learners’ retaliation when disciplined by educators, alcohol and drug abuse, mocking and ignoring educators and plagiarism. Educators in school C and D lacked a disciplinary mechanism to enforce discipline in their classes since corporal punishment was abolished, hence the poor academic performance of learners. The implementation of the Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS), a departmental strategy aimed at developing educators in order to equip them with all the necessary skills to ensure the success of their schools which is measured against the academic achievement of the learners, had predominantly failed in schools to reach its goal. Educators mainly relied on parental support to deal with serious learner offences but this strategy was largely inadequate. The conceptual framework, ‘putting a plan into practice’, was used to explain the importance of learner discipline for the betterment of academic performance by expounding the five pillars that can be used to attain quality schools. These pillars, if put into practice, create an organizational climate which provides both educators and learners with an opportunity to function as partners in defining and creating success in schools. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.

Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)