While school-community partnership is highly encouraged in South Africa, schools and their communities seem reluctant to take up this opportunity to develop themselves and in the process improve learner attainment. This qualitative study located in the interpretivist paradigm adopts a case study research design that utilises semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis to collect data. This study explores the nature of school-community partnership seeking to understand what makes school-community partnership work and how the said partnership sustains itself. The evidence is drawn from a study of one school-community partnership in deep rural KwaZulu-Natal. From inception, the democratic government of South Africa indicated that the business of running education was not the preserve of government- it took place at the confluence of the school governing body and the government. Despite an enabling legislative framework, most school-community partnerships in South Africa do not seem to be succeeding. However, there appears to be some success ‘stories’ in this regard. The study focuses on one such ‘story’. There does not seem to be sufficient knowledge about what makes school-community partnership successful. Such knowledge is necessary if more school-community partnerships are to add value to the communities in question. This study therefore seeks to address, in a small way, the question: What makes school-community partnership work and how does it sustain itself? The study seeks to understand the findings by utilising a two-pronged theoretical framework, namely, Epstein’s (1995) spheres of influence and the asset- based approach to organisation development. The study’s findings suggest that action as opposed to rhetoric forms one of the important ingredients of this partnership. Such action is driven by visionary leadership. Through action, both the school and community enjoy tangible benefits such as the generation of employment and growing crops for food. A broad-based community asset mapping has harnessed many ‘players’ thereby allowing a multi-faceted partnership to unfold. Learner attainment has been positively impacted by these interactions. This inward looking, inclusive process in turn sustains the school-community partnership. The study recommended that plans be put in place to ensure continuity after the current crop of visionary leaders departs. A systems based approach was suggested as an interim measure. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.

There is a strong perception among teachers, academics and researchers that English Second Language (L2) black matriculants and black pupils generally do not possess an aptitude for poetry appreciation in English; and therefore have a negative attitude to English poetry. Another perception is that the apparent lack of aptitude by L2 black matriculants / learners for English poetry arises from the wilful neglect by the previous education system to offer an appropriate poetry curriculum for L2 black matriculants and L2 black learners generally. This perception contends that the poetry curriculum of the previous education system ignored the basic principles of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) in formulating the English poetry curriculum. This dissertation tests these perceptions through a pupil questionnaire and teacher interviews. The L2 black pupils' responses are assessed against their literary background viz. the oral tradition and contemporary black writing, as well as the historical, sociopolitical and economic factors affecting their lives. The dissertation critiques the syllabus used by the Department of Education and Training (D.E.T.):·the prescribed poems, and classroom methodology to see whether it reflects an awareness of the L2 black learners' background, guided by the basic principles of TESOL. The contents of chapters 1-4 are arranged in a sequence that is aimed at testing the validity of the general perceptions of L2 black matriculants' attitudes to poetry mentioned earlier. The research revealed that the attitudes of L2 black matriculants to unjust education system and an inappropriate English poetry curriculum should not be confused with their attitudes to English poetry in general. The dissertation concludes that L2 black matriculants / learners appreciate appropriate English poetry and respond positively to English as a subject. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

This research explored the phenomenon of school financial management in three secondary schools located in the Qacha’s Nek district of Lesotho. In particular, the study focused on ways in which secondary schools obtain their finances. In addition, this study also discussed ways in which the said schools budget their finances. It explored measures that the schools put in place to monitor and control their budgets. Through the use of purposive sampling, three schools were selected as cases in order to ensure that there was a representation of the type of schools that are found in the Qacha’s Nek district of Lesotho. The principals of the three schools were selected as participants since they are chief accounting officers and as such they have knowledge relevant to this study. Document reviews were used to supplement information obtained from interviews with the principals. This study concluded that the three case study secondary schools obtain financial resources from a number of sources which include, inter alia, sponsors, school fees and fund raising activities. The government also allocate subvention to its schools. Furthermore, the three case study schools prepare their main budgets and department budgets. However, principals play a major role in decisions regarding school budgets. In two schools, for example, the principals provide teachers with guidelines to follow in preparing departmental budgets. With regard to budget monitoring and control this study revealed that there are no clear measures in place regarding schools’ main budgets in the three case study schools though departmental budgets seemed to be well monitored and controlled by the principals. It was also found that there seems to be a lack of policies that guide schools on the management of finances. Schools were also found to use secretaries as bursars though secretaries have limited knowledge of financial matters. In addition, the study revealed that principals, school secretaries and heads of departments need capacity building on financial matters. This study recommends an in-depth investigation of experiences of principals on the use of subvention. The study also recommends, inter alia, formulation of financial policies by schools and changes to the law on school funding by the Ministry of Education and Training. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2010.

This study of Academic Development in KwaZulu-Natal is exploratory and seeks to answer 3 questions. What is Academic Development? Is any model or approach to Academic Development applicable or transferable to all Higher Education Institutions? What factors can be identified that facilitate the progress (or development) of Academic Development? These questions are answered on the basis of contextual analysis and locate Academic Development as a contextually influenced change process. It is argued that although Academic Development is not uniquely South African, in South Africa Academic Development has arisen from an historical context largely as a result of, and in response to, the impact of apartheid on education and the movement to counteract that impact within higher education. The position of Academic Development within in a wider context is indicated through the literature survey. In particular, attention is paid to the United States of America where cultural and racial diversity have impacted on higher education, and, because the South African higher education system is modelled on the United Kingdom, material from that country is also examined. In order to place the South African context in relation to these the development and consequent fragmentation of the tertiary sector through the apartheid era is outlined. At the time of embarking on the research very little work had been done on the broader perspectives of Academic Development. In view of this a grounded theory approach has been adopted and the research examines Academic Development in the tertiary institutions in a specific region in South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal. This research was undertaken through a combination of survey and case study analysis. Within the case studies the data used included institutional documents, some in-house publications, group interviews in the form of report-back meetings and individual interviews. From the data analysis certain themes are identified and presented in a diagrammatic form. The first of these highlights the impact of the diversity in the tertiary context on the approach to issues of equity and quality which seem to have been the catalysts for the establishment of Academic Development. Another theme that emerged was an organic process of development evident with Academic Development that seems to be moving towards holistic notions of curriculum development and transformation of teaching and learning in higher education in South Africa. In drawing these themes together the role of change in higher education became the central focus. In view of the exploratory nature of the present study the, findings are offered as a way of opening up debate. In the conclusion Academic Development is defined as a process of innovation, stimulated by calls for equity, that points to a new line of enquiry in education. It is argued that it is not replicable and 9 guiding principles that contribute to the development of Academic Development are outlined. These principles include the role of various stakeholders in the process of change and emphasise the importance of a reflective, research-based holistic approach to the curriculum in higher education. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

In September 1990, historic legislation enacted by the South African Government made it possible for schools that had been previously racially exclusive to admit students of other races. As a follow-up to the Penny et al. study (1992) which explored the changes brought about by the legislation in secondary schools in Pietermaritzburg through interviews with principals, this study acknowledges teachers as crucial actors in the transformation process. By focusing on the perceptions, concerns and challenges facing teachers at the "chalk face", the researcher was able to obtain a view from the inside on how the processes of desegregation were unfolding in schools. By means of in-depth interviews with ten English First Language (E I L) teachers, the researcher embarked on an exploratory study based on discovery, describing and understanding, rather than explaining. The interview schedule was designed to allow the teacher's voice to emerge clearly and to allow teachers to reasonably portray as many significant dimensions of their situation as possible. Despite the fact that teachers came from a diverse range of secondary school settings, the research design saw all teachers interviewed as educational mediators confronting the consequences of fundamental educational change in the classroom. The research argues that schools and teachers were not equipped to meet the challenges of desegregation. This was due largely to a lack of educational leadership and support, and because schools were entrapped in assimilationist modes of operation. Although all teachers interviewed were committed to desegregation, and while at least two schools showed evidence of the beginnings of a change orientation, the research argues further that deeper patterns of everyday change in schools were still to emerge. The study reveals that both the new arrivals in recently desegregated schools and their teachers faced a context of formidable challenges. Firstly, the findings highlighted the isolation of the teacher in the classroom.. Navigating the unfamiliar territory of English Second Language (ESL) teaching, and changing their methodology to teach ESL students in ElL classes, emerged as their greatest challenge. Secondly, the data was permeated with evidence of teacher concern over the fact that the new student intake in schools was marginalised academically, linguistically, culturally and socially. The research findings highlighted the need for further research to be devoted to teachers, as it is clear from the literature that they tend to be neglected by educational administrators in the planning of policy and reform. The findings in this study suggest strongly that teachers are crucial as mediators of change. Further, teachers need school and departmental support if they are to contribute to educational change. The study demonstrates that an awareness of teacher experiences in the classroom is vital if educational and curricular reform is to succeed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

The original aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a teaching approach based on the Means of Assisting Performance (MAP) by Tharp and Gallimore (1988) in the teaching of science to Grade 5 (Standard three) level. The basic method was to compare performance of three Grade 5 classes using pretest and post-test. One class (Grade SA) was taught for three weeks using an intervention programme which was based on the MAP teaching approach. A second class (Grade 58), received a teaching approach which was based on a "traditional teaching" technique. 80th classes were taught by the researcher. A 3rd class (Grade Se) was not taught by the researcher and this class was included in order to measure test effect. The information obtained from these tests was supplemented by qualitative observation of the pupils at work, interviews with teachers and pupils at the school. A general science topic (soil) was chosen with a focus on proportional reasoning skills. Because of the difficulties which arose, the study concentrated on investigating the skill level which learners demonstrated when answering questions on proportional relationships in Grade 5 at Khwezi Primary, and looking at strategies that learners at this level of development use in solving proportional problems. The results obtained in this study suggest the following. (i) Learners tested in this study showed a low-level use of the intuitive skills which are needed in laying the necessary foundation for the development of advanced proportional reasoning abilities. (ii) The strategies which were used by the learners tested were those referred to as incomplete, qualitative, and additive strategies as well as guessing. (iii) Strategies used by the learners tested in this study were similar to the strategies used by similar learners tested by other researchers in other parts of the world. The intervention was short, and no substantial gains in the skill of proportional relationships were observed. The teaching methodology based on MAP brought about changes to the learning styles of the learners. Learners were not just recipients of information but were active role players in the learning process. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

South Africa is a complex country that has undergone fundamental changes in the last sixteen years. One of the major areas that have been greatly affected by these changes is education. Due to these drastic changes, schools are being placed under tremendous pressure to deal effectively with this reformation. In addition, the strike action in (2007) and the recent strike action in (2010) that occurred in our country, brought the teaching profession once again in dispute. The broader public has therefore become very curious in their quest to find out if teachers are promoting effective teaching and learning in their schools. In light of this, this dissertation works from the premise that these teachers play an important role as leaders in their schools. The need to act as professionals is crucial, if teachers are to be positive role models to their learner. The aim of this study is to discover how teachers understand professionalism, and to investigate some of the obstacles or challenges they face in leading their schools to be professional places for teaching and learning. The study was designed as a case study which was conducted within the interpretive paradigm and was mainly qualitative in nature. Data was gathered by means of survey questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, a focus group interview, documents and observations. The case study was an urban primary school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data was predominantly qualitative and was analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings of the study indicate that teachers understand professionalism to mean training for a specific period of time with the necessary skills and knowledge to impart into our learners. Also it is a specific code of ethics. The main barriers to teacher leadership and professionalism were a lack of empowerment by management and an overemphasis on control by the principal, the lack of parental involvement with regards to teaching and learning and the behaviour portrayed by some teachers that of frequent absenteeism became a barrier in performing their duties professionally. The enhancing factors were that teachers worked collaboratively with each other. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

The arrival of democracy in 1994 saw the departure of certain policies and an education system that was congruent with an autocratic, apartheid South Africa. One of the many policy changes was the introduction of the Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) which suggests that teachers fulfil the seven roles as laid down in this policy, amongst them being the role of leader and manager. Prior to this, these roles remained exclusively for those holding formal management positions. Since this study adopted the stance that teachers are leaders, it was worked from the premise that all teachers have the potential to enact self-initiated, voluntary roles, and to lead from different levels within the organisation. Thus an organisation needs both leadership and management, with teachers conducting themselves as professionals. Against the backdrop of the National teacher strike of 2010, I became interested in understanding the leadership roles teachers, either post level one teachers or SMT members enact, especially in relation to their professionalism. As a consequence, I designed my research as a case study of six teacher leaders. The core question aimed to investigate how teachers can lead schools better to ensure that they are professional places of teaching and learning. The first subsidiary question involved an inquiry into how professionalism was understood by teachers. The second subsidiary question was about identifying the factors which enhanced and inhibited professionalism in schools. The duration of the study was approximately two months, and data were collected using semi-structured individual interviews, a focus group interview and a questionnaire. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The main findings of the study revealed that although the primary participants faced many challenges, they worked collaboratively as members of teams. This was made possible as a result of the support and encouragement from the principal and SMT members, together with there being a collegial school culture. Their innate goodness, love for their learners, and passion for teaching saw them lead in various social justice projects. This uplifted the plight of many learners who experienced financial, academic and emotional challenges. These teacher leaders were aware of the code of ethics as espoused by SACE, and conducted themselves accordingly. Some of the primary participants argued that, at times, the call of the union clashed with their role as professionals. This was evident when teachers were called out during the school day to attend union meetings. Since leadership and management roles did not lie exclusively with the principal and SMT, level one teachers also led in activities. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Nowadays, teaching is increasingly becoming a complex task which demands the highest degree of professional practice. Teachers are viewed as agents of change in today’s society and without them; the future of the country is stillborn (Harris and Muijs, 2005). However, a number of strike actions by teachers that have been reported in the media, have caused the attractiveness of teaching as a profession to fade and this is causing the public and important stakeholders to doubt the status of teaching as a profession. Teachers have been considered as political activists and union leaders and this has overshadowed them as professionals and as such has undermined their agency role as leaders. Furthermore, this is causing the teaching profession to lose its status as a calling and a prestigious profession in which they commit themselves to the teaching of learners. Teachers are now viewed as workers who are more focused on their rights, better working conditions and salaries and this they pursue sometimes at the expense of learners. It is therefore a challenge to the teacher unions to change their focus and help teachers to fulfil their primary responsibility which is teaching and learning in order to restore the professional status of teaching. Furthermore, the traditional top-down approach leadership style that exists in most schools makes it even more challenging for teachers to exercise their leadership roles in schools in order to lead them into becoming professional places of work. However, amidst all the despair and loss of hope, Harris and Muijs (2002, p.11) call for the ‘new order’ of leadership which is premised upon the view of “leadership that is distributed and empowers those closest to the classroom to undertake leadership tasks and actions”. Aspects of interpretivist educational research inform my study because it does not seek to get the 'truth' but tries to understand people’s views and experiences in their own natural settings (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2006). I have used this paradigm because I work from the premise that people define their actions by providing different interpretations of the situations they find themselves in. I agree with Maree (2007) who asserts that qualitative research approaches are only concerned with understanding the process and the social and cultural context which underlies various behavioural patterns and is mostly concerned with exploring the ‘why’ questions of research. Furthermore, Cohen et al (2006) also advocate that qualitative research typically studies people or systems by interacting with and observing the participants in their natural environments and focusing on their meanings and interpretations. The emphasis is on the quality and depth of information and not on the scope or breadth of the information provided as in quantitative research. Case study methodology was used to frame the investigation of the research questions. The study took place in a rural independent high school in KwaZulu-Natal. Qualitative data was collected from the five primary participants, through the use of individual interviews, focus group interviews as well as observations. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis and discourse analysis. The findings revealed that teachers understand professionalism as formal qualifications, and that skills and expertise in education are necessary to qualify as a professional. Furthermore, a long period of time is necessary in order to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge expected. When it comes to leadership, it was clear that teachers still associate leadership with a position and formal appointment by a legitimate body in order to be accepted as a leader is necessary. Barriers to teacher leadership and professionalism that were identified were: impact of teacher unions, incentives for role acceptance and school culture. Factors that can enhance teacher professionalism are: collaboration, leadership opportunity given to teachers and a shared understanding between the School Management Team and teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

My study is aligned with the school context. In the school context, there is a formal leadership structure which ensures smooth running of the institution. The success of the school is reliant on the management and leadership style of these formal leaders. In addition to this, these formal leaders guide, control and supervise other teachers in the school. There is a great need for co-operation among those who lead and the led. Sour relationships among these two groups in the school make proper functionality in the school impossible. It is for this reason that I wanted to study how can teachers lead schools better to ensure that they are professional places of teaching and learning. As a school Principal, I strongly believe that after this study, I will have an additional understanding of proper and effective leadership and management that will improve my leadership style. Teachers who are teaching in schools are regarded as professionals. I therefore decided to study these teachers’ understanding of professionalism. This will indeed add value to my personal knowledge and my personal leadership style because after this I will be having a clearer understanding of teachers’ understanding of professionalism. The Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) clearly spells out the seven roles of and educator. This helps me to understand if the teachers do align themselves to these roles as encapsulated in the document. Hoyle, (1980) has written about professionalism and my study seeks to understand if the teachers do behave as he proposes they should, as professionals. I also believe that teachers are professional if they engage themselves in teacher leadership roles in the school irrespective of being in formal positions or not. In our South African context, the concept teacher leadership is fairly new. Researchers like Grant (2006), Singh (2007), Ntuzela (2008), Nene (2010) and Mpangase (2010) have found that in the South African schools’ context , teacher leadership is not given attention that it deserves. Therefore in this study, I decided to focus on these two related concepts for the school effectiveness, teacher leadership and professionalism. I then decided to study the factors that hinder or enhance teacher leadership and professionalism in schools. I did this so as to try to address the concern raised by the scholars above which is not getting the necessary attention for teacher leadership to flourish. To get the answers for my research questions, I decided to include teachers in formal leadership positions as well as teachers with no formal leadership positions as my unit of analysis. This enabled me to get views from all parties in the school. I then decided to use various data collection methods to generate data to assure trustworthiness and validity of my findings. This has been a learning process for me as a novice researcher. The major findings were that in order for a school to be a professional place for teaching and learning, both formal leaders and informal leaders should play their roles fully and tirelessly. It also highlighted the point that informal leaders will only play leadership roles if formal leaders open the doors for them to lead. Full findings of the study are discussed in the dissertation. Finally, recommendations have been made for further research in this regard. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.