Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2002. / The aim of this investigation was to establish the effect of the invitational attitude of teachers on the culture of teaching and learning. This entailed a detailed literature study of the factors affecting the culture of teaching and learning at schools, viz. school related factors, factors in the family and living environment, societal factors and personal characteristics. A further literature study on the invitational attitude of teachers and its effect on the culture of teaching and learning at schools were done. South African education is presently facing major challenges. It is widely recognised that it is essential to transform the apartheid-based system of the past into an egalitarian one. There were imbalances and inequalities amongst separate education departments. The blacks were the most disadvantaged. From the empirical investigation it was concluded that the quality of an education system is more dependent on the attitude of the teachers than any other single factor. The absence of a culture of teaching and learning in schools can be reversed by the inviting attitude of the teachers who by estabhshing a personal relationship, frees the learner to learn and leads him to adulthood. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a prepared questionnaire was administered to 300 grade 12 learners of six secondary schools (two predominately black schools, two predominately coloured schools and two predominately Indian schools). The data obtained from the completed questionnaire were processed and analysed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings confirmed that the invitational attitude of teachers plays a significant role in promoting the culture of teaching and learning. In conclusion, a summary and findings emanating from the literature study and the descriptive and inferential statistics were presented. Based on these findings the following recommendations were made: ❖ All teachers should be governed by a code of conduct that will prohibit unprofessional disinviting behaviour. ❖ All learners should be governed by a code of conduct that will enhance positive behaviour and attitude towards learning. ❖ Further research must be done regarding the invitational attitude of teachers and its effect on the culture of teaching and learning.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2010. / The study investigated the effect of crime in schools on a culture of teaching and learning. In this study the researcher employed a survey to achieve the aims of the study, and a questionnaire to obtain facts and opinions about the effect of crime in schools on a culture of teaching and learning. All children between the ages of 7 and 15 have a right to education. However, this right becomes meaningless unless the Department of Education, principals, educators, parents, children, learners, citizens and community members commit themselves to curbing crime and making the school environment conducive to learning. Crime has a negative influence on the morale of both educators and learners, as well as the culture of teaching and learning. Each educator and learner has the right to work and play in a secure and safe school environment and neighbourhood. Therefore it is important to do everything possible to eliminate crime in schools and neighbourhoods. Schools need to create a space where educators can teach and learners can learn. Teaching and learning require a safe and tolerant learning environment that celebrates innocence and values human dignity. From the literature study it became clear that many of the young people of South Africa will end up as drug addicts, violent criminals and anti-social individuals, rather than being an asset to the nation and the country’s economy. According to Shone (2007:27) crime is a “runaway train, reckless, out of control, unpredictably dangerous, picking up speed as it careers down the track towards schools”. For the purpose of the empirical investigation, a self-structured questionnaire for educators was utilized. The data obtained from the completed questionnaires was processed and analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. The findings from the empirical study confirmed that crime in schools has a negative effect on a culture of teaching and learning. In conclusion a summary of the study was presented and based on the findings of the literature and empirical study, the following recommendations were made:  The Department of Education must develop a practical formal policy on the safety of schools in collaboration with stakeholders like community structures, local private security companies, the South African Police Service, Social Workers and Psychologists.  Sufficient human and financial resources must be made available by the Department of Education for the training, supervision and monitoring of the school safety policy.  The Department of Education must also encourage communities, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and business, to support school safety initiatives and promote a safe learning environment.  The school’s code of conduct must be consulted when school safety policy is formulated. The code of conduct’s primary function is to ensure the safety of learners at school.  A code of conduct should contain regulations outlining the rules that the principal and the governing body must ensure are included in the code. The code of conduct must, inter alia: • aim to establish a disciplined and purposeful school environment; dedicated to the improvement and maintenance of a quality learning process, • outline how learners who disobey the code of conduct will be punished, • include a process for protecting the learner and any other party involved in disciplinary proceedings, and • include rules relating to school wear (cf.5.4.1).  For the code of conduct to be functional and successful class teachers must ensure that: • All learners have a copy of the code of conduct. • A copy of the code of conduct is displayed on the notice board in the classroom. • Learners follow the regulations as laid down in the code of conduct. • A code of conduct is periodically scrutinized by the school safety committee and amended when necessary.  The school safety policy must have clear and concise directives as to what is expected from the regions, districts, circuits, wards and schools.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 1999. / The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the school management team in promoting a culture of teaching and learning. From the literature study it became evident that the culture of teaching and learning in many South African schools has almost disappeared in its entirety. Most of the schools of the former education departments responsible for black education are characterised by a high failure rate, early school dropout, lack of discipline, low morale and an anti-academic attitude amongst teachers as well as learners. To these schools very little has changed since 1994 when the new government came into power. It would appear that a culture of teaching and learning in these schools does not exists. The ongoing turmoil in these schools underscores, inter alia, the failure of school management teams in assuming responsibility for promoting a culture of teaching and learning. Promoting a culture of teaching and learning involves a collaborative act between school management, teachers and learners. Many stakeholders in education seem to be helpless when confronted with problems related to teaching and learning in schools. It often seems as if their hope rests in the initiatives of school management teams to promote a culture of teaching and learning. The members of school management teams, as educational leaders, therefore have a vital role to play in creating a culture of teaching and learning. Although it is generally believed that school management teams, as educational leaders, are responsible for promoting a culture of teaching and learning, the situation is far from satisfactory. The causes for the absence of a culture of teaching and learning can be attributed to factors concerning the learners, factors concerning the school environment, societal factors and problems concerning the homes of learners and their living environment as well as the lack of parental involvement in the formal education of their children. Members of school management teams should have no uncertainties as to their responsibilities as educational leaders. Principals, deputy principals and heads of departments are both educational leaders and managers and their primary task or responsibility is to ensure that effective teaching and learning takes place. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self structured questionnaire for members of school management teams was utilised. The data obtained from the completed questionnaires were processed and analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. Findings confirmed that the school management team has a significant role to play in promoting a culture of teaching and learning. In conclusion a summary was presented on the findings of the study and the following are some of the recommendations that were made: The members of the school management team must inculculate positive attitudes and values in teachers and learners. All teachers should be governed by a code of conduct that will prohibit unprofessional behaviour. The management team must ensure the adoption of a code of conduct for learners.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR of EDUCATION in the department of Educational Psychology in the FACULTY OF EDUCATION at the UNlVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 1998. / This study involves an investigation of governing bodies' perspectives on a culture of teaching and learning. An attempt was made to determine if governing bodies are adequately trained to play a meaningful role in the re-establishment of a culture of teaching and learning at schools. The literature study discloses that education in South Africa is going through a crisis. It is common knowledge that the culture of teaching and learning has almost disappeared in its entirety in many schools. Schools are characterised by an anti-academic attitude by teachers as well as pupils. Many parents seem to be helpless when confronted with problems related to their children's schooling. Their only hope rests in governing bodies' and principals' initiatives to re-establish a culture of teaching and learning. Governing bodies and principals therefore have a vital role to play in creating a culture of teaching and learning. In the interest of the education of children, they need to work in concert with each other. Their working together is a collaborative act, marked by cooperation and support for each other. The investigation proved that governing bodies have not been adequately trained to deal with problems associated with the culture of teaching and learning. Despite the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act No.84 of 1996) ushering in a new era of parental involvement in school governance, parents were not systematically empowered to deal with their new responsibilities. The failure of the Department of Education to embark on a meaningful capacity-building programme for school governors has inhibited governing bodies' contribution towards education. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire for parent governors was utilised. The questionnaires that were completed by parent governors were analysed and thereafter the data that was obtained was processed and analysed. This study has confirmed that governing bodies were not adequately trained to play a meaningful role in the re-establishment of a culture of teaching and learning at schools. In addition to the empirical survey, personal interviews with members of governing bodies were conducted. In conclusion a summary was presented and based on the findings of this study, the following are some of the recommendations that were made: * All governing bodies should develop and enforce a code of conduct which will provide a set of guidelines to regulate the behaviour of pupils so that a disciplined and purposeful environment is established at schools to facilitate effective teaching and learning. * All teachers should be governed by a code of conduct that will prohibit unprofessional behaviour. * Governing bodies should offer incentives to principals and teachers who introduce innovative ideas and methods to promote the culture of teaching and learning. * Through structured education programmes governing bodies must prepare parents to assume responsibility for the education of their children.

A dissertation submitted to the FACULTY OF EDUCATION at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration, 2004. / The study investigated the role of RCLs in the promotion of the culture of teaching and learning in secondary schools. In this study the researcher employed a survey to achieve the aims of the study, and a questionnaire to obtain facts and opinions about the role of the RCL members. From the empirical study conducted in Pinetown District, the researcher found that the majority of the members of the RCLs in schools studied does contribute to the promotion of the culture of teaching and learning. However there was remarkably high percentage (65%) of respondents who were uncertain about the RCLs' role in facilitating the promotion of the culture of teaching and learning in secondary schools. Briefly data indicates that the uncertainty about the role functions of RCLs is due to the lack of training. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher made recommendations directed to the principals and the department of education and culture. The key recommendations are: > Principals need to develop appropriate and effective capacity building programmes for RCL members. > RCL members should be given a platform to communicate with the general learner population to facilitate and foster discipline among learners in schools. > Members of the RCL should be granted their legitimate rights to participate in decisions that affect them.

Teachers’ expectations for African-American students and the role of students’ race in teachers’ expectations is the focus of this report. Several studies have indicated that teacher expectations not only influence African-American students’ academic achievement, but also their classroom behavior. Studies have also suggested that low teacher expectations are a result of a combination of various factors such as teacherstudent race, low socioeconomic background and cultural differences. Low expectations based on incorrect information may lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. This report also sheds light on ways in which school counselors could contribute in changing and sustaining teacher expectations and promoting culture-relevant teaching strategies. / text

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 1998. / The aim of this study was to pursue an investigation on parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning. From the literature study it became evident that education in South Africa has collapsed in many schools. The majority of schools of the former education departments responsible for Black education are characterised by a high failure rate, early school dropout, a lack of discipline, low morale and an anti-academic attitude amongst pupils. To these schools very little has changed since 1994. It would appear that a "culture of teaching and learning" in these schools does not exist. The ongoing turmoil in these schools underscores the failure of parents and principals to work together as partners in assuming responsibility for creating a culture of learning. Creating a culture of learning involves a collaborative act between parents and principals. Neither the parent nor the principal alone can fulfil the task of educating the child adequately. In the interest of the education of the child, the contact and cooperation between parents and principals should denote a partnership. Although the premise exists that parents (child's primary educator) and principals (child's secondary educator) are indispensable partners for creating a culture of learning, the situation is far from satisfactory. A huge majority of schools in the previously disadvantaged African community has failed badly. The causes for the absence of a learning culture can be attributed to factors concerning the pupils, factors concerning the school environment, problems concerning the homes of pupils and their living environment as well as the lack of parental involvement in the formal education of their children. Parents and principals as educators have a vital role to play in creating a culture of learning. Parents should have no uncertainties as to their educational responsibilities as primary educators. Principals are both educational leaders and managers and their primary task or responsibility is to ensure that effective teaching and learning takes place at their schools. For the purpose of the empirical investigation two separate self-structured questionnaires for parents and principals were utilised. In addition five postulates pertaining to a partnership between parents and principals were formulated to give direction to this study. The questionnaires that were completed by parents and principals were analyzed and thereafter the data that were obtained was processed and analyzed. This study has confirmed that a meaningful partnership between the parents and the principals is lacking in the majority of schools with regard to the mutual sharing of: * responsibilities; * information; * decision-making; * skills; and * accountability. In conclusion a summary was presented and based on the findings of this study, the following are some of the recommendations that were made: * Effective media-based parent education programme on parental involvement must be instituted. * The establishment of schools as community learning centres must receive immediate attention. * The principal must receive training in and accept responsibility tor initiating parental involvement. The Department of Education and Culture must: ° ensure that parents and principals are encouraged and supported to become partners in creating a culture of learning by providing them with the necessary guidelines and information; ° make certain that workshops, seminars, lectures and in-service training programmes are conducted for principals on school management and parental involvement; ° provide all members serving on Governing Bodies full training and support in the responsible exercise of their duties, powers and functions; and ° actively propagate the importance of nurturing a harmonious partnership between parents and principals by promoting mutual trust, respect, loyalty, frankness and understanding for each other. The teaching profession and teacher unions must assume responsibility for creating a culture of learning. The principals and inspectors must ensure that effective teaching is taking place at schools. In undertaking their teaching responsibilities, teachers must become highly professional. The principals and teacher unions must take disciplinary actions against those teachers who violate the code of conduct for teachers.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Education in the Department Educational Planning & Administration at the University of Zululand, 2017 / This investigation studied the challenges faced by the School Management Teams in promoting quality teaching and learning. The outcry of unsatisfied and demotivated educators and the poor academic performance of learners that is experienced as a result of challenges faced by SMTs in their daily function of school management, administration and leadership prompted me to conduct this investigation. Most South African schools, particularly the state schools perform poorly. It is believed that this study will alert the stakeholders in the education fraternity about challenges encountered and contributions each stakeholder has to make to help remedy the situation. The interpretive paradigm was used and the research design was qualitative. I generated data by means of literature reviewed and empirical research. The multi-case or multiple collective case study method was used for data collection. Data gathering techniques used were the semi-structured interviews for both individuals (school principals) and Focus Groups (all other SMTs excluding the principal), observation, documents and artefacts. Three data gathering techniques were used in order to ascertain credibility and trustworthiness of the results. The tools used were the Interview Schedule, Observation Checklist, Field Notes Pads, and the Voice Recorder. The research covers areas which include problems encountered by SMTs that result in poor academic performance, the role of the SMTs in promoting quality teaching and learning, and measures to employ in solving problems encountered. The findings indicated that some practices and policies of the department of education, uncommitted employees and the lack of full involvement of stakeholders, particularly parents and learners, affect academic results. Urban, township and rural schools are all challenged, but the complexity of problems encountered varied, as did the performance standard. Recommendations made include reviewing departmental policies and practices, giving incentives to hardworking employees, and the need for stakeholders to join hands in supporting teaching and learning in South Africa.

The purpose of this study was to construct portrayals of teachers7 work conceptions in various career stages from the stories they told and the metaphors they used to describe the ways in which teachers learned about their work. Specifically, the study included preservice teachers, first-year teachers, third-year teachers, and teachers with more than four years of teaching experience at the elementary and secondary school levels. Thirty-five elementary and secondary school teachers from the North-Central area of Texas participated in this study (nineteen inservice and sixteen preservice teachers). Qualitative techniques were employed to collect data. The preservice teachers filled out a questionnaire and wrote short stories about their preconceptions of their first year of teaching. Inservice teachers were interviewed using a short questionnaire and a long interview schedule. Nine inservice teachers participated in a storytelling workshop/focus group session. Group stories based on predetermined scenarios were constructed, tape-recorded and transcribed. The focus group session was videotaped and transcribed. Fifteen categories emerged from the analysis of the data: cyclical, ritualized, hierarchical, reciprocal, developmental, experiential, reflective, cumulative, body of knowledge, folkloric, individualized/personalized, order/control/manage, disciplinarian, facilitative, and replicative. These categories represent a summary of the constructs, images, contextual maps and metaphors held by these teachers to describe their enculturation process. The descriptive categories developed in this study offer teacher educators, supervisors and teachers a basis for understanding the culture of teachers. The storytelling technigues used in this study provide a means by which teachers and teacher-related personnel can generate further information about the enculturation process that can be applied to recruitment, orientation/ induction programming, reflective teacher preparation and change strategies.

This research investigated the relationship between the school principal’s instructional leadership role and the academic performance of pupils in Swaziland primary schools. A qualitative investigation was conducted using individual and focus group interviewing. This was supplemented by a study of official documents on instructional leadership at each research site and the observation of the prevailing culture of teaching and learning traits at each school. A research sample of eight school principals and forty teachers was purposefully drawn from eight well-performing primary schools in the Southern Hhohho region of Swaziland. The findings of the study confirmed that the school principal’s instructional leadership role serves as a pillar for the development and sustainment of a sound culture of teaching and learning in order to ensure that learners achieve optimally. Based on the perceptions of school principal and teacher participants, strategies were developed for effective instructional leadership so as to ensure optimal learner performance. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)