School Governing Bodies (SGBs) function across South Africa as governance structures aimed at improving effectiveness of the schools. The appointment of SGB's and their establishment to improve school governance is not only unique to South Africa but is a trend in all democratically elected countries such as the United States, Britain, Australia and Brazil. The purpose of this study was to explore the leadership role of the School Governing Bodies in selected South African secondary schools. The study was underpinned by four leadership theories namely, the contingency theory, participative theory, transformational theory and the instructional leadership theory. An empirical investigation was informed by the literature review. The qualitative study was guided by an interpretive paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to select four secondary schools in Nkomazi West Circuit, Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga. A total number of four SGB's from each school and the school principals participated in this study. Observations of SGB meetings, individual interviews with the principals of the participating schools and focus group interviews with SGB members were used to collect data, which were analysed using a qualitative approach. The findings revealed that SGB's in the four participating schools did not experience major challenges in executing their roles because they had a clear understanding of their responsibilities. However, lack of adequate training with regard to financial management was a challenge. Further findings indicated that all SGB members had received training on various aspects of school management before they commenced with their duties. Most training workshops were conducted in English and although this was not an obstacle to study participants, it was a challenge SGBs. It is therefore recommended that adequate financial management workshops be conducted and that further workshops be organised by principals at school level to address SGB members’ specific needs. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

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 purpose of this research is to examine the impact of instructional leadership on the culture of teaching and learning in ten rural schools of the Eastern Cape categorised as performing and under performing schools. The research utilises the transformational leadership theory in its theoretical analytical framework as the model for effective leadership. The research argues that principals’ instructional leadership can significantly improve teacher engagement, teacher collaboration and learner performances in the ten rural schools. The study draws on the qualitative research methodology, instruments utilised are interviews of teachers, principals and top education officials within the Buffalo City Municipality. Past matric results of the rural schools under consideration were retrieved from the archives of the National Senior Certificate Results to measure the impact of instructional leadership on the culture of teaching and learning and learners’ performances. The study concludes that there is a relationship between instructional leadership and learners’ outcomes. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)

Abstract is in English, Xhosa and Afrikaans / By means of a qualitative multiple case study, I investigated the compliance of the administrations of three rural secondary schools in the Chris Hani West District, Eastern Cape Province with the constitutional democratic principles of cooperation, accountability and transparency. I consulted legal sources to identify provisions dealing with the implementation of these principles and to create a framework for data analysis and interpretation. Fieldwork commenced with a document analysis of relevant school documents, followed by focus groups with members of representative councils of learners, school management teams and school governing bodies. I concluded with semi-structured interviews with principals. I discovered a general lack of compliance with the identified principles, possibly attributable to the exclusion of learners from decision-making processes, unhealthy relationships among educators, autocratic leadership style, lack of communication, and lack of knowledge of the legal prescripts on the part of learners and the parent component of the school governing body. / Ngokwenza uphando olusebenzisa imizekelo yeemeko ezininzi, ndiphande indlela eziyithobela ngayo imigaqo yolawulo izikolo ezithathu kwisithili sakuKomani eMpuma Koloni ngokumalunga neenqobo zedemokhrasi zentsebenziswano, ukwamkela uxanduva nokusebenza ngokungafihlisiyo. Ndithethe namaziko omthetho ngenjongo yokuchonga izibonelelo eziphathelene nokusetyenziswa kwezi nqobo, ndifuna nokuqulunqa uphahla lokwakha isakhelo sokuhlalutya nokutolika iinkcukacha zolwazi eziqokelelweyo. Umsebenzi wasentsimini (ukutyelela amaziko achaphazelekayo) uqale ngokuphengulula imibhalo yesikolo ebalulekileyo, kwalandela amaqela angundoqo namalungu eekomiti ezimele abafundi, abalawuli besikolo nabameli babazali abakwiikomiti ezilawula isikolo. Kugqityelwe ngodliwano ndlebe oluphantse lwaqingqwa neenqununu zezo zikolo. Ndifumanise ukungathotyelwa jikelele kweenqobo ezichongiweyo, mhlawumbi ngenxa yokungabandakanywa kwabafundi kwiinkqubo zokuthatha izigqibo, ukungavisisani kwabafundisi ntsapho, ukuphatha ngegqudu, ukungabonisani, nokungabi nalwazi lomthetho kwabafundi nabazali abangabameli bekomiti elawula isikolo. / Die navorser het ’n kwalitatiewe veelvoudige gevallestudie gebruik om die administrasies van drie landelike sekondêre skole in die Chris Hani West-distrik, Oos-Kaap, se nakoming van die grondwetlik demokratiese beginsels van samewerking, aanspreeklikheid en deursigtigheid te ondersoek. Die navorser het regsbronne geraadpleeg om bepalings rakende die implementering van hierdie beginsels te identifiseer en ’n raamwerk vir die ontleding en vertolking van data tot stand te bring. Die veldwerk het met ’n analise van tersaaklike skooldokumente begin, wat deur fokusgroepsessies met lede van verteenwoordigende leerlingrade, skoolbestuurspanne en skoolbeheerliggame opgevolg is. Die veldwerk is met semigestruktureerde onderhoude met skoolhoofde afgesluit. Die navorser het ’n algemene gebrek aan nakoming van die geïdentifiseerde beginsels gevind, wat moontlik aan die uitsluiting van leerders van besluitnemingsprosesse, ongesonde verhoudings onder opvoeders, ’n outokratiese leierskapstyl, ’n gebrek aan kommunikasie en ’n gebrek aan kennis van die tersaaklike regsvoorskrifte onder leerders en die ouerkomponent van die skoolbeheerliggame toegeskryf kan word. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)