Educators have regarded building leader-member relationships using collaboration as a fundamental component to successfully improve students' academic achievement. Ineffective collaborative leadership practices may lead to achievement deficits particularly for many urban charter schools operated by educational management organizations. The purpose of this case study was to explore collaborative leadership practices educational management organization leaders need to assist school principals in low-performing K-12 urban charter schools to improve academic achievement. Guided by Fiedler's contingency theory, this case study explored the successful collaborative leadership practices of educational management organization leaders and school principals in a midwestern urban charter school to improve academic achievement. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 3 educational management organization leaders and 5 urban charter school principals and reviewing archival company documents. Data analysis involved coding and theming significant phrases and emerging patterns related to successful collaborative leadership practices until reaching data saturation. The emerging themes revealed included collaborative practices; academic achievement; implementation to change; school improvement; professional development; compliance and regulations; organizational culture, and community involvement. Findings from this case study resonated with Fiedler's contingency theory and indicated the significance of collaborative leadership practices. A significant positive social change implication is that the awareness of collaborative leadership practices in low-performing K-12 urban charter schools can enhance student academic achievement.

The researcher has observed and noted that out of the four regions of Swaziland, Shiselweni is the leading region with high schools that manifest a poor culture of learning and teaching. The summary of 2009 Junior Certificate results revealed that it is not only that Shiselweni had the lowest pass rate, but also that it recorded the highest number of failures when compared with the other three regions. The purpose of the study was to determine strategies that could be used by principals in promoting a culture of learning and teaching in Shiselweni high schools in Swaziland. The study pursued a qualitative research design which was explorative and descriptive. Qualitative methods were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was collected by means of focus group interviews with learners and teachers, and then through one-onone interviews with principals and parents. The sample was drawn from six high schools in the Shiselweni region that differed in their academic performance. Purposive sampling was used when selecting the schools and those who were to participate in the study. Data was constantly compared and analyzed using the coding method. Participants signed letters of consent and they were assured of the anonymity and confidentiality of the study. They were also made aware that they were not forced to participate in the study and that they were free to withdraw if they were so persuaded. Triangulation and the Guba’s trustworthiness model were used to enhance the reliability and validity of the study. Findings helped the researcher to arrive at recommendations on the role that principals should play in promoting a culture of learning and teaching in Shiselweni high schools in Swaziland. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The purpose of this study was to explore solution strategies that can enhance the achievement of low-performing Grade 12 learners in the following mathematical aspects: finding the general term of a quadratic sequence, factorising third degree polynomials, determining the centre and radius of a circle, and calculating the angle between two lines. A convenience sample of twenty-five low-performing Grade 12 learners from a secondary school in Capricorn District of Limpopo Province participated in the study which adopted a repeated-measures research design. Learners were exposed to multiple solution strategies and data were collected using achievement tests. Findings indicated significant differences in learners‟ average scores due to the solution strategies used. In determining the general term of a quadratic sequence, learners‟ scores were significantly higher when they used formula and the table method than with the method of residues and solving simultaneous equations. Synthetic division made learners to achieve better scores than long division and equating coefficients in factorising third degree polynomials. The use of formulae to find the centre and radius of a circle made learners to have better achievement scores than completing the square. In calculating the angle between two lines learners‟ scores were better using formula and the cosine rule than using theorems. It was concluded that exposing low-performing Grade 12 learners to multiple solution strategies would enhance their achievement in the mathematical aspects explored in the study. Some of the solution strategies that made learners to achieve better results were not in the prescribed mathematics textbooks. The study therefore recommends that mathematics teaching should not be textbook-driven and that low-performing Grade 12 learners should not be regarded as beyond redemption. / Mathematics Education / M.Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

The researcher has observed and noted that out of the four regions of Swaziland, Shiselweni is the leading region with high schools that manifest a poor culture of learning and teaching. The summary of 2009 Junior Certificate results revealed that it is not only that Shiselweni had the lowest pass rate, but also that it recorded the highest number of failures when compared with the other three regions. The purpose of the study was to determine strategies that could be used by principals in promoting a culture of learning and teaching in Shiselweni high schools in Swaziland. The study pursued a qualitative research design which was explorative and descriptive. Qualitative methods were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was collected by means of focus group interviews with learners and teachers, and then through one-onone interviews with principals and parents. The sample was drawn from six high schools in the Shiselweni region that differed in their academic performance. Purposive sampling was used when selecting the schools and those who were to participate in the study. Data was constantly compared and analyzed using the coding method. Participants signed letters of consent and they were assured of the anonymity and confidentiality of the study. They were also made aware that they were not forced to participate in the study and that they were free to withdraw if they were so persuaded. Triangulation and the Guba’s trustworthiness model were used to enhance the reliability and validity of the study. Findings helped the researcher to arrive at recommendations on the role that principals should play in promoting a culture of learning and teaching in Shiselweni high schools in Swaziland. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The purpose of this study was to explore solution strategies that can enhance the achievement of low-performing Grade 12 learners in the following mathematical aspects: finding the general term of a quadratic sequence, factorising third degree polynomials, determining the centre and radius of a circle, and calculating the angle between two lines. A convenience sample of twenty-five low-performing Grade 12 learners from a secondary school in Capricorn District of Limpopo Province participated in the study which adopted a repeated-measures research design. Learners were exposed to multiple solution strategies and data were collected using achievement tests. Findings indicated significant differences in learners‟ average scores due to the solution strategies used. In determining the general term of a quadratic sequence, learners‟ scores were significantly higher when they used formula and the table method than with the method of residues and solving simultaneous equations. Synthetic division made learners to achieve better scores than long division and equating coefficients in factorising third degree polynomials. The use of formulae to find the centre and radius of a circle made learners to have better achievement scores than completing the square. In calculating the angle between two lines learners‟ scores were better using formula and the cosine rule than using theorems. It was concluded that exposing low-performing Grade 12 learners to multiple solution strategies would enhance their achievement in the mathematical aspects explored in the study. Some of the solution strategies that made learners to achieve better results were not in the prescribed mathematics textbooks. The study therefore recommends that mathematics teaching should not be textbook-driven and that low-performing Grade 12 learners should not be regarded as beyond redemption. / Mathematics Education / M.Sc. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

This research study took as its point of departure the general state of underperformance of the majority of schools in South Africa. A review of the literature uncovered evidence that suggested that the state of school management in the majority of schools was in disarray. The problem was compounded by the poor quality and haphazard nature of support that District and Circuit Officials of the Education Department rendered to schools. I therefore saw the need to conduct a scientific investigation into how Circuit Teams could be assisted to support School Management Teams towards whole-school development. Against this background, I formulated the following primary research question to guide the study: “How can Circuit Teams effectively support School Management Teams of underperforming schools towards whole-school development?” The following secondary research questions arose out of this to provide further direction to the study: How can Circuit Teams assist School Management Teams to develop and implement their respective School Improvement Plans? How can Circuit Teams be assisted to develop, implement and monitor their Circuit Improvement Plans? What recommendations can be made to improve service delivery to the schools?. The primary aim of the research was therefore to design an action learning model that would enable Circuit Teams to support School Management Teams of underperforming high schools towards whole-school development. A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study, as it best suited the purpose of the research, and the philosophical assumptions of the researcher. In addition, I drew on a constructivist-interpretative and a critical theory paradigm to guide the design. I chose action research as the specific methodology for the study as, in line with critical theory it aims to empower people to facilitate social change and improvement at a local level. Purposive sampling was used to select four underperforming high schools in the same township within the Cape Town Metro, belonging to the same education Circuit and District Office to participate in the research. In addition, the members of the Circuit Team that serviced these schools were also brought on board as participants. In total, 40 people participated in the research: 4 members from the Circuit Team, 4 Principals, 8 Deputy Principals and 24 Heads of Department. Data were generated in the period January to June 2012 using structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Data were analysed by following the eight steps for analysing qualitative data identified by Tesch. An Action Research cycle consisting of the following five steps was followed with participants during the fieldwork, viz.: Identification of the problem; Designing the action plan; Implementing the action plan; Evaluating the action, and Reflection and lessons learnt. Two Action Research cycles emerged from the fieldwork. The first cycle dealt with assisting the schools and Circuit Team to construct their improvement plans. The main findings from this cycle were (1) that the Circuit Team did not function as a team, due to the autocratic management style of the Circuit Team Manager, and the plan of action to address the underperforming schools was not developed in a participative manner. In addition, the Circuit Team had no Circuit Improvement Plan in place with which to support the schools. (2) The schools did not receive the required support to prepare their School Improvement Plans, and although they were able to articulate their areas of support needed, none of them undertook the process of School Self-Evaluation and therefore did not have School Improvement Plans in place. The second action r esearch cycle dealt with the support that schools needed from the other pillars of the District Office to implement their intervention plans. Three themes emerged from this action research cycle: (1) The School Management Teams required capacitybuilding to manage their schools effectively, (2) teachers needed support to implement the curriculum, and (3) learners required assistance to achieve better results. As the outcome of the research, a spiral model consisting of three distinctive phases, each having several loops that describe the particular action that Circuit Teams and School Management Teams have to undertake was developed as the ultimate outcome of the research. The structure of the model was explained, and explicit guidelines for operationalizing it in practice were provided. Based on the findings and the construction of the model, a number of recommendations were put forward to guide future research and practice in the area of Circuit Team support to nderperforming schools. In conclusion, this research study contributed to the body of knowledge by exploring, investigating and describing the working relationship between Circuit Teams and School Management Teams, which until now has not been adequately covered in the existing literature and research. The study culminated in a theoretical model which can be used to improve this relationship permitting Circuit Teams to better support School Management Teams towards whole-school development. The action research design also allowed a more participative and democratic relationship to develop between the Circuit Team and the School Management Teams of the four schools, which is also an innovative idea considering the traditional hierarchic and autocratic approach which has been the norm in the past. Hopefully the findings of this study will encourage the emergence of democratic partnerships between Departmental officials and school management, leading to the empowerment and transformation of school management.

Denna studie baseras på elevers skrivande av berättande texter i ämnet svenska från årskurs 5 och 6. Syftet var att undersöka hur lärare kan arbeta stöttande för både låg- och högpresterande elever i arbetet med skrivande av genretexter. Vidare ville vi undersöka vilka utmärkande drag vi kunde finna i låg- respektive högpresterande elevers berättande texter och hur lärare beskriver sin undervisning i förhållande till begreppen inkludering samt differentiering. I studien analyserades 16 elevtexter från de utvalda elevgrupperna, Fyra lärare till dessa elever har intervjuats för att få ta del av deras tankar om undervisningen. Studien baseras på genrepedagogiken med tillhörande bakomliggande teorier, inklusive den sociokulturella teorins scaffolding- och ZPD-begrepp samt systemisk funktionell grammatik. Intervjun undersöks även i relation till begreppen inkluderande och differentierande undervisning samt hur det används i arbetet med eleverna. I resultatet från textanalysen kunde vi se att den största skillnaden mellan de två elevgrupperna var berättelsens händelseförlopp vilket bidrog till diskussionen om grammatiska orsaker. I intervjun beskrev lärarna att de använder sig av explicit undervisning och formativ feedback med ZPD som utgångsläge, vilka utgjorde deövergripande teman som var mest jämförbara med genrepedagogikens stöttning. Lärarna strävade efter att eleverna skulle kunna arbeta med samma uppgifter så långt som möjligt och fokuserade på att anpassa kraven efter elevernas förmågor. Det visade sig att lärarna undervisade något mer differentierande än de själva var medvetna om då vissa av deras kommentarer om inkluderande undervisning även kan kopplas till differentierad undervisning.

The challenge facing principals currently is to revisit their role to improve external examination results in the Republic of South Africa. Almost all schools in the Free State, in particular those in rural areas such as the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District; the Xhariep Education District; part of the Motheo Education District (e.g. Botshabelo and Thaba-Nchu) and most urban areas, such as the Lejweleputswa Education District and the Fezile Dabi Education District, have schools which have had poor examination results for the past 20 years. To answer the challenges currently facing principals in the Free State, this research used a qualitative research framework and methodology to articulate research questions and arrive at constructive and instructive models to reveal and close the gaps between performing and underperforming secondary schools in the province. A particular group of principals was chosen, influenced by the performance and underperformance of their schools in the various education districts in the province. Research findings from unstructured interviews with doctoral candidates, and research on China, Finland and Singapore’s education systems with special reference to instructional leadership were conducted. The doctoral candidates’ ideas were confirmed by practical unstructured interviews with Sekgutlong and Beacon high school principals who visited Singapore with the MEC of the Free State Department of Education. In plenary and parallel encounters with principals of secondary schools in the Free State, it emerged that rote learning is prevalent in the Free State secondary schools. Therefore, was resolved by the majority of the principals that critical postmodern instructional leadership should be recommended as an instructional methodology to usher in critical thinking, innovation, creativity and self-reliance in Free State education. In addition, this will close the gap between performing and underperforming secondary schools. Finally, grounded postmodern instructional leadership as a leadership strategy will assist a contemporary secondary school learner’s generation to cope with the academic requirements of tertiary education. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The challenge facing principals currently is to revisit their role to improve external examination results in the Republic of South Africa. Almost all schools in the Free State, in particular those in rural areas such as the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District; the Xhariep Education District; part of the Motheo Education District (e.g. Botshabelo and Thaba-Nchu) and most urban areas, such as the Lejweleputswa Education District and the Fezile Dabi Education District, have schools which have had poor examination results for the past 20 years. To answer the challenges currently facing principals in the Free State, this research used a qualitative research framework and methodology to articulate research questions and arrive at constructive and instructive models to reveal and close the gaps between performing and underperforming secondary schools in the province. A particular group of principals was chosen, influenced by the performance and underperformance of their schools in the various education districts in the province. Research findings from unstructured interviews with doctoral candidates, and research on China, Finland and Singapore’s education systems with special reference to instructional leadership were conducted. The doctoral candidates’ ideas were confirmed by practical unstructured interviews with Sekgutlong and Beacon high school principals who visited Singapore with the MEC of the Free State Department of Education. In plenary and parallel encounters with principals of secondary schools in the Free State, it emerged that rote learning is prevalent in the Free State secondary schools. Therefore, was resolved by the majority of the principals that critical postmodern instructional leadership should be recommended as an instructional methodology to usher in critical thinking, innovation, creativity and self-reliance in Free State education. In addition, this will close the gap between performing and underperforming secondary schools. Finally, grounded postmodern instructional leadership as a leadership strategy will assist a contemporary secondary school learner’s generation to cope with the academic requirements of tertiary education. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)