Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf [183-186]).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [183-186]). Also available in print.

D.Ed. (Educational Management) / The basis for parental involvement in the educative teaching of children is the responsibility parents have for the education of their children. The education and teaching of the child in the context of the home and family unit provides the foundation for the child's future use of his intellect. social relationships as well as the development of his emotions. Parental education endeavours to encourage the child to acquire knowledge on his own. The desire to learn. as it manifests itself in the family unit and in specific contents. forms the basis for the child's teaching and learning at school. To meet ethic and educational demands of society parents are compelled to make use of specialised assistance to supplement and extend their educative endeavours as regards the teaching of their children. Schools were established to meet this demand for specialised teaching by professionally trained teachers. without taking over the educative duties of parents. Schools cannot replace parental responsibility and influence. Their accepted function supplements that of parents. Responsible parents will consequently be interested in the manner the responsible school carries out its accepted duties. This forms the key to the principle of parental involvement in all aspects of teaching practice. There has been a perceptible increase in parental involvement in White schools in the Republic of South Africa since 1982. A number of reasons can be listed for this phenomenon. The problem. however, is that the participation on behalf of the parents has not brought about the desired results. This study was undertaken to determine the reasons for this failure. The research programme was conducted along dual lines. Firstly an extensive study was made of the publications concerned with White parental involvement in the education of White children. Secondly an empirical investigation was done on the various aspects of parental involvement in the schools' educational programmes. Chairmen of management councils of Transvaal provincial schools were used as respondents.

Federally mandated citizen participation has been controversial since its inception in 1964. It has been as difficult to implement in practice as it has been to define conceptually. An examination of the literature related to this federally mandated citizen participation uncovers a number of untested assumptions relating to the individual political behavior of those for whom participation is mandated. This literature concentrates on forms of organized group participation, and the direct action of these groups in the planning and policy-making process, but it tends to ignore the fact that participation in the organized neighborhood groups advocated is essentially an individual political decision. Also ignored is the substantial body of research and literature related to individual political behavior which generally finds that levels and rates of participation are a function of socio-economic factors. This well established research suggests those for whom participation is mandated--residents of low income and low socio-economic status neighborhoods--are the least likely to become politically active. The general weakness of this body of research and literature, which is based largely on the electoral process, is that it fails to adequately explain or predict the significant levels of participation actually exhibited by lower income and lower socio-economic status individuals in the War on Poverty, Model Cities, and similar programs. A more holistic model of political behavior based on social-psychological concepts allows a much broader view of the elements which may contribute to this more non-traditional type of political behavior. Such a model has been developed by Robert Lane and others. It suggests perceptual and attitudinal variables which may be especially useful in explaining and/or predicting the participation of lower socio-economic status individuals in these programs. These perceptual and attitudinal variables, and their relationships to political participation, are the focus of the research undertaken in this dissertation. Through a random sample household interview survey, a study of the perceptual and attitudinal variables associated with resident participation in elections, issues, and neighborhood groups was undertaken in two low income neighborhoods in the City of Portland, Oregon. The survey results suggest that individuals active in neighborhood groups and issues are not necessarily the same individuals highly involved in traditional electoral activity. These survey results indicate a number of perceptual and attitudinal variables significantly associated with participation in neighborhood groups and issues: (1) the perception of the existence of neighborhood problems; (2) salience of perceived neighborhood problems; (3) feelings of personal and/or group efficacy in doing something about the specific problems perceived; (4) perception of the social and political nature of identified neighborhood problems; (5) attitudes toward the value of participation as a desired end in itself; and (6) attitudes toward voting, petitioning, collective action, non-violent protest, and violent protest as approved and effective means to solve neighborhood problems. The survey results also indicate systematic differences in the perceptual and attitudinal variables associated with the participation of Black and White survey respondents. White participation appears to be much more highly related to the perception of neighborhood problems than Black participation. Whites in the study appear to participate as a means to solve problems they perceive in their neighborhood, while participation seems to be more an end in itself for the Blacks surveyed. The results of the survey tend to validate important elements of a social-psychological model of political behavior. The results also suggest that more attention needs to be focused on the relationships between individuals' perceptions of their environment and political behavior.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African education system, like any other organisation is constantly in the process of change. Critical issues that gave rise to the transformation of the education system in South Africa will be identified in this study. The education crisis is briefly discussed with reference to the educational, social and political demands. A synopsis of the reports, recommendations and outcomes is given. The conclusion drawn from all these reports was that there was a need for a new democratic education system. The establishment of a single, unified democratic education system was therefore the ideal that was striven for. A framework of the new democratic system with special reference to the historical developments prior to 1994 until the integrated system that officially came into power with the 1996 Schools Act is broadly discussed. Matters referred to include, the political struggle and the education crises that gave rise to restructuring, the establishment of a new system as well as the problems surrounding governance and management in the new system. Various governance and management models relevant to transformation and democracy are examined. The conclusion reached is that a real partnership that builds on mutual trust and respect is the desired relationship to promote democracy. Consequently a variety of governing and management partnerships are described and their implications for education identified. Educational governance and management are complex issues and the decentralisation of political balance at national and local level is placed under a magnifying glass. The steps taken to reinforce and re-establish this educational partnership are also evaluated. Focus is placed on the activities especially of the governing bodies of individual schools and how the democratic process is interpreted and the principles applied by the role players. The impact of a governing body as a "juristic person" on the existence of their individual schools is assessed. The different standards, values and attitudes reflected through governance in the education process are indicated. In the light of the problems with integration in the educational process and interpretation of certain laws a concept analysis has been done and various shortcomings, successes, and future trends pinpointed. In conclusion, certain recommendations are made for successful governance and management during the restructuring process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel, soos enige ander organisasie, is gedurig in 'n proses van verandering. In hierdie studie word die kritiese kwessies wat aanleiding gegee het tot die transformasie van die onderwysstelsel in Suid- Afrika geïdentifiseer. Die krisisse wat in die onderwys ontstaan is kortliks beskryf na aanleiding van onderwyskundige, sosiale en politieke eise. 'n Oorsig is oor verslae, aanbevelings en uitkomste gegee. Uit die gevolgtrekking gemaak uit alle verslae was dat daar 'n behoefte aan 'n nuwe demokratiese onderwysstelsel bestaan het. Die stigting van 'n enkele, verenigde demokratiese onderwysstelsel is dus die ideaal wat nagestreef word. 'n Raamwerk van die nuwe demokratiese stelsel word breedvoerig bespreek met spesiale verwysing na die historiese aanloop voor 1994 tot die geïntegreerde stelsel wat amptelik in werking getree het met die 1996 Skolewet. Daar is onder andere verwys na die politieke stryd en die onderwyskrisisse wat aanleiding gegee het tot die herstrukturering, die stigting van die nuwe stelsel asook die problematiek rondom beheer en bestuur in hierdie nuwe stelsel. Enkele bestuurs- en beheermodelle wat relevant is vir transformasie en demokrasie is ondersoek. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat 'n werklike vennootskap gebou op wedersydse vertroue en respek die gewenste verhouding is om demokrasie te bevorder. Gevolglik is etlike bestuurs- en beheervennootskappe beskryf en enkele implikasies daarvan vir onderwys uitgespel. Onderwysbeheer en bestuur is komplekse aangeleenthede en die desentralisasie van politieke balans op nasionale en plaaslike vlak word ook onder 'n vergrootglas geplaas. Watter stappe gedoen word om hierdie balans te verstewig en te herbevestig in die onderwysvennootskap is ook gëevalueer. Fokus is geplaas op die werksaamhede van veral die beheerliggaam van individuele skole en hoe die demokratiese proses geïnterpreteer en die beginsels toegepas word deur die betrokke partye. Die impak wat beheerliggame as "regspersoon" op die voortbestaan van die individuele skole het, word geassesseer. Daar word op verskillende waardes, standaarde en houdings soos gereflekteer deur beheerstrukture in die onderwysstelsel, gewys. 'n Konsep-analise is gedoen in die lig van die problematiek met integrerasie in die onderwysstelsel en interpretasie van wette en enkele tekortkominge, suksesse en toekomstige ontwikkelings uitgelig. Ten slotte is aanbevelings gemaak vir die suksesvolle beheer en bestuur van die onderwys tydens die herstruktureringsproses.

African American parents have engaged in education activism throughout United States history, in attempts to gain better access to education for their children. Activism is taking direct actions to achieve a social or political goal. For some parents, the goal is positive change in schooling, at the local, community or state or national level, making their actions educational activism. In New York City, the nation’s largest public school system, parent activism has been documented describing actions of African American parents in cases such as the Harlem school boycott of 1958 and the struggle for control over the Ocean Hill-Brownsville schools in1967. The purpose of this dissertation is to add to a growing body of literature on education activism, moving beyond describing the actions by focusing on the experiences of the activists. Using Black feminist thought as a theoretical framework, this study employs a storytelling methodology to understand the lived experiences of seven African American mothers who engage in educational activism in New York City today. Black feminist thought provides a framework to understand the situated experiences of the mothers as they navigate oppression while seeking structural change in education. It also provides a means for understanding how the activities of these mothers are in fact activism, as their roles as “othermothers” are explored. The methodology, which employed conversational interviews and a focus group, was designed to center the mothers’ stories in the research, using their own words to make sense of what it means to be a Black woman, mother, education activist. The findings of this research present a picture of what activism is for these mothers and where it happens – at the local, state and national levels: highlighting how it happens both within and outside of existing structures for parent involvement. Another finding highlights the importance of having allies for activism. This research has implications for how teachers and others work with parents, suggesting strong collaborations with parent activists as a way to create positive change in schools.

Thesis (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2005 / Refer to document

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 109-114) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Andy Anderson.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Educational Management))--Mahidol University, 2007. / LICL has E-Thesis 0024 ; please contact computer services.