This study analyses, interprets and describes the dynamics of the change process occurring as members of three secondary school communities attempted to implement a Ministry of Education initiative involving the establishment of a school-based decision-making group.A review of literature on innovation and change, organization theory and school improvement is presented as a basis for the establishment of a conceptual framework for the study. Within this framework, implementation is viewed as the interaction of the innovation with the characteristics of each adopting school. These interactions are viewed as occurring within two change environments. The first, the general change environment, is shared by all schools under study. This environment reflects the broader economic, political and educational pressures prompting change. The second environment is specific to each school. It forms the immediate context within which the implementation process occurs. Before examining the specific nature of the implementation process within each school site, attention is given to the general change environment from which the innovation emerged. This is accompanied by an analysis of the evolutionary nature of the innovation itself as it underwent progressive clarification at Ministry of Education level.To assess the influence that specific environmental characteristics have on the implementation process, schools with markedly differing setting characteristics were selected for study. An instrument to assess school organizational climate was developed, (SOCQ) and then administered to twenty three secondary schools in the Perth metropolitan area. The resulting data were analysed and used to select three schools with distinctly different organizational climate characteristics for closer study of the implementation process.For each school, detailed portrayals of the implementation ++ / events were distilled in order to capture the complexities of the change. Cross-case analysis of the casestudy data was then undertaken to draw out particular issues, events and interactions that appeared to be of importance in directing the implementation process within individual schools and across all three sites.The final chapter addresses the initial set of research questions and presents a series of findings and associated recommendations stemming from this study. Of the range of findings to emerge from the study three appear to be of critical importance for our understanding of the organizational change process. The first finding is that the implementation of a policy innovation is best viewed as a process of "interactive modification" That is, a process whereby the innovation prompts modifications to be made to the adopting system and where the adopting system prompts modifications to be made to the innovation in a complex and dynamic manner. This finding goes beyond the notion of of change as "adaptation" or "evolution" to suggest more dynamic and interrelated process of change occurring to both the innovation and the adopting system. The second finding is that adopting system, the school, is best viewed as an open social system influenced by and yet exerting an influence upon the broader change environment in which it exists. Consequently the implementation of change is subject to influence by infomation, issues, events and interventions stemming from internal and external sources. The reality of the organizational change process is therefore far more complex and dynamic than previous theories and models of change suggest. A third and related finding is that secondary schools appear to be comprised of a number of sub-systems. The extent to which these sub-systems are interdependent or linked appears to influence not only the school's initial response to ++ / change but also the schools capacity to undertake meaningful and significant implementation of an innovation. This finding has implications for the design of specific change strategies that focus on improving the degree of sub-system linkage within a school. Such change strategies might occur prior to or run concurrently with other strategies concerned with the implementation of specific organizational changes.It is hoped that these findings have value for several audiences. First, they should be of particular importance to Ministry and school personnel presently confronted by organizational change. Second, the findings should not only serve to inform those building change theory, but also those educators who might hold responsibility for the implementation of similar policy innovations.

This thesis examines the play of children in three Melbourne primary school playgrounds, in diverse socio-economic areas. Play categories were developed and data was collected using qualitative methods. The influence of school policy, teacher supervision styles, playspace design and provision of play equipment was explored and compared for each school. The voices of principals, teachers and children, in conjunction with playground observations and questionnaire response were compiled in order to develop a clear picture of each school playground. Findings showed that children in each school participated in a full range of play categories and were prepared to break school rules in order to do so.

Background: Tobacco use is a major public health problem associated with a host of preventable morbidities and premature mortality. It is a behavior that most often is initiated during adolescence; therefore schools are an ideal setting for intervention. Policy interventions have the greatest impacts on changing behaviors on a population scale. Comprehensive tobacco-free school (TFS) model polices can be replicated and applied throughout the State of Georgia to help prevent youth from initiating smoking and support their attempts to quit. Engaging stakeholders is necessary in order to ensure proper implementation and enforcement of these policies. Creating healthier school environments that support a 100% TFS policy will continue to demonstrate health improvements resulting from Public Health interventions. The following study assesses associations of key stakeholders in Georgia school districts responsible for overseeing their tobacco-free school policies with the implementation and enforcement of evidence-based components of a comprehensive tobacco-free school policy. Methods: Developed in collaboration with the Tobacco Use Prevention Program of the State of Georgia (GTUPP), a cross-sectional survey design was used to conduct this study. The survey instrument (based on a previously used survey) consists of 49 items related to 100% tobacco-free school policy adoption and enforcement for students, staff, and visitors. The survey was electronically administered to 3,000 school stakeholders (principals, administrators, school board members). Chi-square tests examined association among those stakeholders in charge of policy enforcement and the various components of Georgia’s model comprehensive TFS policy. A p-value of <0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used to determine statistical significance of analytic tests. Results: 328 stakeholders who were invited to participate completed surveys. This represents a response rate of 10.9%. Of the 328 total stakeholders, 315 actually had a TFS policy in place within the surveyed school district and only thirteen respondents replied from schools that did not have any policy in place. Therefore, those surveys completed by non-adopting school officials were not included in the associative analyses for this study. Results indicated that assistant principals who carried the charge of TFS enforcement had the greatest compliance with model policy enforcement (92.9%) regarding posting signage, although the majority of respondents indicated that there was no single stakeholder identified as the policy ‘champion’ (n=65, 40.8%). In schools where ‘other stakeholders’ were identified as being in charge of enforcement of TFS policies—respondents indicated 100% compliance with posting of signage at school. However, these results were not found to be statistically significant [χ=.844(3), p>0.05]. In terms of mass media messaging, while assistant principals and other stakeholders less frequently were champions of TFS policy messaging, they had the highest reports of sharing information about mass media messaging and community-based tobacco prevention efforts (71.4% and 82.6%, respectively). In comparison, among respondents who identified as principals or as another type of stakeholder, reports of sharing information were remarkably lower (55%), although this association was not found to be statistically significant. One point to consider is that all respondents of the survey may or may not have been the actual stakeholder targeted for that school district, but rather a possible representative completing the survey in lieu of the stakeholder. Conclusions: Study results can help the State of Georgia enhance resource allocation of tobacco prevention funds so that districts with the greatest health threats/greatest opportunities to improve can be targeted. Findings suggest that perhaps assistant principals or other stakeholders who champion the implementation and enforcement of policies may be more compliant with all elements of the Georgia model policy. The analysis conducted for this thesis and the results provided show the need for further in-depth research that examines the roles key stakeholders play in TFS policy adoption, implementation and enforcement.

According to Swedish school policy documents, every teacher’s assignment is to individually adapt the education to meet every student’s needs. There are no exact guidelines about how to make these adaptations. The purpose of this study is to investigate how six teachers interpret the policy documents and how they, according to themselves, work to achieve this. This study is built on six interviews with teachers who work with children in the ages from seven to ten. The theoretical perspectives of this study are based on John Dewey’s thoughts regarding every human being having different needs and the importance of meeting those needs. The other perspective is Lev Vygotskij’s zone of proximal development which means that learning is done by being helped by someone who has greater knowledge. The conclusions of this study are that the teachers all think that it is important to adapt the education to every individual. Some of the teachers give their students the same assignments, but give them different amounts of time to finish them. Other teachers expect different results depending on the student’s prerequisites. All of the teachers find it difficult to adapt the education to every student since there are no guidelines about how to do it.

Purpose: To evaluate implementation and impact of school nutrition policy (SNP) using a qualitative case study approach. Sample/Setting: participants (n=79) from two elementary schools and one secondary school within one school division in Winnipeg, Manitoba consented to participate. Methods: Perceptions of teachers, parents, administrators, students, custodians, education assistants, and food service operators were explored using observations, interviews and focus groups. Results: Implementation and impact varied between schools. Common barriers include: negative attitudes, inadequate school and community resources and ineffective communication. Major impacts include changes to; food sales and nutrition awareness. Conclusions: Impacts of the SNP have been noted however, barriers need to be addressed to provide schools the best opportunity for success. Each key informants group provided useful insights into implementation and impact of SNP. Implications: This study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple perspectives when evaluating SNP. Results will be useful to policy makers to inform future SNP efforts.

Purpose: To evaluate implementation and impact of school nutrition policy (SNP) using a qualitative case study approach. Sample/Setting: participants (n=79) from two elementary schools and one secondary school within one school division in Winnipeg, Manitoba consented to participate. Methods: Perceptions of teachers, parents, administrators, students, custodians, education assistants, and food service operators were explored using observations, interviews and focus groups. Results: Implementation and impact varied between schools. Common barriers include: negative attitudes, inadequate school and community resources and ineffective communication. Major impacts include changes to; food sales and nutrition awareness. Conclusions: Impacts of the SNP have been noted however, barriers need to be addressed to provide schools the best opportunity for success. Each key informants group provided useful insights into implementation and impact of SNP. Implications: This study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple perspectives when evaluating SNP. Results will be useful to policy makers to inform future SNP efforts.

In the light of the declining moral standards in South African society, there is a need for children to be supported and developed on their journey towards responsible adulthood. The school is regarded as one of the most relevant stakeholders in the teaching of values for the moral development of the younger generation in particular and broader society in general. I observed how teachers impart values to leaners through the subject Life Skills that also includes the moral aspect. This study employed a qualitative research method using a case study of four schools and twelve teachers. The four schools were purposefully selected to obtain a deeper understanding of the participants' experiences from different perspectives. The selected schools are from different socio-economic backgrounds. Two schools were selected from rural areas. However, the areas differed in the sense that one was in a traditional village under the authority of a tribal chief while other was on trust land bought by the residents. One school was selected from an informal settlement and one from a semi-urban area. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were conducted to gather data. Teachers were interviewed after school and field notes were taken to record data collected from the participants in order to examine how teachers understood and implemented teaching values education in the foundation phase. These values include, amongst others, social justice and equity whereby freedom of choice and access to education are highlighted. The study found that the professional training of life skills teachers and multiculturalism during life skills lessons, i.e. the cultural differences between the teachers and learners as members of a community, need to be addressed. The study also recommends that a relationship of trust between parents and schools should be established to help enable teachers to address the issue of moral regeneration in our society. Classroom observation was conducted during the collection of data. School policy documents were analysed and teachers were interviewed to get a deeper understanding of how they understood values and how they contributed to the development of young citizens. From the observations and interviews, it could be deduced that teachers have different understandings of values education. It was also found that teachers find it difficult to contextualise and reconcile cultural values with the values that they are supposed to teach at school. The recommendations based on the findings of my study include the professional training of Life Skills teachers and the promotion of multiculturalism during Life Skills lessons where the cultural differences between learners and teachers are addressed. The study also recommends that the relationship of trust between teachers, parents and the larger society should be entrenched in order to assist teachers to instil values in young learners. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Early Childhood Education / PhD / Unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Development Studies in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / In 2006, the National Department of Basis Education (Dept of Education then) put on gazette the “No fees Schools Policy (NFSP) as a demonstration and of its commitment to improving South Africa’s primary education system and envisioning an inclusive society with reduced socio-economic discrepancy. Following itspublicationon the Government gazette, the NFSP was implemented in 2007. However, the backdrop of No Fees School Policy is the UN Millenium Development Goals. Given that South Africa is a member state, to UNand a signatory to the MDGs, it domesticated the MDGs into the South African context to address South Africa’s problems. NFSP was also implemented to correct the negative legacy of the past. This is the backdrop against which this study was formulated. The study explored the no fees school policy (NFSP) and its impact on pimary schools enrolment in the Metro South Educatiuon District of the Western Cape. The study focused on the Metro South Education District of the Western Cape , purposely selecting forty-three participants from ten primary schools consisting of principals, chairpersons of school governing bodies from the schools and children in the identified schools. Senior circuit personnel were also included in thse study.The study used one- on- one interview with principals, chairpersons of school governing bodies and senior circuit personnel while it used survey questionnaires for parents. Following the data analysis, the study determined that though the Western Cape has relatively low levels of poverty as compared to other provinces, access and enrolment to primary education has increased specifically because of the additional policy intervention of providing nutritious food at public ordinary schools in quintile1,2 and 3. It also found the following as challenges namely: the impact of crime, drugs, alcohol and violence in communities around no fee schools, and overpriced school uniforms as a posiibility to deter children from attaining primary education.In respect to the phenomenon of crime, drugs, alcohol and violence in communities around no fee schools, the study recommended that the District and WCED should consider facilitating a forum with its stakeholders namely bthe South African Police Services on crime prevention and safety of schools, learners and educators. In reference to overpriced school uniforms as a possibility to deter children from attaining primary education, the recommendation is for both the District abd the head office of the WCED to consider an urgent investigation into this concern. The purpose of investigation should be multipronged including verification of the existence of this practice, providing corrective measures that prosecute the perpetrators and safeguards parents from being coerced into this unethical practice.

<p>This paper examines the ideological content of the compulsory school policy of the Swedish Liberal Party. The aim of the study is to investigate whether the Liberal Party does really represent a liberal policy for the compulsory school, or if it is more accurately described as conservative. The analysis is carried through by two separate critical examinations of the Liberal Party motion on school politics to the parliament and the Conservative Party motion on school politics to the parliament respectively. A comparison is then made between the ideological contents of the two documents. The specific party policies are linked to universal definitions of liberalism and conservatism with the help of an analytical tool consistent of a series of educational philosophies. Difference is made between ideologically motivated purposes and concrete policy recommendations in the motion texts.</p><p>The results of the ideological content analyses and the comparison show that the compulsory school policy of the Liberal Party can be categorized as conservative, not only vis-à-vis a universal definition of liberalism and conservatism, but also in comparison with the compulsory school policy of the Conservative Party.</p>

This is a historical study of the political process connected to closures and reorganizations of schools in the rural municipalities Stenbrohult, Göteryd and Virestad in Sweden during the years 1954-1970.The main source material used in the study are protocols from meetings with the city councils and the local education committees. Articles from the newspaper Smålänningen are used as a complement to the protocols. The study shows that all three of the municipalities went through big changes when it comes to education and schools during the period. The number of schools were reduced from 20 in 1954 to 7 in 1970. The main reasons that the schools were reorganized was that old school buildings were in bad condition, the number of students in rural areas were diminishing and small schools with only a few students were too expensive. Urbanization and centralization seem to have been important factors that contributed to the closing of many schools.