Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T16:33:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ailton Santos Vieira.pdf: 1270769 bytes, checksum: 09f2876eaae9d3c69788424d7cd0b2be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-08-29 / The empirical research presented here aimed to investigate and describe the school supervisor s performance of the public teaching system of the city of São Paulo. We attempted to identify this supervisor s performance profile and how this work is acknowledged by different school professionals, establishing a parallel between: the supervision performance proposed in the legal documents, the supervision performance put into practice in the supervisor s view and in the perception of the professionals who work with him, and the desired supervision performance described in the theoretical studies. The leading issues of this research attempted to identify: how the school supervisor who work in an intermediate organ of the school system the Regional Bureau of Education directly entails his action to the work developed in the schools, how this school supervisor s performance has occurred in the schools, the school supervisor s daily actions in the city public school system, his contribution concerning the works and projects developed by the schools, and how it is related to the promotion of opportunities of teaching formation in the school. The research assumed that the main role of the school supervisor from the public school system of the city of São Paulo to supervise, follow and bureaucratically and pedagogically assist the school, as well as to contribute to the formation of technical personnel and teaching professionals of the schools has not been fully accomplished, especially the pedagogical and formation actions, because of determinant factors of the structure of the teaching system operation, or because of unknowing or misunderstanding the function of the supervision performance by the supervisors or professionals of the schools which were target of their performance. This is an analytical and descriptive study of the performance of the school supervisor from the public school system of the city of São Paulo, according to the view of the supervisors and the professionals who work in the schools: principals, pedagogical coordinators and teachers. The data was collected from 2007 to 2008, based on the analysis of official documents, as well as on interviews with 06 teaching supervisors, and the application of questionnaires to 12 professionals from the technical team (school principals and pedagogical coordinators) and to 18 teachers from 06 school units placed in 02 different Bureaus of Education of the city of São Paulo. The research was accomplished with the theoretical support of authors like Gimeno Sacristán and Pérez Gómez, based on M. Weber s perspective. The results obtained allow affirming that the bureaucratic performance prevails in the relationships between supervisors and school agents, although school agents and supervisors affirm the need of a supervision performance facing the pedagogical actions. This ambivalence or duplicity of the school supervisor s role or attributions, which makes him a system agent and school s partner and advisor simultaneously, is present: in the reflection and academic studies, in the legal texts, in the history of this function within the school system, and in the opinions expressed by the supervisors, principals, coordinators and teachers researched / A pesquisa empírica aqui apresentada teve por objetivo investigar e descrever a atuação do supervisor escolar da rede municipal de São Paulo. Procurou-se identificar qual tem sido o perfil de ação deste supervisor e como esse trabalho é percebido pelos diferentes profissionais da unidade escolar, estabelecendo-se um paralelo entre: a ação supervisora proposta nos documentos legais, a ação supervisora efetivada na visão do próprio supervisor e na percepção dos profissionais com os quais atua, e a ação supervisora considerada desejável descrita nos estudos teóricos. As questões norteadoras da pesquisa buscaram identificar: como o supervisor escolar, que se encontra lotado em um órgão intermediário do sistema escolar a Diretoria Regional de Educação tem sua ação vinculada diretamente ao trabalho desenvolvido pelas escolas, como vem ocorrendo essa atuação do supervisor escolar nas unidades escolares, quais as ações cotidianas do supervisor escolar na rede pública municipal, qual sua contribuição em relação aos trabalhos e projetos desenvolvidos pelas escolas e de que forma isso se relaciona à promoção de oportunidades de formação docente na escola. A pesquisa partiu da hipótese de que o papel primordial do supervisor escolar da rede municipal de São Paulo supervisionar, acompanhar e assessorar burocrática e pedagogicamente a escola, bem como contribuir com a formação do pessoal técnico e docente atuante nas escolas não tem sido plenamente realizado, especialmente as ações de cunho pedagógico e de formação, seja em função de fatores determinantes oriundos da estrutura do próprio funcionamento do sistema de ensino, seja em função do desconhecimento ou da incompreensão da função da ação supervisora pelos supervisores e pelos profissionais das unidades escolares alvos de sua atuação. Trata-se de estudo descritivo e analítico da ação do supervisor escolar da rede municipal de São Paulo, na visão dos próprios supervisores e dos profissionais que atuam nas escolas: diretores, coordenadores pedagógicos e professores. Os dados foram coletados no período 2007-2008, com base em análise de documentos oficiais, bem como a partir de entrevistas com 06 supervisores escolares e de aplicação de questionários a 12 profissionais da equipe técnica (diretores de escola e coordenadores pedagógicos) e 18 professores de 06 unidades escolares situadas em 02 Diretorias de Educação do município de São Paulo. A pesquisa foi realizada com o apoio teórico de autores como Gimeno Sacristán e Pérez Gómez, tendo por base a perspectiva de M. Weber. Os resultados obtidos permitem afirmar que, nas relações entre supervisores e agentes escolares predominam as ações de cunho burocrático, muito embora agentes escolares e supervisores afirmem a necessidade de uma ação supervisora mais voltada às ações pedagógicas. Essa ambivalência ou duplicidade do papel e atribuições do supervisor escolar, que o torna, ao mesmo tempo, agente do sistema e parceiro e assessor da escola , está presente: nas reflexões e estudos acadêmicos, nos textos legais, na própria história dessa função dentro do sistema escolar e nas visões expressas por supervisores, diretores, coordenadores e professores pesquisados

The research study has focussed on the optimal use of instruction time to arrange for improved learner performance. A qualitative investigation was conducted using individual interviewing with six school principals and focus group interviewing with fifteen Heads of Department of six selected secondary schools. The findings revealed that the establishment of a sound culture of teaching and learning in which instruction time is used optimally is the joint responsibility of the school principal and staff in collaboration with learners and parents. Instruction time is lost owing to timewasters such as teachers who are unprepared for lessons, teacher and learner absenteeism and teacher and learner tardiness. Intervention strategies to counter the negative influence of timewasters on available instruction time relate to prior planning and preparation for lessons, managing teacher and learner absenteeism and the scheduling of extra classes. The study contributes to the discourse on effective teaching and learning for acceptable learner performance. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The South African Schools' Act No 84 (SASA 1996) replaced Parents, Teacher and Students' Associations ( PTSAs) with School Governing Bodies whose members are democratically elected to perform mandated duties. The study focused on the role of SGBs in improving school performance in rural areas. The purpose was to investigate the role SGBs play in improving school performance in the rural areas of Taung. The SGB, as a concept and praxis, emanated from the need to involve communities, especially parents, in education. The assumption was that school improvement is dependent on responsibilities delegated to community members, especially parents, in the affairs of public schools. The study investigated the topic by a literature review on school governance, observation and interviews conducted with SGB members in three selected schools. Six focus group interviews were conducted on parents and educator components of the SGBs. The principals of the three selected schools were interviewed individually for the views on the topic. The data collected were arranged under selected themes and manually analysed and interpreted. The study reveals that * community members, particularly parents, caregivers and guardians are beginning to see themselves as equal partners with educators in education of children * the improvement in learner performance is the co-responsibility of the home and the school * community members (parents and guardians) must be empowered with relevant skills to enable them perform their tasks as school governors. The study recommends further research into greater representivity and involvement in Education. / Educational Studies / M. Ed (Education Management)

The aim of the study was to investigate the changing role of the secondary school principal in building sustainable communities. It is supposed that communities that are not sustainable affect secondary schools. The focus is on how the secondary school principal should go about building, sustaining and uplifting the school community. The direct and indirect involvement of secondary school principals in community issues, could contribute to sustainability within the community, which gradually becomes a reality. The task of the secondary school principal is realised through the results of effective educative teaching and learning practices. Through literature study it was found that the role of the secondary school principal in enhancing sustainable communities would contribute to the upliftment of communities. The qualitative approach was successful in obtaining information about how the changing role of the secondary school principal in building sustainable communities is viewed. Recommendations were made concerning research findings for stakeholders and officials to note. / Educational Studies / M.Ed(Education Management))

In Botswana secondary schools, a positive climate is more of an ideal than a reality. It is the task of stakeholders particularly the headteacher's to create and sustain a conducive learning environment to improve pupils' academic and behaviour standards. To a large extent, the headteacher, as an individual occupying the highest official position in the school, determines how the school is run. His/her expectations, values, beliefs, relationships with teachers and the examples he/she sets for the whole school shape the climate in the school. The headteacher can promote or inhibit a positive climate through his/her leadership behaviour pattern. Thus, the headteacher's leadership style is significant in creating and sustaining a positive school climate. This study has been undertaken to examine the connectedness between headteacher leadership style and school climate. This research focuses on the improvement of climate in Botswana secondary schools through the headteacher's appropriate use of leadership styles in different situations with a view to answer the following questions: What different leadership styles are employed by school headteachers? What are the different types of climates in schools? Are the leadership styles of school headteachers responsible for the climate that exists in their schools? What are the implications of the headteachers' leadership styles for school climate? How can school climate be improved? What roles can the headteachers, teachers and other stakeholders play to improve school climate? The research report comprises six chapters: Chapter one contains the background information of the research, statement of the research problem, aim and objectives of the research, demarcation of the study, definition of concepts, research methods and the research structure. Chapter two presents a review of literature on leadership styles, factors affecting it and discussion of models from different perspectives form part of this chapter. However, the emphasis is on Hersey and Blanchard's situational model which proposes the appropriate use of leadership styles to suit situations. Chapter three covers a review of relevant literature on school climate and factors affecting it. Chapter four presents detailed report on the empirical study. Questionnaires each of which contains items on leadership styles and school climate were responded to by secondary school teachers and interviews were conducted with headteachers. Chapter five contains data analysis and interpretation. Various leadership styles used by headteachers and the corresponding climates were identified. The findings indicated that the type of climate that exists in schools is related to the headteachers leadership style. It emerged that organisational climates vary in schools and that the participating leadership style promotes an open organisational climate. Implications for school performance and for the nation's vision (Vision 2016) was given. Chapter six presents findings from the literature study as well as the empirical study, conclusions based on the findings and recommendations for improvement for practice and further research. / Educational Studies / DED (EDUC MANAGEMENT)

This study explores teachers’ experiences with the principals’ instructional leadership styles in primary schools in Gauteng province. A qualitative research design was employed in the study to answer the research question. Data was generated by means of semi structured interviews which involved the three HODs and nine ordinary teachers from the three sampled schools so as to provide a rich description, explanation, experiences, challenges and barriers that instructional leadership brings into the teaching and learning process in their particular schools contexts. The interest in the phenomenon emerged on the perspective of principals’ instructional leadership as often seen as the contributor to the challenges that are experienced by Primary school teachers during the learning process. Principals are viewed as contributing to South Africa’s education crisis and the overall ineffectiveness of the school system resulting in poor academic results. The instructional leaders who are not doing their jobs competently because of their leadership styles and lack of supervision skills, have caused this. This includes proper knowledge of how to run the schools and motivating staff to work, to enhance classroom instruction. Sometimes they do not involve the community and other stakeholders in the decision making process. Teachers who provide moral support and professional growth in the schools are also ignored. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This research focuses on the role of the school principal as instructional leader in primary schools in Thoyandou area, Limpopo Province. It was motivated by a marked decline in the fulfilment of the instructional leadership role of principals in certain schools in the Limpopo Province. A literature study was undertaken to determine the role of a instructional leader, approaches to this role as well as the relationship between the principal's instructional leadership role and staff development and staff appraisal respectively. A qualitative inquiry was conducted using a focus group and personal interviews with a small sample of participants selected by judgement sampling. The findings suggest that understanding of the instructional leadership is fragmented; principals often fail to develop staff adequately; and the Department of Education's new approach to staff and development appraisals is not adequately implemented in schools. Finally guidelines are provided to assist principals in fulfilling their role as effective instructional leaders. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This research investigates the instructional leadership role of the principal and its impact on learners' academic performance. A literature study investigated models of instructional leadership, characteristics of instructional leadership and instructional leadership as a managerial function. An empirical investigation used a quantitative research design to collect data from a purposefully selected sample of secondary school principals in the Vryheid region, South Africa. A questionnaire was used to gather data and statistical data analysis was conducted to calculate frequencies and test hypotheses. Findings indicated an indirect relationship between learners' academic achievement and the principals' practice of instructional leadership. Clearly formulated school goals, academic networks formed between low and high achieving schools and regular discussions between learners and teachers on their progress also contribute to improved academic performance. Finally, in-service training for principals and teachers, annual targets for academic achievement and the formation of school networks are recommended to improve practice. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

Many schools in South Africa face challenges of poor teacher performance as a result of implementing performance evaluation systems that are not developmental. In an attempt to resolve the current implementation challenges of the South African Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) which is theoretically aligned to the TQM principles, the focus in this study is on the perceptions of school-based managers and educators regarding the effectiveness of the developmental supervision model as a possible tool for improving the quality of teaching. A mixed methods research design characterised by the explanatory sequential design was used to address the research questions. Out of the 350 randomly selected participants in all 15 districts of the Gauteng Province responded to the quantitative phase in the form of questionnaires. This was followed by analysis of the qualitative data from three focus group interview sessions that were conducted in Sedibeng East, Sedibeng West and Johannesburg North districts of the Gauteng Province in order to get in-depth explanations on perceptions of school-based managers and educators. Each of the three focus group interviews comprised of ten purposefully selected participants embracing two principals, two vice principals, two HODs and four educators per district. The results indicate that school-based managers and educators strongly believed that the developmental supervision model is an excellent tool for improving quality of teaching by applying implementation strategies comprising of the clinical supervision, self-directed supervision, peer supervision and connoisseurship strategies. These results were based on the opinion of the participants that the characteristics of the developmental supervision implementation strategies align with the Total Quality Management principles which were perceived to have a positive influence on improving the quality of teaching. The same supervision strategies were also found to match different levels of teacher development according to their levels of expertise and commitment. In contrast, the IQMS performance evaluation process, which also involves self-evaluation and peer evaluation, was believed to lack compliance with the developmental supervision strategies and the TQM principles during practical implementation because of characteristics related to the traditional inspection approaches to professional development. It is therefore recommended that the developmental supervision model should be introduced in South African schools to effectively implement the IQMS in order to ensure improved quality of teaching. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This study encompasses a reflection of the way back at the beginning of the democratic South Africa when there was an immense yearning for a curriculum which could transform the education system in South Africa into a new national system for schools. After numerous attempts, in search of a tangible, user-friendly curriculum, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) was finally brought forth and at the moment, it is regarded as being the turning point of our education system and also geared at promoting the highest possible standard of education in all schools in South Africa. This study investigates some problems experienced at the apex of the management and implementation of CAPS, especially in some schools in rural areas. It focuses on some of the drawbacks which are putting a strain on the smooth running of schools during these prime stages of curriculum implementation such as disciplinary problems, overcrowded classes, large workloads for educators, the gap between well-resourced and under resourced schools as well as non-delivery of textbooks to schools in some provinces. This study examines how school management teams (SMTs), imbued with management and leadership responsibilities are able to put up systems that will ensure that evaluation, assessment and monitoring tools are utilised effectively in support of teaching and learning in schools. It is against this background that this study is therefore informed and guided by the instructional leadership paradigm which, if correctly engaged, can effectively strengthen curriculum management and implementation. For the purpose of conducting empirical research, the mixed method design was used as it offers a wider scope of collecting data and promotes triangulation. Six schools were selected on the basis of proximity to the school I am attached to, two primary schools and four secondary schools. All these were done after having obtained ethical clearance with the College of Education at Unisa and permission from the Limpopo Department of Education. Questionnaires were distributed to all educators in the six schools to fill, while one-to-one interviews were conducted with the principals of each of the six selected schools. The research highlighted that instructional leadership is critical in the implementation of CAPS with the SMTs members affirming their commitment to various aspects of instructional leadership. Furthermore, the findings also affirmed the opportunities that shared leadership offered schools to share moral purpose. However, the findings also enumerate lack of resources, lack of curriculum knowledge and larger workloads of teachers as crucial factors that inhibit the implementation of CAPS. As a result of this research, a number of recommendations and opportunities for further research are offered to Limpopo schools and their SMTs, the systemic authorities responsible for Limpopo Education and for those responsible specifically for policy making and curriculum development in the South African education system. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)