Hintergrund: Der Einfluss von rheumatoider Arthritis auf Psyche, Lebensqualität und Alltag der Patienten ist groß. Für eine positive Langzeitprognose sind frühzeitige Diagnosestellung und Therapieeinleitung entscheidend. Diese werden maßgeblich von den strukturellen Gegebenheiten der ambulanten rheumatologischen Versorgung beeinflusst. Hier zeigen sich trotz großer Fortschritte in den letzten Jahren weiterhin Defizite. Anhand einer Patientenbefragung in Leipzig sowie ländlichen Gebieten Sachsens sollen regionale Unterschiede und eventuelle Mängel in der ambulanten Versorgung sowie deren Einfluss auf die Lebensqualität, psychische Gesundheit und Entscheidungsfindungsprozesse untersucht werden. Methoden: Aus sechs Praxen in der Stadt Leipzig und drei Praxen in Kleinstädten (Naunhof, Plauen und Hoyerswerda) wurden Patienten mit der Erstdiagnose rheumatoide Arthritis im ersten Quartal 2011 mittels Fragebögen zu psychischer Gesundheit (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale und Short-Form-36-Health-Survey) sowie Entscheidungsfindungsprozessen (Decision Making Preference Scale) befragt. Ein eigens entwickelter Fragebogen erhob Beschwerde- und Behandlungsdauer sowie allgemeine medizinische Daten und Medikation. Ergebnisse: 19 Land- und 38 Stadtpatienten wurden eingeschlossen. Landpatienten suchten signifikant später den Hausarzt auf (Land 15, Stadt 12 Monate, p= .023). Die hausärztliche Behandlungsdauer bis zur Überweisung zum Rheumatologen betrug auf dem Land 5,4 und in der Stadt 2,4 Monate. Bei 70% der Stadt- und 40% der Landpatienten erfolgte die Überweisung innerhalb der ersten sechs Wochen. Die Gesamtdauer von Beschwerdebeginn bis zur Überweisung zum Rheumatologen war mit 20 Monaten auf dem Land signifikant länger als in der Stadt (15 Monate, p= .043). Die Wahl der Medikation durch den Rheumatologen hing signifikant mit der Herkunft der Patienten zusammen (p= .006). Nach Erstkontakt erhielten 65% der Land- und 55% der Stadtpatienten ein DMARD. In beiden Regionen wurde überwiegend mit Glukokortikoiden behandelt (Stadt 82%, Land 71%). Auf dem Land zeigten die Patienten weniger Interesse an Mitwirkung im partizipativen Entscheidungsfindungsprozess und waren mehrheitlich bereit, sich der Meinung des Arztes auch gegen den eigenen Willen anzuschließen. In der Stadt war der Wunsch nach aktiver Teilhabe an medizinischen Entscheidungen bei jüngeren und höher gebildeten Patienten signifikant größer als bei älteren oder bildungsfernen Erkrankten. Mit 21% wiesen tendenziell mehr Landpatienten depressive Symptome auf als in der Stadt (14%). Auf dem Land bestand häufiger der Verdacht auf krankheitsassoziierte Angststörungen. Zusätzlich litten die Patienten hier signifikant stärker unter ihren Schmerzen als in der Stadt (p= .026), wobei sich kein grundsätzlicher Unterschied in der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität ergab. Schlussfolgerung: In Stadt und Land zeigen sich Defizite in der ambulanten rheumatologischen Versorgung, wobei der Grad der Unterversorgung mit der Herkunft assoziiert ist und Landpatienten signifikant länger bis zum ersten Rheumatologenkontakt brauchen. Maßgeblich verantwortlich hierfür ist die verspätete Vorstellung der Patienten beim Hausarzt ebenso wie die ungleiche Facharztverteilung in Stadt und Land. Patienten auf dem Land sind tendenziell depressiver, passiver und schmerzgeplagter, wobei sich keine grundsätzlichen Unterschiede in der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität ergeben. Die Ergebnisse spiegeln Ärztemangel und infrastrukturelle Probleme wider. Weiterer Schulungs- und Aufklärungsbedarf zur verstärkten Bildung eines öffentlichen Bewusstseins für die Erkrankung rheumatoide Arthritis wird ebenso deutlich wie die Notwendigkeit für die Bahnung schnellerer Zugangswege zu rheumatologischer Behandlung.

Aim: This study explores what type of information patients and nurses share with, or provide to, each other, and whether or not the information received was relevant and sufficient for their needs. Background: Information exchange, as part of shared decision-making, is advocated in policy and practice throughout the healthcare sector. Much of the literature on information exchange relates to one-to-one consultations with consultants or GPs. To date, no studies have explored information exchange between patients and nurses in ward settings. Nursing literature on patients’ information needs focuses on one-way information provision from nurses to patients, rather than on two-way information exchange between patients and nurses. Methods: Interactions between patients and nurses were observed and audio-recorded using a remotely controlled audio-recording system. Semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were then conducted to clarify and add to the observation data. A multiple case study design was used for this study: each case comprised one patient, the nurses caring for that patient, and the interactions between them. A pilot study was undertaken to inform the methods for recruitment and data collection for the main study. Results: The pilot study comprised five cases (patients n=5, nurses n=3). Changes to the recruitment strategy for the main study included surgical patients being invited to participate in the same way as medical patients. There were no difficulties with the data collection methods. The main study comprised nineteen cases (patients n=19, nurses n=22). Information exchange seemed unfamiliar to ward-based nurses. The findings show that information exchange may not be a one-off event but a complex series of interactions. Patients did not distinguish between clinical and non-clinical information in the same way as nurses. Primary reasons for patients’ hospital admission were not discussed and nurses did not share information about nursing interventions. The relevance for patients and nurses differed; patients generally wanted information for reducing anxiety and socialization; nurses wanted information for assessment and care planning. In terms of sufficiency, observation sessions highlighted that insufficient information was provided, often due to lost opportunities and paternalistic practice. However, the majority of patients and nurses perceived that they had exchanged sufficient information. Conclusion: This multiple case study provides insights into the type, relevance and sufficiency of information for patients and nurses in ward settings. In ward settings, information exchange as conceptualised by Charles et al. (1997 and 1999) may be difficult to achieve due to the complexity of patient/nurse interactions. Therefore, there are implications for policy makers as policies are not context specific. However, information exchange may be helpful for reducing patients’ anxieties. The concepts of shared decision-making and information exchange are not part of ward-based cultures and philosophies, which suggests implications for patient and nurse education. Research on information exchange between patients and nurses in other ward contexts may contribute to further understanding of information exchange in ward settings.

Two key policy documents are having an impact on health visiting practice in Scotland: Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) (2013), which seeks to promote all children’s wellbeing, and The Healthcare Quality Strategy for NHS Scotland (2010) which promotes person-centred care. ‘Shared decision making’ is integral to ‘person-centred care’; however no research studies to date have linked shared decision making with health visitor practice. This thesis reports on a descriptive, qualitative research study, which was conducted in two health board areas in Scotland, in order to explore the processes that support effective shared decision making in health visiting practice within the context of implementing GIRFEC. The design was in three phases and used Elwyn’s Framework, of ‘Choice, Options and Decision Talk’ as a structure (2012). Phase 1 consisted of audio recordings of 2 x health visitor: parent encounters when decisions were being made; Phase 2 consisted of semi-structured interviews with 9 x health visitors and 9 x parents who had made decisions within the last 6 months; Phase 3 involved 3 x focus groups reviewing the findings to date and reflecting on current issues when implementing GIRFEC. The framework method was used for analysis and two additional themes were identified: ‘Issues’ and ‘Relationships’. The health visitors demonstrated that they built up trusting relationships with parents; however there was lack of understanding and application of decision making theory which supports analysis, and an outcome focused approach to person-centred planning. This thesis identifies areas for health visitor practice development.

In einer repräsentativen Querschnittsuntersuchung wurden 1219 Multiple Sklerose Betroffene in Deutschland zu den Auswirkungen der Multiple Sklerose auf deren Lebenssituation und ihrer Einschätzung der medizinischen Versorgung befragt. Schwerpunkte der Untersuchung, die auf einem integrativen Konzept der Patientenorientierung beruht, waren: Soziale Auswirkungen, Krankheitswahrnehmung, Alltagsbewältigung, Lebensqualität, Patienteninformation, Arzt-Patient-Beziehung, Therapieentscheidung und das ACT Programm in der medizinischen Versorgung. Negative Auswirkungen der Multiple Sklerose auf die untersuchten Lebensbereiche sind nachweisbar, aber die Einschätzung differiert in Abhängigkeit von der konkreten Lebenssituation und der Persönlichkeit. Der Schweregrad der körperlichen Einschränkungen steht nur bedingt in Beziehung zur subjektiven Einschätzung der Auswirkungen. Es bestätigt sich außerdem die besondere Bedeutung des nahen persönlichen Umfeldes als wichtigste Quelle der Unterstützung Multiple Sklerose Betroffener. Professionelle Unterstützung wird nur in geringem Maß in Anspruch genommen. Die Anforderungen der Befragten an die medizinische Versorgung sind sehr hoch. Negative Bewertungen der medizinischen Betreuung zeigen sich sowohl bei kritischeren Befragten und als auch bei ausgeprägten Autonomiebedürfnis. Die befragten Multiple Sklerose Betroffenen nutzen überwiegend objektive Informationsquellen als allgemeine Informationsbasis und zur Therapieentscheidung. Subjektives Erfahrungswissen wird meist nur ergänzend herangezogen. Veränderungsbedarf besteht in der medizinischen Versorgung im Bezug auf die Integration kritischerer, informierterer, selbstbewussterer Multiple Sklerose Betroffene und in Bezug auf den Zugang zu den vorhandenen Informations-, Unterstützungs- und Beratungsangeboten. / In a representative study 1219 people with multiple sclerosis in Germany were asked about the impacts of multiple sclerosis on their living situation and their estimation of the medical supply. Main topics were: social impacts, perception of the disease, coping with everyday life, quality of life, patient information, doctor-patient-relationship, shared decision making and the ACT programme as tool in the medical supply. Negative impacts on all analysed areas of the living situation could be proved, but the estimation differs in dependence on the specific living situation and the personality. Unlike the physical disability isn''t a predictor of the individual estimation of the impact. People with multiple sclerosis get their main support by relatives and friends. Professional services are rarely used in relation to the aid by the individual social environment. People with multiple sclerosis have very high expectations on the medical supply. The estimation of the situation is relatively negative if the people are more critical as well as if they have a great need for autonomy. The interrogated people with multiple sclerosis use basically and for their therapy decision mostly objective, medical information. Most of them use subjective knowledge based on experiences only additionally. Medical supply should be optimised by better integrating people with multiple sclerosis who are more critical or self confident as well as better informed. Usability and access of the existing offers to inform, support and counsel people with multiple sclerosis have to be improved.

Contexte : Le management de la présentation foetale en siège est complexe car la littérature scientifique est contrastée. Objectif : Mettre en évidence les effets des attitudes et des interventions professionnelles sur le vécu des femmes. Méthodes : Cinq recherches quantitatives et qualitatives, incluant 311 participantes, ont été menées à la maternité des Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève. Résultats : Les femmes doivent souvent faire un deuil par anticipation de l'accouchement idéalisé. Elles sont très motivées à tenter de corriger la malposition foetale. 69% des participantes ont recours aux médecines alternatives et complémentaires pour se soigner. 68% des participantes ont qualifié la tentative de version céphalique externe (VCE) de « forte à insupportable. Un accompagnement par hypnose ne réduit pas l'intensité de la douleur, comparé à un accompagnement par une sage-femme (échelle visuelle analogique : 6,0 vs 6,3 /10 respectivement, p=0.25). Pour le choix du mode d'accouchement les femmes ont rapporté des conflits décisionnels majeurs. L'information médicale est souvent perçue en faveur de la césarienne élective. Le sentiment de contrôle, les émotions et les premiers instants avec le nouveau-né sont perçus différemment selon le mode d'accouchement, en défaveur de la césarienne en urgence. Conclusion : Un processus émotionnel et décisionnel inattendu et souvent difficile est associé au diagnostic de siège. Développer des outils d'aide à la décision pour la femme, et des techniques de relation d'aide pour les professionnels faciliteraient ces processus. La prise en charge de la douleur durant la tentative de VCE est indispensable / Context: Management of breech remains complex due to divergence of practices and recommendations reported in the literature. Objective: To highlight the effects of health professionals' interventions on women's experiences. Methods: Five research studies qualitative were conducted at the University Hospitals of Geneva, including a total of 311 participants. Two studies used a method with interviews and thematic analysis, two used a quantitative method with a statistical analysis, and one used a mixed methods' design. Results: Breech diagnosis often requires anticipating a disappointment of an idealized childbirth. Women demonstrate a strong motivation to try to turn their fetus. 69% of women use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for their treatment. 68% of participants qualified external cephalic version (ECV) as "strong to unbearable". An accompaniment by a hypnotist compared to a midwife did not decrease pain intensity (visual analogic scale: 6.0 vs 6.3/10, respectively; p=.25). For the choice of breech delivery mode, women reported strong decisional conflicts. Medical information is often perceived in favour of a planned caesarean. Feelings of control, emotions and the first moments with the newborn are perceived differently and, notably, negatively in the case of emergency ceasarean section. Conclusion: A difficult emotional and decision-making process is associated with term breech. Use of CAM should be considered by professionals. Developing tools to assist women, and relationship techniques for professionals could facilitate these processes. Reduction of pain during ECV is necessary

Hintergrund: Der Einfluss von rheumatoider Arthritis auf Psyche, Lebensqualität und Alltag der Patienten ist groß. Für eine positive Langzeitprognose sind frühzeitige Diagnosestellung und Therapieeinleitung entscheidend. Diese werden maßgeblich von den strukturellen Gegebenheiten der ambulanten rheumatologischen Versorgung beeinflusst. Hier zeigen sich trotz großer Fortschritte in den letzten Jahren weiterhin Defizite. Anhand einer Patientenbefragung in Leipzig sowie ländlichen Gebieten Sachsens sollen regionale Unterschiede und eventuelle Mängel in der ambulanten Versorgung sowie deren Einfluss auf die Lebensqualität, psychische Gesundheit und Entscheidungsfindungsprozesse untersucht werden. Methoden: Aus sechs Praxen in der Stadt Leipzig und drei Praxen in Kleinstädten (Naunhof, Plauen und Hoyerswerda) wurden Patienten mit der Erstdiagnose rheumatoide Arthritis im ersten Quartal 2011 mittels Fragebögen zu psychischer Gesundheit (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale und Short-Form-36-Health-Survey) sowie Entscheidungsfindungsprozessen (Decision Making Preference Scale) befragt. Ein eigens entwickelter Fragebogen erhob Beschwerde- und Behandlungsdauer sowie allgemeine medizinische Daten und Medikation. Ergebnisse: 19 Land- und 38 Stadtpatienten wurden eingeschlossen. Landpatienten suchten signifikant später den Hausarzt auf (Land 15, Stadt 12 Monate, p= .023). Die hausärztliche Behandlungsdauer bis zur Überweisung zum Rheumatologen betrug auf dem Land 5,4 und in der Stadt 2,4 Monate. Bei 70% der Stadt- und 40% der Landpatienten erfolgte die Überweisung innerhalb der ersten sechs Wochen. Die Gesamtdauer von Beschwerdebeginn bis zur Überweisung zum Rheumatologen war mit 20 Monaten auf dem Land signifikant länger als in der Stadt (15 Monate, p= .043). Die Wahl der Medikation durch den Rheumatologen hing signifikant mit der Herkunft der Patienten zusammen (p= .006). Nach Erstkontakt erhielten 65% der Land- und 55% der Stadtpatienten ein DMARD. In beiden Regionen wurde überwiegend mit Glukokortikoiden behandelt (Stadt 82%, Land 71%). Auf dem Land zeigten die Patienten weniger Interesse an Mitwirkung im partizipativen Entscheidungsfindungsprozess und waren mehrheitlich bereit, sich der Meinung des Arztes auch gegen den eigenen Willen anzuschließen. In der Stadt war der Wunsch nach aktiver Teilhabe an medizinischen Entscheidungen bei jüngeren und höher gebildeten Patienten signifikant größer als bei älteren oder bildungsfernen Erkrankten. Mit 21% wiesen tendenziell mehr Landpatienten depressive Symptome auf als in der Stadt (14%). Auf dem Land bestand häufiger der Verdacht auf krankheitsassoziierte Angststörungen. Zusätzlich litten die Patienten hier signifikant stärker unter ihren Schmerzen als in der Stadt (p= .026), wobei sich kein grundsätzlicher Unterschied in der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität ergab. Schlussfolgerung: In Stadt und Land zeigen sich Defizite in der ambulanten rheumatologischen Versorgung, wobei der Grad der Unterversorgung mit der Herkunft assoziiert ist und Landpatienten signifikant länger bis zum ersten Rheumatologenkontakt brauchen. Maßgeblich verantwortlich hierfür ist die verspätete Vorstellung der Patienten beim Hausarzt ebenso wie die ungleiche Facharztverteilung in Stadt und Land. Patienten auf dem Land sind tendenziell depressiver, passiver und schmerzgeplagter, wobei sich keine grundsätzlichen Unterschiede in der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität ergeben. Die Ergebnisse spiegeln Ärztemangel und infrastrukturelle Probleme wider. Weiterer Schulungs- und Aufklärungsbedarf zur verstärkten Bildung eines öffentlichen Bewusstseins für die Erkrankung rheumatoide Arthritis wird ebenso deutlich wie die Notwendigkeit für die Bahnung schnellerer Zugangswege zu rheumatologischer Behandlung.

<p><b>Background:</b> Shared decision-making (SDM) increases patients’ involvement in their healthcare, extending the goal of patient-centered care provision. However, SDM is underexplored in women’s reproductive health, where choices about contraception and pregnancy are frequently value and lifestyle-dependent. Furthermore, limited research exists on SDM outside of the patient-physician dyad, preventing insight into how non-physician community-based healthcare professionals (HCPs) engage women in practice. Finally, little research takes a social-ecological approach to SDM, despite interaction of multiple levels of influence in women’s reproductive healthcare decision-making. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore women’s and HCPs’ experiences with SDM, including the various factors associated with how women make their reproductive healthcare choices.</p><p> </p><p><b>Methods: </b>This study consisted of three distinct, but interconnected phases. Phase 1 consisted of 6 focus groups (Sept-Dec, 2019) with women aged 18-45 living in Indiana who sought community-based or private healthcare for women’s reproductive healthcare needs. Phase 2 included 20 key-informant interviews with non-physician HCPs (i.e., NP, RN, CNM, doula, pharmacist, chiropractor) living in Indiana (September 2019-May 2020) who provided community-based women’s reproductive healthcare. Focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an expanded grounded theory framework. Constant comparative analysis identified emergent themes in both phases. Phase 3 consisted of an online survey. Women (18-45 years) living in Indiana who sought reproductive healthcare completed the survey (N=432). Multiple linear regression, chi-square analyses, and structural equation modeling were utilized to identify ecological factors associated with pregnancy and contraceptive shared decision-making.</p><p> </p><p><b>Results:</b><i> Phase 1)</i> Participants (n=22) wanted to be invited into healthcare discussions. Additionally, they wanted conversations to proceed organically, where HCPs listened to their needs, and supported and validated their choices. Though these behaviors did not always occur, they provided recommendations to enhance these experiences. Additionally, participants described quality of time was more important than quantity of time during appointments. Prior negative healthcare experiences specifically tied to HCP-interactions decreased women’s healthcare engagement. Additionally, social support system experiences were influential on women’s choices. Race also emerged as impactful toward decision-making, including Black women feeling less respected in care and making choices about their reproductive healthcare to ensure their voices were heard, such as enlisting Black doulas. <i>Phase 2)</i> HCPs noted patient-centered care was important to community-based care. They also noted the importance of contextualized decision-making approaches to ensure they could meet women’s varied needs. Results identified that outcome-oriented SDM concepts, including patient buy-in and investigative listening, were important for increasing SDM. HCPs suggested SDM improved healthcare experience beyond one visit. <i>Phase 3) </i>Structural equation modeling revealed access, social support, and patient-HCP relationship had significant relationships with contraceptive and pregnancy SDM. These models demonstrated good global and component fit, suggesting the importance of context in women’s health choices. Further, regression results demonstrated SDM was associated with higher reproductive healthcare quality. Additionally, utilizing community-based healthcare for reproductive health was associated with decreased contraceptive SDM scores.</p><p> </p><p><b>Conclusion: </b>Findings from this study provide practical considerations for extending SDM work in women’s reproductive health. In particular, results supported shifting SDM beyond the patient-physician dyad to include non-physician HCPs and HCPs in community-based healthcare settings. Women frequently access these services when seeking reproductive healthcare; thus, findings improve our understanding of the practical considerations researchers, policy-makers, and HCPs must make when promoting SDM in these settings. Furthermore, results revealed SDM use across multiple touchpoints, including community-based services, is imperative for women to achieve partnership in their healthcare. Thus, SDM provides a broader opportunity to enhance patient involvement across the spectrum of women’s reproductive healthcare. Incorporating women’s contextual needs and preferences improves HCPs’ insight into women’s experiences to further personalize care. Findings emphasize the importance of decisional space that include the various factors, agents, healthcare settings, and options that exist in reproductive health decision-making as these can shape women’s choices, and, subsequently, their SDM experiences. This mixed methods study allowed thorough insight into multiple stakeholder groups engaged in healthcare decision-making; thus, the results offer guidance on the verbiage, resources, and strategies to engage in SDM and strengthen patient involvement reflective of women’s lifestyle needs and HCPs’ existing workflow. Findings drive SDM practice into community-based healthcare and position it as the standard of care across healthcare settings.</p><br>

In a democratic South Africa, a variety of factors are necessary to ensure effective school governance and management. One of these factors is shared decision-making (SDM). SDM is a process of making decisions in a collaborative manner at the school level. Those responsible for implementing a decision must be actively and legitimately involved in making the decision. In South African schools today, SDM is no longer an option. The new framework of SDM is embedded in the South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996). According to the Act, parents, learners and teachers should be given the opportunity of participating in decisions on educational matters. In this study, the researcher set out to investigate and explore effective decision-making of secondary school principals in the Thabo Mofutsanayana Education District (THMOED) of the Free State Province. In an endeavour to realize that end, an open-ended questionnaire, individual and focus group interviews were used to collect data. The main aim was to find out how teachers, learners, parents and principals experienced decision-making in their schools. The main findings of this research were that, decisions-making practices in the secondary schools in the THMOED still adhered to pre-democratic formal lines of authority. In other words, the locus of control and decision-making powers resided mainly with the principals, with minimum participation of other stakeholders. Consequently, there were dissatisfactions and concerns raised by the participants. The concerns were directed at the management and included lack of communication, lack of transparency, unacceptable disciplinary procedures, autocratic leadership styles and centralized decision-making. According to the findings, it would appear that democratic models of governance were insufficiently used or overlooked by the principals. Concerns raised by the respondents were a clear indication that much needed to be done to change the mind-set of the principals. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Education Management)

Educator stress is a major problem worldwide. This study focuses on the role of the principal in the secondary school in providing support and assisting educators manage work-related stress, with particular reference to schools in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. The problem was investigated by means of a literature study and empirical investigation. The literature identified perspectives on educators' stress, the stress process of the educator and the principal, causes of work-related stress in educators and coping strategies. Furthermore, principals' leadership styles, theories of motivation and causes of principals' stress were discussed. A qualitative inquiry using focus group interviews was undertaken with a small sample of secondary school educators selected by purposeful sampling. Findings suggested that educator stress was caused by a lack of learner discipline; deterioration in educational standards; workload; policy changes; promotion procedures and the principal's leadership style. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for improvement of practice. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This study focuses on the South African principals’ perceptions of shared leadership and its relevance for school discipline. In a mainly qualitative investigation, empirical data from ten secondary schools in the Nkangala District of the Mpumalanga Province were collected by means individual interviews and observation. These data were analyzed in accordance with accepted procedures for qualitative data processing. The preponderance of evidence collected in this study indicates that school principals indirectly contribute to school effectiveness and learner achievement through actions they take to influence what happens in the schools and classrooms. The skillful leadership of school principals is a key contributing factor when it comes to explaining successful change, school improvement, or school effectiveness. Schools should provide a stable, caring environment for all learners, irrespective of whether they are working with support or indifference of families. The role of the schools in relation to learners’ cultural and social differences should be supportive. Shared leadership is regarded as the state or quality of mutual influence in which team members disperse the leadership role through the group, participate in the decision-making processes, fulfill functions traditionally reserved for hierarchical leaders, and when appropriate, provide guidance to others to achieve group goals and objectives. The relevant stakeholders should work collaboratively in the education of learners. Principals and educators must understand that their traditional roles have changed and improved organizational teamwork will be fostered by all members of the learning community assuming decision-making roles. For the haul of school improvement school principals have to develop and expand their leadership repertoires. The collaborative process in shared school leadership should offer the opportunity for educators, learners, parents and the other stakeholders to study, to learn about shared leadership and also to share and to enact leadership. The management of discipline in schools is central to effective teaching and learning. A school that does not have an effective discipline policy (that includes strategies and support mechanisms that are available to all the members of the school community) and that does not maintain a climate of sound discipline, will not function as a centre for teaching and learning. The process of implementing a discipline policy should involve collaborative decision-making. All relevant stakeholders of the school community should have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. The study confirmed most of the views found in the existing body of knowledge on shared leadership and its relevance for school discipline. In the thesis, detailed attention is paid to the challenges those principals who were interviewed, experienced, and to the perceived origin of those challenges and suggested solutions. To conclude the study, a model for exercising sound school discipline through shared school leadership, including ten strategies to promote the implementation of shared school leadership in secondary schools, were proposed. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)