It was the goal of this study to determine the relationship between student achievement and other selected variable such as principal years of experience, student socioeconomic status, teachers’ perceptions of administrative support, students’ perceptions of teacher support, and teacher attendance to teacher engagement. The study also determined if the variables along with teacher engagement were predictors of attrition. Pearson correlations were used to analyze the data that had the greatest significant relationship to teacher engagement. Regression tests were used to determine if the variables were predictors of attrition. The researcher concluded that student achievement, teachers’ perceptions of principal support, and students’ perceptions of teachers had the most significant relationship to teacher engagement; student socioeconomic status had a negative relationship with teacher engagement. The researcher found that the selected variables were not significant predictors of teacher attrition. Recommendations were suggested for central office leaders, building level leaders, teachers, and future researchers.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The research aim was firstly to establish the prevailing organisational climate of the primary schools in the North West Province, and secondly, to develop management strategies to establish an effective organisational climate in primary schools. The study was conducted by means of a thorough literature study with a view to place the concept organisational climate in context. Following this, the information gained during the literature study was empirically verified, and certain findings were made based on the data. From the last-mentioned data and findings, a number of management strategies could be developed and certain recommendations were also formulated. In Chapter 1 the problem statement as well as four research objectives were formulated. The research aim was motivated and the research methodology discussed. The chapter division was explained and a number of relevant ethical aspects were discussed. A few contributions made by this study were discussed briefly. The nature of organisational climate was discussed in Chapter 2. Organisational climate was placed in the correct context by discussing a number of relevant concepts, namely: school climate, organisational climate, educational climate, classroom climate, quality of work life, systemic factors and the influence thereof on organisational climate, individual factors, job satisfaction, job performance, work stress and job motivation. The maintenance and the importance of a positive organisational climate also received attention. The determinants of an effective organisational climate received attention in Chapter 3. Determinants such as presented in the literature were discussed. Following this, determinants identified from different measuring instruments were also discussed. The "Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools" (OCDQ-RE) was discussed in detail, since this questionnaire was used for the research in question. The research approach and methodology was discussed in Chapter 4. Different research approaches were discussed, namely the interpretivistic, the critical, the positivistic and the postpositivistic approaches. Next, the quantitative investigative method was discussed fully, since this is the manner in which the data in this research were obtained. The statistical data processing was discussed comprehensively. The chapter was concluded with a number of relevant ethical aspects. In Chapter 5 the data interpretation was discussed. The responses were processed statistically and certain findings were inferred from it. The following statistical processing was done: two factor analyses were done, the reliability of the questionnaire was determined, openness indexes were discussed, categorisation was done regarding the prevailing organisational climate in the schools, the practical meaningfulness was reported on and finally, the South African data were compared with that of the American research. A number of management strategies were designed in Chapter 6 to establish an effective organisational climate in the primary school. These management strategies were formulated from existing literature concerning organisational climate, as well as from the processed data in the empirical study. The management strategies were formulated based on the actions and behaviour of the school principal as well as those of the educators. The research was concluded in Chapter 7 with a summary, findings and recommendations. Firstly, a brief summary of each chapter was given, followed by a few findings, and the chapter was concluded with seven recommendations, each coupled with a motivation. The following important findings stemmed from the research: Research objective ONE: The nature of organisational climate in the primary school. • Certain aspects such as school climate, educational climate and classroom climate regarding the organisational climate of the school are intertwined and they form a unit that determines the organisational climate of the school. • The organisational climate of a school is influenced by a variety of factors. Examples of these factors are as follows: quality of the work life of educators, tangible and non- tangible factors, task, maintenance and development needs, job satisfaction, job performance, job motivation and work stress. However, it is important to take cognisance of the fact that these factors are people driven and that all role-players in the school are responsible for the development, establishment and maintenance of an effective organisational climate. • The importance of an effective organisational climate is accentuated by the creation and maintenance of a positive work life, positive values and norms and effective communication. By meticulously applying these above-mentioned principles, a positive organisational climate will become a reality in schools. Research objective TWO: The nature of the different determinants of organisational climate in the primary school: • The findings in the literature correspond to a large extent with the findings that came to the fore from the measuring instruments. The findings are categorised in two determinants for organisational climate, namely the actions or behaviour of the school principal and those of the educators. Research objective THREE: The current standing of the organisational climate in the primary schools: • The total openness index of the schools in the study population explains the actions and behaviour of the principals, as well as those of the educators, as a mean. • The schools were divided into four categories as follows: Uninvolved organisational climate (22.73%), Closed organisational climate (22.73%), Open organisational climate (21.21%), Involved organisational climate (33.33%). Research objective FOUR: Management strategies for the development and establishment of an effective organisational climate in the primary school: • Four management strategies were formulated concerning the actions or behaviour of the school principal and three regarding the actions or behaviour of the educators. The following important recommendations were made: Recommendation 1: Principals need to be empowered to fulfil a more supporting role, mainly in the case of black and Coloured educators. Constructive criticism, reasons for criticism and paying attention to the well-being of educators are examples of fields in which principals need to be empowered. Recommendation 2: Principals need to be empowered to follow alternative managerial styles, rather than an autocratic and "iron-fist" approach. Recommendation 3: Principals need to demonstrate less restrictive behaviour towards educators, especially in the case of Coloured educators. Examples of restrictive behaviour principals need to devote attention to are as follows: educators are expected to serve on too many committees and the amount of administrative work needs to be cut back on. Recommendation 4: Educators need to be empowered to act more fraternally towards one another. Examples of fields in which empowerment is required are as follows: educators do not accept one another's shortcomings, educators often depart for home directly after school hours, and educators socialise in small, selected groups. Recommendation 5: The extent to which trusting behaviour occurs among educators requires active improvement. Factors that need attention are as follows: colleagues do not invite one another for home visits, educators do not know one another's home backgrounds, educators socialise during work hours, and educators do not arrange social meetings for one another. Recommendation 6: Educators' attitude towards and involvement in the school's activities need to be addressed actively and improved. The following factors need to receive attention: the problem that educators describe staff meetings as futile, and also that they converse amongst each other during staff meetings. Recommendation 7: Further research is needed regarding the validation of a measuring instrument that is directly meant for the South African context. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The research aim was firstly to establish the prevailing organisational climate of the primary schools in the North West Province, and secondly, to develop management strategies to establish an effective organisational climate in primary schools. The study was conducted by means of a thorough literature study with a view to place the concept organisational climate in context. Following this, the information gained during the literature study was empirically verified, and certain findings were made based on the data. From the last-mentioned data and findings, a number of management strategies could be developed and certain recommendations were also formulated. In Chapter 1 the problem statement as well as four research objectives were formulated. The research aim was motivated and the research methodology discussed. The chapter division was explained and a number of relevant ethical aspects were discussed. A few contributions made by this study were discussed briefly. The nature of organisational climate was discussed in Chapter 2. Organisational climate was placed in the correct context by discussing a number of relevant concepts, namely: school climate, organisational climate, educational climate, classroom climate, quality of work life, systemic factors and the influence thereof on organisational climate, individual factors, job satisfaction, job performance, work stress and job motivation. The maintenance and the importance of a positive organisational climate also received attention. The determinants of an effective organisational climate received attention in Chapter 3. Determinants such as presented in the literature were discussed. Following this, determinants identified from different measuring instruments were also discussed. The "Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools" (OCDQ-RE) was discussed in detail, since this questionnaire was used for the research in question. The research approach and methodology was discussed in Chapter 4. Different research approaches were discussed, namely the interpretivistic, the critical, the positivistic and the postpositivistic approaches. Next, the quantitative investigative method was discussed fully, since this is the manner in which the data in this research were obtained. The statistical data processing was discussed comprehensively. The chapter was concluded with a number of relevant ethical aspects. In Chapter 5 the data interpretation was discussed. The responses were processed statistically and certain findings were inferred from it. The following statistical processing was done: two factor analyses were done, the reliability of the questionnaire was determined, openness indexes were discussed, categorisation was done regarding the prevailing organisational climate in the schools, the practical meaningfulness was reported on and finally, the South African data were compared with that of the American research. A number of management strategies were designed in Chapter 6 to establish an effective organisational climate in the primary school. These management strategies were formulated from existing literature concerning organisational climate, as well as from the processed data in the empirical study. The management strategies were formulated based on the actions and behaviour of the school principal as well as those of the educators. The research was concluded in Chapter 7 with a summary, findings and recommendations. Firstly, a brief summary of each chapter was given, followed by a few findings, and the chapter was concluded with seven recommendations, each coupled with a motivation. The following important findings stemmed from the research: Research objective ONE: The nature of organisational climate in the primary school. • Certain aspects such as school climate, educational climate and classroom climate regarding the organisational climate of the school are intertwined and they form a unit that determines the organisational climate of the school. • The organisational climate of a school is influenced by a variety of factors. Examples of these factors are as follows: quality of the work life of educators, tangible and non- tangible factors, task, maintenance and development needs, job satisfaction, job performance, job motivation and work stress. However, it is important to take cognisance of the fact that these factors are people driven and that all role-players in the school are responsible for the development, establishment and maintenance of an effective organisational climate. • The importance of an effective organisational climate is accentuated by the creation and maintenance of a positive work life, positive values and norms and effective communication. By meticulously applying these above-mentioned principles, a positive organisational climate will become a reality in schools. Research objective TWO: The nature of the different determinants of organisational climate in the primary school: • The findings in the literature correspond to a large extent with the findings that came to the fore from the measuring instruments. The findings are categorised in two determinants for organisational climate, namely the actions or behaviour of the school principal and those of the educators. Research objective THREE: The current standing of the organisational climate in the primary schools: • The total openness index of the schools in the study population explains the actions and behaviour of the principals, as well as those of the educators, as a mean. • The schools were divided into four categories as follows: Uninvolved organisational climate (22.73%), Closed organisational climate (22.73%), Open organisational climate (21.21%), Involved organisational climate (33.33%). Research objective FOUR: Management strategies for the development and establishment of an effective organisational climate in the primary school: • Four management strategies were formulated concerning the actions or behaviour of the school principal and three regarding the actions or behaviour of the educators. The following important recommendations were made: Recommendation 1: Principals need to be empowered to fulfil a more supporting role, mainly in the case of black and Coloured educators. Constructive criticism, reasons for criticism and paying attention to the well-being of educators are examples of fields in which principals need to be empowered. Recommendation 2: Principals need to be empowered to follow alternative managerial styles, rather than an autocratic and "iron-fist" approach. Recommendation 3: Principals need to demonstrate less restrictive behaviour towards educators, especially in the case of Coloured educators. Examples of restrictive behaviour principals need to devote attention to are as follows: educators are expected to serve on too many committees and the amount of administrative work needs to be cut back on. Recommendation 4: Educators need to be empowered to act more fraternally towards one another. Examples of fields in which empowerment is required are as follows: educators do not accept one another's shortcomings, educators often depart for home directly after school hours, and educators socialise in small, selected groups. Recommendation 5: The extent to which trusting behaviour occurs among educators requires active improvement. Factors that need attention are as follows: colleagues do not invite one another for home visits, educators do not know one another's home backgrounds, educators socialise during work hours, and educators do not arrange social meetings for one another. Recommendation 6: Educators' attitude towards and involvement in the school's activities need to be addressed actively and improved. The following factors need to receive attention: the problem that educators describe staff meetings as futile, and also that they converse amongst each other during staff meetings. Recommendation 7: Further research is needed regarding the validation of a measuring instrument that is directly meant for the South African context. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The aim of this research was to determine the motivation levels of Zimbabwean rural secondary school teachers, and to identify and discuss the factors that influence their motivation so that management interventions could be designed to enhance teacher motivation. A quantitative research design, involving the descriptive sample survey method to collect data by means of self-administered structured questionnaire was adopted. The sample consisted of 175 rural secondary school teachers in Bikita District. The information was statistically analysed with the aid of a computer after which it was interpreted. Results indicated that teachers were not highly motivated and satisfied with their jobs, and that their motivation was affected by several aspects of their work. Working conditions emerged as a primary demotivator while interpersonal relations was a principal motivator. The data also showed that certain biographical variables affected teacher motivation significantly. Subsequent to these results recommendations to enhance teacher motivation were made. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

From the wave of policy reforms of the new Minister of Education and Human Resources for a "World Class Quality Education", stakeholders have been ascribing the poor quality of learner performance to a lack of motivated teachers. This study focuses on the factors that impact on teacher motivation in the Flacq district of Mauritius and on the role of the principal in enhancing teacher motivation. An empirical investigation based on qualitative research was conducted following the literature study on these two themes. Motivational factors pertain to the school-based personal and professional needs of the teacher. Due to centralised school governance and instructional leadership tasks being delegated to the School Management Team, principals are not effective teacher motivators. Recommendations relate to transformational, distributive and participatory leadership strategies for optimal instructional principalship. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational management)

The aim of this study was to identify the kinds of disciplinary problems educators experience in schools, their causes, as well as their impact on the morale of educators. The researcher made use of a quantitative approach whereby questionnaires were completed by educators from five secondary schools in the Zebediela area. In total, 89 respondents completed the questionnaires. They were from both genders, with various years’ of teaching experience, and generally well qualified. The results indicated that there indeed existed disciplinary problems in the schools. These problems were caused by factors relating to the learners, to their parents, the educators, as well as to the school principal. The impact of a lack of discipline on educator morale included anger, irritability, tiredness, loss of control, and expressing the wish to leave the teaching profession. The study made recommendations for managers on how to improve the situation, and also for further study. Some limitations of the study were also identified. / Further Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This study investigated the factors that affect the job satisfaction of principals of previously disadvantaged secondary schools in the North West Province. The aims of the study were to determine empirically, through quantitative and qualitative means, the factors that influence the job satisfaction of the principals, and to make recommendations of ways to improve their job satisfaction. In the quantitative phase the research design was a survey. Data were collected from a purposefully selected sample of 30 principals of 30 secondary schools conveniently situated and accessible, in rural villages and townships. Thereafter a phenomenological approach was used to select eight principals from the same sample. The aim was to, by means of interviews, find clarity on the trends observed in the quantitative phase. The researcher purposefully selected participants representing a maximum variation regarding gender, geographical location, and years of experience as a teacher or a headmaster. The results indicated that the factors that enhanced the job satisfaction of the selected principals related to the nature of their work in the sense that it was stimulating, important and varied. Their interpersonal relationships were also gratifying. These relationships referred to cooperative staff, appreciative colleagues and supervisors, well-behaved learners, and supportive parents. Specific factors also brought about job dissatisfaction. In particular, the majority of the principals were frustrated with poor management on the part of the Department of Education. This was linked to a lack of autonomy of the principals, excessive bureaucracy, and poor policies. The principals believed that these policies exacerbated the problems they already had with ill-disciplined learners, the poor work ethics of some educators, unsatisfactory matriculation results, pitiable physical working conditions, and uninvolved parents.Results from the research also showed that the principals thought their workloads were not aligned to their salaries, and that reward systems were needed. Recommendations to enhance the job satisfaction of the principals of the identified secondary schools were made to the SGB and other school managers, as well as to the Department of Education, and recommendations for future research were also put forward. Finally, a number of limitations of the study were pointed out. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Recently it has been noticed that there is a marked decline in the culture of teaching and learning (COLT) in sortie of the schools in the KwaZulu Natal province. An investigation was undertaken to check whether the instructional leadership of school principals was a contributory factor to this decline. A literature study and an empirical investigation was done to identify if any relationship existed between the instructional leadership ofthe principal and COLT in schools. From the findings it became apparent that such a relationship did exist. Schools where principals neglected such instructional leadership roles were more susceptible to perpetuate the erosion of the culture of teaching and learning (COLT), whereas principals who do fulfil their instructional tasks tend to alleviate the erosion of COLT. The educational implications of the findings are discussed and guidelines are provided to assist school principals in attaining their roles as effective instructional leaders. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

Recently it has been noticed that there is a marked decline in the culture of teaching and learning (COLT) in sortie of the schools in the KwaZulu Natal province. An investigation was undertaken to check whether the instructional leadership of school principals was a contributory factor to this decline. A literature study and an empirical investigation was done to identify if any relationship existed between the instructional leadership ofthe principal and COLT in schools. From the findings it became apparent that such a relationship did exist. Schools where principals neglected such instructional leadership roles were more susceptible to perpetuate the erosion of the culture of teaching and learning (COLT), whereas principals who do fulfil their instructional tasks tend to alleviate the erosion of COLT. The educational implications of the findings are discussed and guidelines are provided to assist school principals in attaining their roles as effective instructional leaders. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Management)