The research focuses on how teachers can use school gardens sponsored by South African National Biodiversity Institute as resource materials for teaching and learning. The study also focused on how teachers can integrate local knowledge into the school curriculum. The setting of the research is Zizamele Senior Primary School situated in Zizamele community in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape. The study is designed in portfolio format. It consists of three separate studies: a contextual profile; a stakeholder analysis; and a small-scale action research project, which build on each other. By developing a contextual profile of the research site, and the school community and school gardens project, I was able to collect information that informed the stakeholder analysis and the action research study. Data for the contextual profile was gathered by using a variety of data gathering techniques like questionnaires and interviews. The findings were that: the study area is characterized by socio-economic issues like poverty, unemployment, drug abuse and crime. This requires that the people of the area take responsibility in addressing some of the problems by being involved and knowing where to report issues. The second study, which is the stakeholder analysis, was done to mobilize stakeholders’ contributions to the gardens project in Zizamele School, sponsored by the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Data was collected at meetings and workshops in the schools through interviews. Findings indicated that different stakeholders had various contributions to make and that they were prepared to work with the school and with each other to develop the school garden and the learning potential of the school garden. This paved the way for the small scale action research case study that would follow. The last study, the small scale action research, was undertaken in the same school, Zizamele School, and focused on investigating ways of integrating local knowledge into the curriculum and how teachers use the gardens as resource for teaching and learning, with reference to Life Orientation Learning Area. Data was collected by interviews, questionnaires and worksheets. The study involved two teachers who worked with me on the action research and Grade 5 and 6 learners, as well as some of the community stakeholders. The main finding of the action researched showed the potential for involving community members in the process of integrating local knowledge as a way of implementing aspects of the Life Orientation curriculum requirements. The three studies link with each other, and show that to start with an action research project, one needs to understand the context, and the roles of different stakeholders, and how they might contribute to the programmes in the school. Findings showed that teachers could use gardens as resource materials for teaching and learning, and that they could bring in local knowledge to the school curriculum.

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was that of gaining a better understanding of factors which promote public school teachers' job satisfaction and the determination of the degree of impact of two specific organizational factors upon such job satisfaction. The two organizational factors are those of involvement in the decision-making process of the school district and the locus of control construct. This study had two purposes. The first was to determine if the direct involvement of classroom teachers in the decision-making process of a public school district affected their perceptions of job satisfaction. The second was to determine the relationship of locus of control on job satisfaction when teachers were directly involved in the decision-making process of a public school district.

Whilst the concept of teacher leadership is not new in the international literature (Grant, 2006), research on the topic of teacher leadership is emerging slowly as a new area of research interest in South Africa (Grant, 2006; Grant, 2005; Singh, 2007). Teacher leadership is basically about teachers who are leaders within and outside the classroom, who identify with and contribute to a community of teacher learners and leaders, influence others to improve their teaching practice and accept responsibility for realising the goals of their organisation (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2001 in Grant, 2006). Therefore, teachers’ roles in operating as leaders in schools are acknowledged in literature. This study is a replication of a University of KwaZulu-Natal multi-case study on the enactment of teacher leadership conducted in various educational institutions in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. In line with the original study, this study aimed at obtaining an understanding of the enactment of teacher leadership in a township high school in the King William’s Town education district, in the Eastern Cape. I further explored what factors promoted or hindered such enactment. As an Eastern Cape Master of Education student participating in a group research programme at Rhodes University, we adopted and used the same research questions, research approach, data collection methods as well as data analysis techniques as utilised in the original study. Therefore, this research study was conducted within the interpretive paradigm, following a qualitative approach. I adopted a case study methodology, with the case being the school and three teacher leaders as units of analysis. Data were gathered through a multi-method approach which consisted of a school profile, a focus group interview, semi-structured individual interviews, questionnaires, self reflective journaling and observations. Whilst the research was guided by distributed leadership theory, Grant’s (2008) Model of teacher leadership and thematic content analysis was used to analyse data. Research findings revealed that the enactment of teacher leadership was evident in Zones 1, 2 and 4 of Grant’s (2008) Model of teacher leadership in the case study school. However, a restricted form of teacher leadership was enacted in Zone 3, whereby teachers were not regularly involved in school-wide decision-making processes. When teacher leadership was enacted, it was in a form of authorised distributed leadership. The study further identified the autocratic leadership style of the principal and of the School Management Team members, as well as the non-inclusive school culture as main barriers towards the enactment of teacher leadership in the case study school. Despite these barriers, teachers’ high levels of enthusiasm were identified as an enabling factor that promoted the enactment of teacher leadership in the case study school.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-26T18:49:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao defesa.pdf: 514622 bytes, checksum: 8a176e7a251394f6609cdba7c12ca2bf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-02 / The purpose of this research was to verify how professors of a private higher education institution perceived their participation in the University Counsel (CONSU) and how they saw the relationship of this participation to their institutional commitment. The specific objectives of this research were: a) to identify the types of decisions made in the CONSU; b) to identify the participation forms of the professors in the CONSU; and c) to verify if the professors´ participation in the CONSU affected their institutional commitment during the period 2005-2006. The choice of the CONSU as object of this study was due to the understanding that it is the responsible for the superior decision making process within the university institution. Nine members of CONSU participated in the research, being seven of them course coordinators and two professors elected by their peers. For the development of the study we chose the case study with a qualitative approach. As instruments of data collection were chosen a semi-structured interview guide and a document analysis of both the meetings minutes realized in 2005 and 2006 and the institutional bylaws and statutes. The data collection was done directly by the researcher and the data were analyzed according to the procedures of analyzes of qualitative data. Among the main results which were found, due to the existence of a superior counsel in the institution, stands out a management based on the collegiate model. Through her bylaws and statutes, she delegates decision making power to the participants of her superior administrative counsel. The information from the meetings minutes and the speeches from the interviews revealed that, in practice, only academic and pedagogical issues were decided by this board and it lacked decision making power on the financial management of the institution. In spite of not deciding on financial issues, all members of CONSU perceived as important the academic decisions they made, since they had effective reflection in the courses quality of the institution. The academicians who were members of the Superior Counsel manifested an affective commitment as support basis of their participation in the management of the institution. In their perception, to be part of this deliberative board made them feel more engaged with the institution. Participation in management led the academicians to a greater commitment to the institution and to the perception that participation in CONSU means the attribution of trust, opportunity and recognition as consequence of the work developed, leading to satisfaction and motivation in the work environment. / A presente pesquisa teve como propósito verificar como os docentes de uma instituição particular de ensino superior perceberam sua participação no Conselho Universitário (CONSU) e como viram a relação desta participação com o seu comprometimento institucional. Foram objetivos específicos da pesquisa: a) identificar os tipos de decisões tomadas no CONSU; b) identificar as formas de participação dos docentes do CONSU; e c) verificar se a participação dos docentes do CONSU tem relação com seu comprometimento institucional, no período de 2005-2006. A escolha do CONSU para ser o objeto de estudo deu-se por se entender que este é o responsável pela tomada de decisão dentro da instituição universitária. Participaram da pesquisa nove membros do CONSU, sendo sete docentes coordenadores de curso e dois docentes eleitos pelos pares. Para o desenvolvimento do estudo optou-se pelo estudo de caso com uma abordagem qualitativa. Como instrumentos de coleta de dados foram escolhidos um roteiro de entrevista semi-estruturada e a análise documental de atas de reuniões nos anos 2005-2006 e do regimento interno da IES. A coleta dos dados foi realizada diretamente pela pesquisadora e os dados foram analisados segundo os procedimentos de análise de dados qualitativos. Entre os principais resultados encontrados, cabe destacar que, pela existência de um conselho superior na instituição pesquisada, ela adota uma gestão embasada no modelo colegiado. Por meio de seu regimento interno, ela delega poder decisório aos participantes de seu órgão superior de administração. As informações das atas de reuniões e as falas dos docentes revelaram que, na prática, somente foram deliberados por esse órgão, assuntos acadêmicos e pedagógicos, havendo completa falta de poder decisório do colegiado sobre a gestão financeira da instituição. Apesar de não tomarem decisões sobre assuntos financeiros, todos os membros do Conselho Universitário perceberam como importantes as decisões acadêmicas tomadas, tendo reflexo efetivo na qualidade dos cursos da IES. Os docentes membros do CONSU manifestaram um comprometimento afetivo como base de sustentação de sua participação na gestão da instituição. Na sua percepção, fazer parte desse órgão deliberativo fez com que se sentissem mais comprometidos com a instituição de uma forma geral. A participação na gestão levou os docentes a um maior comprometimento com a instituição e à percepção de que a participação no CONSU significa atribuição de confiança, de oportunidade e reconhecimento pelo trabalho desenvolvido, proporcionando, nesse sentido, satisfação e motivação no ambiente de trabalho.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T17:54:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao defesa.pdf: 514622 bytes, checksum: 8a176e7a251394f6609cdba7c12ca2bf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-02 / The purpose of this research was to verify how professors of a private higher education institution perceived their participation in the University Counsel (CONSU) and how they saw the relationship of this participation to their institutional commitment. The specific objectives of this research were: a) to identify the types of decisions made in the CONSU; b) to identify the participation forms of the professors in the CONSU; and c) to verify if the professors´ participation in the CONSU affected their institutional commitment during the period 2005-2006. The choice of the CONSU as object of this study was due to the understanding that it is the responsible for the superior decision making process within the university institution. Nine members of CONSU participated in the research, being seven of them course coordinators and two professors elected by their peers. For the development of the study we chose the case study with a qualitative approach. As instruments of data collection were chosen a semi-structured interview guide and a document analysis of both the meetings minutes realized in 2005 and 2006 and the institutional bylaws and statutes. The data collection was done directly by the researcher and the data were analyzed according to the procedures of analyzes of qualitative data. Among the main results which were found, due to the existence of a superior counsel in the institution, stands out a management based on the collegiate model. Through her bylaws and statutes, she delegates decision making power to the participants of her superior administrative counsel. The information from the meetings minutes and the speeches from the interviews revealed that, in practice, only academic and pedagogical issues were decided by this board and it lacked decision making power on the financial management of the institution. In spite of not deciding on financial issues, all members of CONSU perceived as important the academic decisions they made, since they had effective reflection in the courses quality of the institution. The academicians who were members of the Superior Counsel manifested an affective commitment as support basis of their participation in the management of the institution. In their perception, to be part of this deliberative board made them feel more engaged with the institution. Participation in management led the academicians to a greater commitment to the institution and to the perception that participation in CONSU means the attribution of trust, opportunity and recognition as consequence of the work developed, leading to satisfaction and motivation in the work environment. / A presente pesquisa teve como propósito verificar como os docentes de uma instituição particular de ensino superior perceberam sua participação no Conselho Universitário (CONSU) e como viram a relação desta participação com o seu comprometimento institucional. Foram objetivos específicos da pesquisa: a) identificar os tipos de decisões tomadas no CONSU; b) identificar as formas de participação dos docentes do CONSU; e c) verificar se a participação dos docentes do CONSU tem relação com seu comprometimento institucional, no período de 2005-2006. A escolha do CONSU para ser o objeto de estudo deu-se por se entender que este é o responsável pela tomada de decisão dentro da instituição universitária. Participaram da pesquisa nove membros do CONSU, sendo sete docentes coordenadores de curso e dois docentes eleitos pelos pares. Para o desenvolvimento do estudo optou-se pelo estudo de caso com uma abordagem qualitativa. Como instrumentos de coleta de dados foram escolhidos um roteiro de entrevista semi-estruturada e a análise documental de atas de reuniões nos anos 2005-2006 e do regimento interno da IES. A coleta dos dados foi realizada diretamente pela pesquisadora e os dados foram analisados segundo os procedimentos de análise de dados qualitativos. Entre os principais resultados encontrados, cabe destacar que, pela existência de um conselho superior na instituição pesquisada, ela adota uma gestão embasada no modelo colegiado. Por meio de seu regimento interno, ela delega poder decisório aos participantes de seu órgão superior de administração. As informações das atas de reuniões e as falas dos docentes revelaram que, na prática, somente foram deliberados por esse órgão, assuntos acadêmicos e pedagógicos, havendo completa falta de poder decisório do colegiado sobre a gestão financeira da instituição. Apesar de não tomarem decisões sobre assuntos financeiros, todos os membros do Conselho Universitário perceberam como importantes as decisões acadêmicas tomadas, tendo reflexo efetivo na qualidade dos cursos da IES. Os docentes membros do CONSU manifestaram um comprometimento afetivo como base de sustentação de sua participação na gestão da instituição. Na sua percepção, fazer parte desse órgão deliberativo fez com que se sentissem mais comprometidos com a instituição de uma forma geral. A participação na gestão levou os docentes a um maior comprometimento com a instituição e à percepção de que a participação no CONSU significa atribuição de confiança, de oportunidade e reconhecimento pelo trabalho desenvolvido, proporcionando, nesse sentido, satisfação e motivação no ambiente de trabalho.

This study focuses on teachers' perceptions of their computer practices in various aspects of their work and the factors which enable or impede them.

Site-based management (SBM) is recent restructuring initiative in schools. The study is carried out with the aim of investigating the extent to which teachers participate in site-based management in schools. The researcher assumes that teachers are sidelined in site-based management in schools. An extensive literature review provides a theoretical foundation of the study and exposes the nature of site-based management. The qualitative approach is used in the case study. Data are collected through interviews that were conducted between July and September 2004. The interpretive paradigm is used in data collection, analysis and interpretation. The collected data are analysed through inductive analysis. The major research finding is that teachers are marginalised in site-based management in schools and that school-based decision making is still largely in the hands of school principals. It is recommended that principals and SMT's improve their management and leadership styles in order to allow for real participation of teachers in decision-making to take place. / Educational Studies / M.Ed (Education Management)

周富鴻. / "2013年8月". / "2013 nian 8 yue". / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 316-338). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in Chinese and English. / Zhou Fuhong.

Site-based management (SBM) is recent restructuring initiative in schools. The study is carried out with the aim of investigating the extent to which teachers participate in site-based management in schools. The researcher assumes that teachers are sidelined in site-based management in schools. An extensive literature review provides a theoretical foundation of the study and exposes the nature of site-based management. The qualitative approach is used in the case study. Data are collected through interviews that were conducted between July and September 2004. The interpretive paradigm is used in data collection, analysis and interpretation. The collected data are analysed through inductive analysis. The major research finding is that teachers are marginalised in site-based management in schools and that school-based decision making is still largely in the hands of school principals. It is recommended that principals and SMT's improve their management and leadership styles in order to allow for real participation of teachers in decision-making to take place. / Educational Studies / M.Ed (Education Management)

This research project explores the views of secondary school Development Studies teachers on the subject in Swaziland. Development Studies as a school subject, was designed to integrate environmental education into the secondary school curricula in Swaziland. The study followed a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual grounded theory design. Face-to-face individual interviews were carried out where the respondents expressed their thoughts, concerns and feelings about Development Studies as a school subject. Eight Development Studies teachers and one curriculum designer were interviewed. Only one question, followed by relevant probes was presented to the respondents. The question asked was: What do you think of Development Studies as a school subject? This study followed Tesch's approach to data analysis. The study revealed that Development Studies teachers in Swaziland were generally not trained in environmental education. Recommendations are made. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Environmental Ed.)