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 Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of the study was to investigate strategies that could be used to equip Grade 10 teachers to teach accounting effectively. The aim was addressed by conducting the relevant literature survey and an empirical investigation. A qualitative approach which was modeled on the interpretive perspective was used to explore challenges faced by accounting teachers and learners. Five schools were selected in the Johannesburg Ekurhuleni District. Here, three HODs and two Grade 10 teachers were interviewed and observed while teaching. Strong and weak Grade 10 learners from each school were interviewed. The data was analysed and findings presented. The findings revealed that Grades 8 and 9 lack accounting exposure due to 40% weighting on financial literacy on the syllabus which then causes problems in Grade 10 from both the teaching and learning perspectives. The main recommendations arising from this study are that the Department of Education must relook at the syllabus and involve teachers in the planning of the curriculum in order to bridge the gap between the syllabuses. Accounting teachers should use variety of learning and teaching strategies, and create a supportive effective classroom environment in order to increase the learner’s interest. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)

The aim of the study was to investigate strategies that could be used to equip Grade 10 teachers to teach accounting effectively. The aim was addressed by conducting the relevant literature survey and an empirical investigation. A qualitative approach which was modeled on the interpretive perspective was used to explore challenges faced by accounting teachers and learners. Five schools were selected in the Johannesburg Ekurhuleni District. Here, three HODs and two Grade 10 teachers were interviewed and observed while teaching. Strong and weak Grade 10 learners from each school were interviewed. The data was analysed and findings presented. The findings revealed that Grades 8 and 9 lack accounting exposure due to 40% weighting on financial literacy on the syllabus which then causes problems in Grade 10 from both the teaching and learning perspectives. The main recommendations arising from this study are that the Department of Education must relook at the syllabus and involve teachers in the planning of the curriculum in order to bridge the gap between the syllabuses. Accounting teachers should use variety of learning and teaching strategies, and create a supportive effective classroom environment in order to increase the learner’s interest. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)

With the aim of identifying the challenges and determining the extent of the effect of these challenges on the effectiveness of the performance management systems, the performance management practices of selected public universities in Ethiopia were assessed. This assessment informed the identification of workable, customised balanced scorecard measurement variables that would ensure effective implementation of performance management systems and promote institutional success in the selected public universities in Ethiopia. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was adopted. First, literature was reviewed to learn about major concepts and theories on performance management systems and to establish the laws and directives that regulate performance management at public universities in Ethiopia. Qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires were used to collect data on the practices and the challenges experienced in implementing performance management systems in public universities in Ethiopia. The main practices and challenges identified include exclusion of employees from planning activities, management bias, supervisors’ failure to give feedback on performance appraisals, lack of experience among many of the professionals in the execution of performance management systems, and high employee turnover. The study presents and recommends a hexagonal hybrid balanced scorecard measurement model (the newly added variables being leadership and stakeholders) to make Ethiopian higher education institutions effective and efficient in measuring their overall performance. / Met die oog daarop om die uitdagings te identifiseer en die omvang van die uitwerking daarvan op die doeltreffendheid van die prestasiebestuurstelsels te bepaal, is die prestasiebestuurspraktyke van uitgesoekte openbare universiteite in Etiopië geassesseer. Hierdie assessering gee aanleiding tot die identifisering van werkbare, doelgemaakte veranderlikes van gebalanseerdetelkaart-meting, wat doeltreffende implementering van prestasiebestuurstelsels sal verseker en institusionele sukses in die uitgesoekte openbare universiteite in Etiopië sal bevorder. ʼn Verkennende sekwensiële gemengdemetodeontwerp is gebruik. Eerstens is literatuur bestudeer om meer te wete te kom oor deurslaggewende konsepte en teorieë rakende prestasiebestuurstelsels, en om te bepaal watter wette en voorskrifte prestasiebestuur by openbare universiteite in Etiopië reguleer. Kwalitatiewe onderhoude en kwantitatiewe vraelyste is gebruik om data in te samel oor die uitdagings en praktyke in die implementering van prestasiebestuurstelsels by openbare universiteite in Etiopië. Die grootste uitdagings en praktyke wat geïdentifiseer is behels uitsluiting van werknemers by beplanningsaktiwiteite, bestuursvooroordeel, toesighouers wat nie terugvoer gee oor prestasiebeoordelings nie, gebrek aan ondervinding by baie van die praktisyns in die implementering van prestasiebestuurstelsels, en hoë werknemeromset. Hierdie studie bied ʼn verteenwoordiging en aanbeveling van ʼn heksagonale hibriede gebalanseerde telkaartmetingmodel (die nuutbygevoegde elemente is leierskap en belanghebbers) vir hoëronderwysinstellings in Etiopië om hul algehele prestasie doeltreffend te meet. / Ngenhloso yokuhlonza izinselele, kanye nokuthola ububanzi nobukhulu bomthelela walezo zinselele ekusebenzeni ngendlela efanele kwezinhlelo zokuphatha nokulawula ukusebenza (performance), lolu cwaningo lwahlola futhi lwacubungula izinqubo zokuphatha nokulawula ukusebenza ezisetshenziswa ngamanyuvesi omphakathi athile, futhi akhethiweyo, ase-Ethiopia. Lokhu kuhlolwa kwezikhungo kwaholela ekutheni kuhlonzwe izindlela ezisebenzisekayo zombikokusebenza osekelwe phezu kwezinkomba ezine (balanced scorecard), okuyinto eyabe izoqinizekisa ukuqaliswa nokuqhutshwa ngendlela efanele kohlelo lokuphatha nokulawula ukusebenza futhi igqugquzele ukuthi yenziwe kahle, futhi ngempumelelo, imisebenzi yamanyuvesi omphakathi athile, akhethiweyo, ase-Ethiopia. Kulolu cwaningo kwasetshenziswa izindlela zokuhlola nokucwaninga ezixubile futhi ezilandelanayo. Okokuqala, kwabukezwa imibhalo ekhona njengamanje ephathelene nalesi sihloko ngenhloso yokufunda ngemiqondo engumongo futhi enohlonze, kanye namathiyori aphathelene nezinhlelo zokuphathwa nokulawulwa kokusebenza, futhi ukuze kutholakale ulwazi olunzulu mayelana nemithetho neziqondiso ezilawula ukuphathwa nokulawulwa kokusebenza emanyuvesi omphakathi e-Ethiopia. Izindlela zocwaningo ezasetshenziswa, yindlela yokuthola ulwazi ngokuxoxisana okujulile nababambiqhaza bocwaningo (qualitative interviews) kanye namaphephamibuzo ocwaningo (quantitative questionnaires), obekuhloswe ngakho ukuqoqa idatha mayelana nezinselele kanye nezinqubo okudlulwe kuzona ngenkathi kuqhutshwa izinhlelo zokuphathwa nokulawulwa kokusebenza emanyuvesi omphakathi e-Ethiopia. Izinselele ezinkulu kanye nezinqubo ezingumongo ezihlonziwe zibandakanya ukushiywa ngaphandle kwabasebenzi ngenkathi kwenziwa imisebenzi yokuhlela, ukuchema kwabaphathi, ukuhluleka kosuphavayiza ukuhlinzeka abasebenzi ngombiko noma umphumela obonisa ukuthi baqhube kanjani ngenkathi kuhlolwa umsebenzi wabo, ukungabi nesipiliyoni noma ulwazi olufanele kweningi labasebenzi abangogoti bemikhakha ethile (professionals) ngenkathi beqhuba izinhlelo zokuphatha nokulawula ukusebenza, kanye nezinga eliphakeme lokwesula kwabasebenzi emsebenzini. Lolu cwaningo lwethula futhi lwancoma ukuthi kusetshenziswe indlela yokukala ukusebenza ebizwa nge-hexagonal hybrid balanced scorecard measurement model (izinto ezintsha ezengeziwe eziphathelene nocwaningo wubuholi kanye nababambiqhaza) ngenhloso yokulekelela iziKhungo Zemfundo Ephakeme zase-Ethiopia ukuthi zikwazi ukukala kahle, vi futhi ngempumelelo, izinga lonkana lokusebenza kwazo. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This study sought to investigate how teachers in Grade 9 conceptualize and implement the Natural Science Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in KwaZulu Natal. In South Africa, there have been major curriculum changes since the dawn of democracy in 1994. These changes have been criticized by various stakeholders in the education sector, including unions, parents and teachers. Since 1994, the curriculum has been revised constantly to address the concerns raised by the society. This study therefore sought to develop an understanding of what influences educators in their endeavors to implement Natural Science CAPS in Grade 9 classrooms. The study further aimed at understanding, from the educators’ perspectives, how policy implementation challenges their traditional ways of teaching and learning. This study adopted a qualitative research design. Focus groups interviews, observations and documentary analysis were used as method of data collection to answer the research questions. Purposive sampling was used to select 9 teachers from six different schools in three districts in the Province of KwaZulu Natal (KZN), namely Zululand, uThungulu and uMzinyathi to participate in the study. The findings reveal that the participants are knowledgeable about the CAPS principles and they all use prescribed principles in their planning, albeit in different ways.The study reveals that workshops and in-service training organized by the Department of Basic Education were useful in preparing teachers to implement CAPS even though the period of training was insufficient. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

The subject of teacher competences or knowledge has been a key issue in mathematics education reform. This study attempts to identify and analyze teacher competences necessary in the orchestration of a problem-centred approach to dynamic geometry teaching and learning. The advent of dynamic geometry environments into classrooms has placed new demands and expectations on mathematics teachers. In this study the Teacher Development Experiment was used as the main method of investigation. Twenty third-year mathematics major teachers participated in workshop and microteaching sessions involving the use of the Geometer’s Sketchpad dynamic geometry software in the teaching and learning of the geometry of triangles and quadrilaterals. Five intersecting categories of teacher competences were identified: mathematical/geometrical competences, pedagogical competences, computer and software competences, language and assessment competencies. / Mathematics Education / M. Ed. (Mathematics Education)

The study measures the productive vocabulary size of Grade 6 English Second Language learners and teachers in 16 township schools in Gauteng Province. Data from learners (n-881) and teachers (n-19) were collected by testing the participants with versions C and A respectively of the Productive Vocabulary levels Test of Controlled ability. In addition, samples of learners’ written work were examined. Interviews and lesson observations with a sample of teachers were conducted to triangulate the data. Using SPSS version 23, means for each word level were calculated. The ANOVA, t-tests and post hoc tests were performed. Bonferroni corrections were applied. Results indicate that both learners and teachers have not mastered the vocabulary at the levels tested. The results also indicate that poor vocabulary teaching methods and poverty contribute to poor vocabulary development among learners. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Applied Linguistics)

Within the context of technological development, the needs and preferences of the 21st century student (Generation Y), the changing higher education environment, the increasing use of technology in teaching and learning, and the significant role of online learning facilitators in e-learning, the e-readiness of academic employees became imperative. Thus, considering the importance of academic employees' e-readiness, the primary objective of the study aims to determine the role of key human factors in their e-readiness, with specific focus on personal work profile patterns, preferred learning style and pace and style of technology adoption. The research problem therefore is how to determine the role of these key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. In this respect the study argues that the e-readiness assessment of academic employees must be included in the human resource performance appraisal process. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework for assessing the ereadiness of academic employees during their performance appraisals, as well as determining and assessing the role of key human factors in their e-readiness in order to draft an e-profile which will provide guidance in terms of structuring unique training and development approaches for each e-profile. Once accademic employees' e-readiness has been assessed during their performance appraisals, they can be plotted on the framework. The outcome of their e-readiness assessments will reveal their e-profiles, which will portray insight into the presence or absence of particular ereadiness indicators, outlined in an e-readiness construct. Subsequently, a personal development plan can be drafted, making provision for uniquely structured training and development interventions, best suited for each accademic employees' e-profile. The most suitable motivating factors for each employee will also be considered during the drafting of the personal development plan. The empirical research by means of a self-administered questionnaire and a focus group discussion revealed two prominent e-profiles indicating various levels of ereadiness, namely an early adopter-pragmatist-compliance e-profile and an early majority-theorist-steadiness e-profile. The findings made it evident that the traits portrayed by a person belonging to a certain technology adoption category show similarities to traits portrayed by particular learning styles and personal work profile patterns. Certain profiles could be identified, based on trends and similarities pertaining to interpersonal traits. The findings further revealed that with an increase in age and teaching experience of respondents (which also imply an increase in age), the willingness to be assessed on e-readiness declined. It was also determined that the human resource performance management policies and practices at the North-West University (NWU) (which is used as case study), do not make provision for the inclusion of e-readiness in performance appraisals of academic employees. Further it became evident that training and development interventions should not only focus on the technical skill of e-learning, but follow a broader teaching and learning approach, also including the philosophy of e-learning and the use and adaptation of teaching and learning strategies to obtain optimal learner learning. The findings of the study thus supported the need for a framework, providing guidance in this regard. Presently, neither the literature of human resource performance appraisal nor the literature of e-readiness or e-learning makes provision for assessing the e-readiness of academic employees. The study thus contributes to the scholarly discourse and knowledge in the field of public human resource management, as sub-field of Public Administration, by developing a theoretical framework (that currently does not exist), consisting of three matrixes for this purpose to determine the role of the key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. / Public Administration and Management / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)

In recent years, the South African education system has experimented with different appraisal systems in an attempt to evaluate the performance of educators in public schools. Educator appraisal is receiving attention throughout the world as governments become aware of the need to examine educational provision critically to ensure that it is both relevant for and appropriate to, the needs of the youth. Before 1994, the appraisal of educators was mainly based on traditional approaches to evaluate their performance. For instance, it was the responsibility of the inspectors from the Department of Education (DoE) to evaluate the performance of educators in schools. Consequently, a great deal of criticism was levelled at this appraisal system such as the prevalence of political bias in the system, the unchecked power that the inspectors wielded, the incompetence of inspectors and irrelevance of some evaluation criteria and absence of contextual factors. After 1994, there was a paradigm shift from the traditional to the developmental approach to evaluate the performance of educators in public schools. That is, there was a need to develop educators through appropriate appraisal schemes with a view to enhancing their continued professional growth. Therefore, the present education system calls for a decentralised appraisal system, which places greater emphasis on the professional development of educators. Stakeholders such as educators and teacher unions have also made higher demands for improved educator evaluation and professional growth. In 1998, at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), the Department of Education (DoE) agreed to introduce the Developmental Appraisal System (DAS) followed by the Whole-School Evaluation (WSE) in 2001. Both these policies were rejected by educators and their teacher unions since they regarded these appraisal systems as summative, judgmental and that failed to offer opportunities for further development. In August 2003, the DoE and the unions signed two collective agreements, which led to the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) and it was intended to integrate and strengthen various components of DAS, WSE and performance measurement (PM). The IQMS was first implemented in South African schools in 2005 with the aim of enhancing the continuing professional growth of educators. Furthermore, the National Department of Education (NDoE) introduced the National Policy Framework on Teacher Education and Development (NPFTED) in 2006. This policy aimed to equip educators to undertake their essential and demanding tasks and to enable them to enhance their professional competence and performance on a continuing basis. Even though the IQMS was introduced as a new system to evaluate the performance of educators and to enhance their professional growth, it does not actually serve its purpose since it is not properly implemented and monitored in schools. Instead of using it as a tool to enhance the professional growth of educators, its emphasis is on getting assessment scores, which are directly related to remuneration. As a result, the ultimate aim of professional development for educators is neglected. This means that the IQMS is regarded as a separate entity that is not linked to the continuing professional growth of educators and its developmental programmes are criticised for being traditional since they are only confined to class visits, which are conducted once or twice a year for PM purposes. Therefore, since the introduction of the IQMS in 2003 and its implementation in 2005 in South African schools, no empirical research has been conducted on the need to link appraisal to professional development in the IQMS in South African schools. The study conducted by Bisschoff and Mathye (2009) focusses on the advocacy of an appraisal system for teachers. Another study conducted by Dhlamini (2009) concentrates on the role of the IQMS to measure and improve teaching and learning in the South African further education and training (FET) sector. Furthermore, the study by Rabichund (2011) focusses on the assessment of the IQMS and its implications for whole school development. Furthermore, the study by Mahlaela (2011) investigates the IQMS as a transformational strategy for teacher development in South Africa. Accordingly, this study builds on these studies and it seeks to investigate how appraisal and professional development can be linked in the IQMS in South African schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. 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)