Higher education institutions (HEIs) are now adopting the management styles that are being practised in profit-making organisations in the private sector. The top management in HEIs embark on monitoring performance of all categories of their employees, including academic staff. This has become necessary in order to encourage and enhance quality in teaching and also to achieve increased research productivity. This means that the same principles involved in managing the private sector, such as introducing performance management systems, are now applied in the public sector. Empirical evidence from previous studies suggests that the introduction and implementation of performance management systems in academic institutions often result in tension between academic employees and management, thereby heightening the age-long debate on the necessity for academic freedom in institutions of higher learning globally. The present study evaluated the perception of academic staff members regarding the implementation of a performance management system in an open distance learning institution in South Africa. The study adopted a survey research design, using a quantitative research approach. The total sample of the study comprised of 492 academic staff members of the institution. A structured self-administered web-based questionnaire that was tested for high reliability and validity content was used to collect primary data from the respondents. The data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential (one-way sample t-test) statistics. The research findings indicate that academic staff members at the institution are satisfied with the performance management system implemented by management. The study further found that academics do not consider the resultant performance bonus from the implementation of the performance management system sufficiently motivating and that it should therefore be reviewed by management. Overall, the outcome of the present study was to a large extent inconsistent with the empirical evidence presented by previous studies. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The purpose of this study was to explore employee perceptions of performance appraisal in two public Technical Education Vocational Entrepreneurship and Training (TEVET) institutions located in the Southern Province of Zambia. This study followed a quantitative research approach using the census method to obtain data. Seventy-three (73) participants out of a total population of 129 at varying employment levels consented and participated in the study. A 59 item self-administered questionnaire was administered to obtain responses. The main conclusion from this study was that employees held positive attitudes about performance appraisal. The study found that the performance appraisal system was integrated into institutions’ culture and that the respondents were satisfied with the performance appraisal process and that 68% of the respondents agreed that the performance system in their institution was fair. However, concerns about the low frequency of appraisal meetings were noted. The frequency of performance evaluation on how well the employees were meeting their targets was mostly once in a year. This called for urgent attention by the management of the institutions to ensure that at least two appraisals were conducted in a year. The study also found evidence of rating standards varying from supervisor to supervisor. The study recommended that supervisor training in rating formed part a continuous process. These findings and the recommendations in this study are expected to be of benefit to the principals and supervisors in the institutions. The findings of the study contributed to the knowledge in the field of education management and leadership by providing empirical evidence about employee’s perceptions about performance appraisal in the two public TEVET institutions in Zambia. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

There is a considerable body of literature on the challenges faced by learners who speak an African language at home but who are taught through the medium of English. Less research has focused, however, on contexts where isiXhosa-speaking learners have Afrikaans as their Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT), especially in Foundation Phase classrooms where teachers may not speak their learners’ home language. Such learners face the triple challenge of simultaneously learning a second language, learning to read in that language, and also learning new content and concepts through it. Using a multiple case study design, this investigation explores the mathematics teaching practices of Afrikaans-speaking Grade 3 teachers teaching isiXhosa-speaking learners through the medium of Afrikaans. Separate contextual profiles of the teaching practices of the participating teachers at the three schools are presented. Data were derived from school, classroom, and lesson observations (at least five complete mathematics lessons of each teacher), plus interviews with the teachers and with their school principals. By drawing on Vygotskian sociocultural theory and the interactive model of second language acquisition, this study highlighted the teaching practices of the three teachers as they mediated their learners’ mathematical conceptual development. An inductive data analysis approach was used to isolate recurring themes and patterns. Four main themes were identified: structuring of teaching and learning, facilitating of interaction, language use and implementation of mediating strategies. Analysis of the data shows that all three teachers’ language use displayed high levels of modified input, and high levels of context-embedded support. The levels of scaffolded learner talk were, however, found to be much lower than the levels of teacher talk, especially as far as academic registers were concerned. The teachers’ mediation strategies also displayed high levels of teacher-directed input which, on the whole, did not provide optimal opportunities for learners to develop independent levels of academic discourse. The study highlights the need for further research to inform teacher education and development with regard to more effective support structures to assist teachers with the sorts of challenges outlined above.

MEd (Educational Management) / Department of Educational Mamagement / See the attached abstract below

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership styles adopted by school principals and their influence on the job performance of primary school teachers in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The study was designed to gain insight into the kinds of leadership styles presently used, the leadership preference of principals, the perceptions of the teachers and principals regarding the leadership styles of the principals and the effect of the leadership styles on teachers’ performance. The main research question that guided this study was: Which leadership styles are most commonly used by primary school principals in the Tigray region and what is their effect on the performance of teachers? A mixed-methods research design was used with questionnaires as well as a focus group interview as means of data-collection. One hundred and seventy eight principals and 446 teachers comprising 69% male and 31% female teachers participated in the study. The path-goal leadership questionnaire as well as a self-constructed questionnaire to measure teacher performance was self-administered to collect data from the selected principals and teachers, which secured a 97% response rate. During the qualitative phase, eight supervisors participated in the focus group interview. The questionnaire data were analysed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted and presented in a clear and logical manner. The principals and teachers indicated that all the leadership styles, except the directive leadership style, have a positive impact on the teachers’ performance. Furthermore, the supportive leadership style is the most frequently used style. Importantly, age, qualifications and experience as independent variables had an effect on teachers’ performance. The data also indicated a statistically significant relationship between the job performance of teachers and the leadership styles employed by the principals. The study results make a contribution to the research on the relation between leadership styles and teachers’ performance, especially since no study has been conducted on this issue in the Tigray region of Ethiopia before. It was possible to make several meaningful recommendations for implementation in the Tigray region. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This dissertation of a limited scope focuses on the Heads of Departments’ perceptions of the Integrated Quality Management System for teachers at selected quintile 5 Primary Schools in the East London Region of the Eastern Cape Province. It reveals the positive and negative aspects of the staff appraisal system, its implementation and purpose, as well as views on its improvement. By means of a qualitative case study and the Cognitive Evaluation Theory as theoretical framework, the researcher has determined that the Performance Measurement component of the appraisal system has a detrimental effect on the intrinsic motivation of teachers and that it should be separated from the Developmental Appraisal. Individual interviews with the Heads of Departments revealed the need for revising the assessment rubric in order for Performance Measurement to be conducted effectively. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Education Management)

A teaching portfolio allows lecturers to track their own growth and development in teaching and learning, as it helps to document their career’s journey. This study gained insight into this experience from the lecturers’ perspectives. The research paradigm was qualitative and the study used a sample of lecturers from an independent tertiary institution in Johannesburg. Personal interviews provided rich data and themes were developed from the data to answer the research questions concerning the value of doing a teaching portfolio. Lecturers’ perceptions provided clear evidence of the value of doing a teaching portfolio, because it developed their personal competence, knowledge, skills and higher-order thinking. However, the findings showed that the success of a teaching portfolio remained dependent on individual motivation and how the process was implemented. Any challenges experienced tended to negatively affect motivation, thereby decreasing the perceived value of a teaching portfolio. This study recommended that a teaching portfolio might offer a solution to some of the current education issues within the South Africa context, especially with regard to the lack of content knowledge and the disempowerment of teachers. / ʼn Onderrigportefeulje maak dit vir dosente moontlik om hul eie groei en ontwikkeling ten opsigte van onderrig en leer te monitor, omdat dit hulle help om hul loopbaan te dokumenteer. Hierdie studie gee insig in hierdie ervaring vanuit dosente se oogpunt. Die navorsingsparadigma was kwalitatief en die studie het ʼn steekproef van dosente van ʼn onafhanklike tersiêre instelling in Johannesburg behels. Persoonlike onderhoude het ryk data opgelewer en temas is op grond van die data ontwikkel om die navorsingsvrae oor die waarde van ʼn onderrigportefeulje te beantwoord. Dosente se persepsies was ʼn duidelike bewys van die waarde van ʼn onderrigportefeulje, omdat dit hul persoonlike bevoegdheid, kennis, vaardighede en hoërorde-denke ontwikkel. Die bevindinge het egter getoon dat die sukses van ʼn onderrigportefeulje steeds onderhewig is aan individuele motivering en hoe die proses geïmplementeer is. Enige uitdagings was geneig om ʼn negatiewe invloed op motivering te hê en sodoende die vermeende waarde van ʼn onderrigportefeulje te verlaag. Hierdie studie beveel aan dat ʼn onderrigportefeulje ʼn oplossing kan bied vir sommige van die opvoedingskwessies in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, veral met betrekking tot die gebrek aan inhoudkennis en die ontneming van onderwysers se mag. / Photefolio ya go ruta e kgontša bafahloši go latišiša kgolo le tšwetšopele tše e lego tša bona ka go goruta le go ithuta, ka ge e thuša go rekhota leeto la mošomo wa bona. Thutelo ye e hweditše tshedimošo maitemogelong a go tšwa tebelelong ya bafahloši. Dikgopolo ka ga nyakišišo e bile tša go hwetša tshedimošo ka go kwešiša le go lemoga mabaka a bothata gomme thutelo ye e dirišitše sampolo ya bafahloši go tšwa institušeneng ye e ikemetšeng ya morago ga marematlou go la Johannesburg. Ditherišano tša motho ka botee di tšweleditše datha ye bohlokwa gomme merero e hlagišitšwe go tšwa datheng go fa karabo ya dipotšišo tša dinyakišišo tše di lebanego bohlokwa bja go dira photefolio ya go ruta. Dikgopolo tša bafahloši di file bohlatse bjo bo kwešišegago bja bohlokwa bja go dira photefolio ya go ruta, ka gobane e godišitše, botsebi, tsebo, mabokgoni tša bona le mokgwa wa go nagana wa maemo a godimo. Le ge go le bjalo, dikhwetšo di bontšhitše gore katlego ya photefolio ya go ruta e dutše e ithekgile go tutuetšo ya motho le ka moo tshepedišo e phethagaditšwego. Ditlhohlo dife goba dife tšeo di itemogetšwego di bile le go huetša tutuetšo, ka gorealo tša fokotša boleng bjo bo lebeletšwego bja photefolio ya go ruta. Thutelo ye e šišintše gore photefolio ya go ruta e ka fa tharollo go tše dingwe tša ditlhagišo tša bjale tša thuto kemong ya Afrika Borwa, gagolo malebana le tlhokego ya dintlhatsebo, dikgopolo le melaotshepetšo tšeo di rutwago le go ithuta ka tšona gammogo le go se be le maatla ga barutiši. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the practices and challenges faced by primary schools in the Western Cape province when implementing the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) policy. The study concentrated mainly on monitoring and evaluation processes; as well as the relevance and appropriateness of the measures in place for refining the IQMS. In 1994, the attainment of democracy in South Africa brought radical transformation to the education system, which resulted in the development of various educational policies. One of these policies was the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS), which was introduced in 2003. The IQMS was aimed at improving quality education delivery. However, based on learners’ academic and quality results in terms of progression over the past two decades, the South African education system may not have achieved all of its desired outcomes. The school development teams, especially those in rural and previously disadvantaged schools, do not comply with the principles of the IQMS policy and, as a result, fail in their mandate. The empirical approach employed in this study was successful in obtaining information from participants about the challenges they faced in implementing the IQMS policy. The study used qualitative approach. Participants included post-level one teachers as well as members of the school management team at five different schools. The research findings indicated that some schools only implement the IQMS to comply with the department requirements and to ensure that their educators receive the salary increments based on IQMS. Consequently, there is no real school development taking place. The study made a number of recommendations to consider with regard to effective implementation of IQMS in schools. It is recommended that the School Development Team (SDT) and the School Management Team (SMT) employ a well-adjusted approach to whole school evaluation, with a resilient effort on both professional development and performance appraisal in the engagement of whole school development. The study also suggests the appointment of Senior Education Specialists who will be based at every school and become part of the SDTs in order to assist the schools in converting evaluation into school development. Further suggestion is also made for performance agreements and targets linked to salary increments. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Education Management)