Thesis (D. Ed.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-201). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-107). Also available in print.

This study explores the influence of teacher unions on the formulation and implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in the Johannesburg Central District. The involvement of unions in the signing of Collective Agreement Number 8 of 2003 and the failure of unions to fully support implementation at school level is a challenge. Unions are part of the bargaining council in the Education and Labour Relations Council as they are also part of the policy formulation process. The constitutional duty that teachers need to align themselves with is to provide quality education that will allow learners fair and better opportunities of succeeding. The use of IQMS as a quality measurement system is of outmost importance to stabilise the education environment and to benefit the nation. Unions therefore have a statutory obligation not only to their constituencies but also to their clients, the teachers. The study was qualitative and exploratory in nature, based on grounded and social constructivism theory. It was conducted in the Johannesburg Central region that forms part of the Gauteng Education Department. The sample consisted of groups of five union representatives, two Gauteng Department of Education officials and 35 school-based unionised teachers. The researcher used observation, one on one interview as well as focus group interviews to collect data. The unions involved in the study were the Suid Afrikaanse Onderwyseris Unie the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Organisation .Findings showed a deficiency in processes such as advocacy, training and funding which are the main determinants of policy implementation. The unions were of the opinion that regardless of their role in the ELRC which some viewed as rubberstamping; their influence was not of much significance during the formulation of policies. They suggested a more rigorous and intense route that could give them the mandate to be hands on during the formulation of policies. They also reported that they needed qualified and competent people to spearhead training so as to ensure a better understanding by all stakeholders during the effective implementation of IQMS. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis ((LLD.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The delivery of substandard education to the leaners in South African schools has become a pressing concern and needs special attention. This is so despite the advent of democracy in 1994, which brought legislative frameworks and other measures promoting access to quality education. This study seeks to highlight the importance of a radical paradigm shift in educational approach, from a single (access) to a dual system (access and delivery) in South Africa. The study examines adequacy of access to education, by evaluating the effectiveness of delivery. The study emphasizes that delivery should be strengthened in order to develop skills and capacity. The study also accentuates the need to strengthen legislative measures and compliance, in order to improve the delivery of quality education to the leaners. The domestic laws such as the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Skills Development Act, the South African Schools Act, Further Education and Training Act and the Continuing Education and Training Act, which all cover access and full delivery of quality education, will be examined. It is pertinent to point out that the delivery of quality education and skills development, can improve the employability of leaners and graduates, wherever they find themselves. Consequently, it is fundamentally important to increase interest in strengthening the implementation of the skills development legislation and policies, to drive the necessary change from access to delivery, in order to meet the developmental needs of the country. Lessons are drawn from China, Finland and Singapore, where policies and laws are utilized for the purpose of comparative studies. The rationale for such a comparative analysis is premised on the fact that these countries have very strong educational systems, which promotes the employability of learners, and also enables learners to become self-reliant and entrepreneurs.

Learners in disadvantaged environments are less likely to do well at school. Yet some of the most successful schools operate in such environments. The purpose of this study was to establish the relative influence of various determinants of school success in disadvantaged environments. To this end literature study was done in two phases. The first resulted in a taxonomy of success factors, which was then used to guide the second in-depth phase. Thereafter an empirical study was done, involving qualitative field work at four successful schools in disadvantaged environments. Empirically it was discovered that there is no single most important success factor because all success factors are interrelated and interdependent. The over-arching success factor discovered in this study which was involvement of all stakeholders. / Education / M.Ed.

The principles of Total Quality Management (TQM), initially designed to effect continuous improvement in the business sector, have been successfully applied in educational settings. Hence, this study was undertaken to explore educator participation in the implementation of a TQM Strategy at selected academically underperforming secondary schools in the Moses Kotane Area to address shortfalls. A literature review on TQM provided a conceptual framework for the empirical inquiry. Special attention was given to the role of educators in TQM implementation. The empirical study used qualitative research methods to explore the use of TQM in fifteen schools selected by purposive sampling. Observation, document analysis and focus group interviews were used to gather data. The findings indicate that educators regard TQM as an improvement tool; however, they hold negative and positive views about TQM. Finally, recommendations were made to enhance the implementation of TQM in underperforming secondary schools in the Moses Kotane Area. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

TQM has been identified as an approach that can be adopted to improve quality in business as well as in education. The main aim of this approach is to involve everybody in decision-making of the organization, in this case a school, with the purpose of achieving highest commitment from staff and customer satisfaction. TQM can be a way which can bring about changes in the education system. It is a philosophy with continuous improvement which can provide a set of practicable tools and techniques to meet the present and the future desires of any educational system. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the influence of TQM on school improvement in secondary schools in the Uthungulu District, Kwazulu-Natal. The questionnaires were handed to schools in the Uthungulu District which is made up of 5 circuits, namely, Umhlathuze Circuit, Umfolozi Circuit, Umlalazi Circuit, Mthonjaneni Circuit and Inkandla Circuit. The research concentrated mainly on School Management Teams (SMTs) and Post Level 1 educators (PL1 educators) from senior secondary schools (high schools). On the whole, respondents in the study area have shown a positive attitude towards understanding the significance of Total Quality Management principles in schools. The findings seem to suggest that everyone has a responsibility of encouraging implementation of TQM in schools. It is important to develop quality management systems, because without them, it is impossible to implement. The quality improvement teams should be empowered to manage themselves and provide programmes that will enable them to be more effective. The proposed model of the study provides information about basic elements and factors which need to be taken into cognisance during the TQM and implementation process. The model identifies the main principles of TQM with continuous improvement at the centre of them all. The main aim of implementing TQM in school should be continuous improvement. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

South Africa is currently undergoing a process of change from a segregated education system to a more democratic system of education. The country is characterised by drastic policy shifts in the social, economic and political arenas. The problem that called for this research is that education managers at national, provincial, district, and circuit levels are facing challenges in the understanding, interpretation and implementation of education policies as they apply to support staff, educators, learners and their parents or guardians. Lack of access to and knowledge of acts, policies and procedures in educational leadership and management seem to impact negatively on the effective functioning of public schools in the provisioning of quality education in Limpopo province of South Africa. A qualitative research methodology coupled with ontology and epistemology theories were used in a phenomenological interpretive perspective. The rationale for choosing the qualitative approach was that the subject of this research study required data on the experiences, perceptions and views of the research participants. Three research instruments of data collection were employed, namely participant observation, document analysis and interviews. Purposive sampling was chosen to select the education managers as participants who were likely to be knowledgeable about and experienced in the phenomenon under study. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted with educators, education managers, and educator union representatives. I used content analysis method to catergorise data into themes. The findings in this study revealed that knowledge of the education policies is a pre-requisite for the implementation of such policies for quality education. It was evident that education managers have inadequate understanding of the formulation, interpretation and implementation of policies. Education managers had contrasting perceptions of education quality and divergent interpretationsof education policies. The deployment of circuit managers undermined the value of management qualifications, experience and expertise in such management posts. The absence of a policy enforcement agency and a lack of coordination within different levels of education management in the province have led to unresolved cases of misconduct and non-compliance with education policies. The researcher recommends that induction of newly appointed education managers, continuous training of the serving education managers, mentoring and monitoring of the implementation of education policies should receive priority for the provision of quality education in public schools. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)