Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Researchers in Social Sciences have generally encountered problems in ensuring data
quality when dealing with topics that are regarded as sensitive. This thesis reports on
an investigation into the methodology used for research projects around sensitive
issues in education in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
Data consists of twelve interviews with individual principals (each interview schedule
containing semi-structured question items from ten categories) and a thirty-three item
self-report questionnaire survey administered to one hundred and fifty principals
drawn from two hundred and seventy two secondary schools over the course of an
academic year (2002) and conducted in the Limpopo Province of South Africa ..
Results reveal nine major categories of sensitive issues in school management on
which principals have difficulty in providing information to researchers: school
policy, school financial issues, moral or social relations issues, learner and educator
disciplinary issues, working conditions, absenteeism, developmental appraisal,
educator unions, and religious matters policy issues. Principals have also reported on
the various reasons why they regard each of the aspects as sensitive, thereby making it
difficult for them to provide information around. Of these, moral issues were
considered the most sensitive. The major reasons given were: confidentiality,
intrusion of privacy, fear oflegal sanction, threat to work and violation of the rights of
the individual.
Analysis of the different sensitive issues also show that certain biographical
characteristics - age of the principal and years of experience as principal - are
significant mediators in principals' perceptions of sensitive issues in school
management. That is to say, these contribute to principals' assessment of their
emotional, physical and psychological well-being.
Sensitivity is a problem when collecting data for research purposes. It warrants the
attention of all those involved in social science research. The findings in this study
point to the issues in school management that are highly sensitive to provide
information suggesting that data collected would therefore not be of a high quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Menige navorsers in sosiale wetenskappe het oor die algemeen probleme teëgekom
met die versekering van data kwaliteit in sensitiewe onderwerpe. Hierdie tesis
raporteer oor 'n ondersoeke in die metodologie gebruik vir navorsing projekte rondom
sensitiewe onderwerpe in onderwys in die Limpopo Provinsie in Suid-Afrika.
Data bestaan uit twaalf onderhoude met individuele prinsipale (elke onderhoud se
skedule bevat se gestruktureerde items van tien katagorieë) en 'n drie-en-dertig item
(self-report) vraelys wat onder 150 prinsipale uitgedeel is, waarvan 272 sekondêre
skole oor 'n tydperk van 'n akademiese jaar (2002) gebruik was in die Limpopo
Provinsie van Suid Afrika.
Die resultate toon nege hoof onderwerpe in skoolbestuur waar prinsipale dit moeilik
vind om informasie aan navorsers te verskaf: skoolbeleid, finansiële onderwerpe,
moraliteite of sosiale verhoudinge, leerder en onderwyser dissiplinêre onderwerpe,
werkverhoudinge, afwesigheid, personeelontwikkeling, onderwysunies, en
godsdienstige sake. Prinsipale raporteer om verskeie redes waarom hulle elk van die
aspekte as sensitief beskou. Onder hierdie is morele sake as die sensitiefste
geklasifiseer. Die hoofredes hiervoor is gegee as vertroulikheid, inbreuk van
privaatheid, vrees vir wettige sanksies, dreigemente in die werk en skending van die
regte van die indiwidueel.
Analiese van die verskillende sensitiewe sake toon aan dat verskeie biografiese
eienskappe - ouderdom van die prinsipaal - is oorsake in die prinsipaal se persepties
in die prinsipaal se sake onder die skool se bestuur. Dit se met ander woorde bogenoemde
dra by tot die prinsipaal se emosionele en fisiese geestelike toestand.
Sensitifiteit is 'n probleem wanneer data vir navorsing doeleindes verkry word. Dit
regverdig die aandag van die mense betrokke in sosiale wetenskap navorsing. Die
bevinding in hierdie studie verwys na sake in skoolbestuur wat hoogssensitief is om
informasie te voorsien, en stel voor dat die data verkry is nie van hoë standard is nie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50080 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Kutame, Azwidohwi Philip |
| Contributors | Mouton, J, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xv, 241 pages : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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