This thesis investigates the diagnostic review of aspects of management, with
particular reference to perceptions of "quality" and criteria for "total quality".
The system of education in South Africa faces grave problems: the collapse
of the culture of teaching and learning, under-resourced schools and under
qualified educational managers and educators. In this regard the new paradigm
in managing schools known as Total Quality Management (TQM), was
investigated in this thesis. Total Quality Management (TQM), is an approach
which has great potential for the enhancement of public schooling in South
Africa. School systems in South Africa now faces dramatic changes in the
external environment. The TQM approach focuses in particular on leadership
and people, and the comprehensive change to the theory and practice of
management. This study, thus, tries to determine the nature and characteristics
of TQM in the school through the review of literature, and to determine the
elements of TQM that were identified in the school. The study further
investigates if the strategies employed in schools are based on TQM principles
and if it could be characterised as effective in terms of TQM.
A literature study was undertaken to analyse TQM and to determine methods
for implementing TQM in the school. The empirical research consists of two
phases: a quantitative phase comprising the use of a self - completion
questionnaire to determine to what the official position of the school is and to
what extent the principal makes use of TQM, and a qualitative phase in which
the key individuals of the school namely the principal, deputy principal and
two heads of department participated in interviews to determine to what
strategies the school use are based on TQM. The data collected from both the
literature review and the empirical study was used to develop a strategy as a
guide to improve school effectiveness through TQM.
The main findings of this study reveals that there are identifiable characteristics
of TQM in the school, although most educators could not identify with the
philosophy of total quality management as an approach to managing the
school. The study also finds that the strategies employed by the school's
management team can be regarded as effective in terms of TQM. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2003.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/3202 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Nunan, Shyma. |
| Contributors | Thurlow, Michael. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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