Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organizations depend on the availability of reliable and credible information to make
informed decisions and to plan effectively. The Education Management Information System
(EMIS) is used by all provincial education departments including the Free State Department
of Education for collecting, verifying, analysing, storing and disseminating reliable and
credible data for decision making and planning purposes. Through its efforts to improve
information management, the Department of Basic Education introduced the South African
School Administration Management System (SA-SAMS) to improve the management of data
at school level and allow for the uploading of this data onto provincial databases. This study
focuses on an analysis of the Education Management Information System to determine
whether this information system, utilised by the Free State Department of Education, is
reliable and credible or not. In order to answer the research question under study, the
dimensions/constructs of information systems success, such as information quality, system
quality, individual and organizational impacts have been used to evaluate the information
systems under investigation. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and outlines the background and
the accountability chain of the Free State Department of Education. Chapter 2 deals with the
theoretical grounding. It discusses the topic of Information Systems, in particular what the
criteria used to determine the efficiency and reliability of an education management system in
the Free State Province are. Chapter 3 draws on the theoretical base outlined in Chapter 2,
focussing on the Free State Province to model the EMIS system and identifying the crucial
elements where empirical observations are necessary. In Chapter 3 the focus is on the
empirical data collection based on the model as set out in Chapter 4. In this chapter the
methodological concerns in respect of the collection of data are dealt with in detail, and the
findings are reported. In Chapter 4 the implications of the findings are weighed up against the
criteria as identified in Chapter 2 and conclusions are drawn on that basis. Lastly Chapter 5,
which draws on earlier findings, presents the lessons learnt in doing this research, conclusions
drawn therefrom, as well as the recommendations presented as a way forward to improve the
gaps identified in Free State EMIS. The researcher’s informed conclusion is that EMIS,
through the use of SA-SAMS, has improved the capturing of data at school level and that this
has contributed to an improvement in the quality of data contained in the provincial database. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasies is afhanklik van die beskikbaarheid van betroubare en geloofwaardige inligting
ten einde ingeligte besluite te neem en effektief te beplan. Die Onderwysbestuursinligtingstelsel
(EMIS) word deur al die provinsiale onderwysdepartemente gebruik, insluitend die
Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement, vir die versameling, verifiëring, analise, berging en
disseminasie van betroubare en geloofwaardige data vir die doeleindes van besluitneming en
beplanning. Deur sy pogings om inligtingbestuur te verbeter, het die Departement van Basiese
Onderwys die Suid-Afrikaanse Skoolbestuurstelsel (SA-SAMS) ingestel om die bestuur van
data op skoolvlak te verbeter en om voorsiening te maak vir die oordrag van hierdie data na
provinsiale databasisse. Hierdie studie fokus op ‘n analise van die Onderwysbestuursinligtingstelsel
om vas te stel of hierdie stelsel, wat deur die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement
gebruik word, betroubaar en geloofwaardig is, al dan nie. Ten einde die navorsingsvraag van
hierdie studie te beantwoord, is die dimensies/konstrukte van die sukses van inligtingstelsels,
soos inligtingskwaliteit, stelselkwaliteit, individuele en organisatoriese impak, gebruik om die
betrokke inligtingstelsels te evalueer. Hoofstuk 1 lei die onderwerp in en verstrek die
agtergrond en aanspreeklikheidsketting van die Vrystaatse Onderwysdepartement. Hoofstuk 2
behandel die teoretiese begronding. Die onderwerp Inligtingstelsels word bespreek, veral die
kriteria wat gebruik word om die doeltreffendheid en betroubaarheid van ‘n
onderwysbestuurstelsel in die Vrystaatse Provinsie te bepaal. Met die teoretiese basis wat in
Hoofstuk 2 uiteengesit is as vertrekpunt, fokus Hoofstuk 3 op die Vrystaatse Provinsie om die
EMIS te modelleer en om die deurslaggewende elemente waar empiriese waarnemings nodig
is, te identifiseer. In Hoofstuk 3 is die fokus op die versameling van empiriese data, gebaseer
op die model wat in Hoofstuk 4 beskryf word. In hierdie hoofstuk word die metodologiese
vraagstukke met betrekking tot die versameling van data in besonderhede behandel, en die
bevindings word aangebied. In Hoofstuk 4 word die implikasies van die bevindings gestel
teenoor die kriteria wat in Hoofstuk 2 geïdentifiseer is, en gevolgtrekkings word gemaak.
Laastens word in Hoofstuk 5, gebaseer op vroeëre bevindings, die lesse wat uit hierdie
navorsing geleer is, aangebied, gevolgtrekkings word gemaak, en aanbevelings word
voorgehou as die pad vorentoe om leemtes wat in die Vrystaatse EMIS geïdentifiseer is, te
verbeter. Dit is die navorser se ingeligte gevolgtrekking dat EMIS, deur die gebruik van SASAMS,
die vaslegging van data op skoolvlak verbeter het, en dat dit bygedra het tot ’n
verbetering van die kwaliteit van data in die provinsiale databasis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6487 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Gxwati, Ntombizandile Irene |
| Contributors | Kinghorn, J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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