Thesis (PhD (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Dissertation presented for the degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
at
Stellenbosch University. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this critical-hermeneutical inquiry into schools as learning organisations I use the service provision model of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) as an exemplification of the concept of a learning organisation. In this inquiry, which is conceptual in nature, I explore whether their service provision model is sufficient to turn schools into learning organisations. With the establishment of Education Management and Development Centres (EMDCs) in the Western Cape, the WCED expressed its intention to develop schools in the Western Cape into learning organisations. I do a literature review to develop a conceptual framework of a learning organisation. From the literature review I constructed five constitutive meanings of a learning organisation. These meanings serve as conceptual lenses to explore how schools can be developed into learning organisations.
Furthermore, I analyse some of the WCED service provision policies against the five constitutive meanings. These constitutive meanings include quality, inclusivity, collaborative teamwork, communication and power, which determine if the WCED policies are consistent with its objective to develop schools into learning organisations. Through my analysis I found that the WCED‟s policies are not compatible with all constitutive meanings. This led me to conclude that the WCED‟s understanding of a learning organisation is fundamentally and conceptually flawed as the WCED‟s service provision model operates within a controlled and regulated environment at the expense of internal school development. Interviews and the interpretation of data further reveal that the WCED‟s service provision model is not adequate to develop schools into learning organisations.
This flawed understanding may have resulted partly in the WCED‟s adoption of a single, unitary managerialist approach to their service provision model because of the strong emphasis on compliance rather than cooperation that should exist between schools and the WCED. Based on the constitutive meanings I constructed for a learning organisation, I conclude that a managerialist approach serves the WCED‟s interest more than it serves the interest of teachers and classroom practice.
The main argument of this study is that a communicative deliberative idea of democracy could reconceptualise the WCED‟s inadequate understanding of a learning organisation. A key aspect of developing schools into learning organisations may begin with instituting better lines of communication which should include elements like reflexive discussion, communicative freedom, consensus and decision-making processes. These elements form the basis of what constitutes a learning organisation. This reconceptualised notion of a learning organisation can best be done through deliberative democracy with its emphasis on public argumentation with equal opportunity with the aim of arriving at an agreed judgement. This study suggests that the WCED adopts a communicative deliberative idea of democracy as a notion of communication which is a more ideal vehicle that could assist in developing schools into learning organisations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie kritiese verklarende ondersoek rondom skole as leerorganisasies gebruik ek die Wes-Kaapse Onderwys Departement se diensleweringsmodel as ʼn voorbeeld van die konsep van ʼn leerorganisasie. Hierdie ondersoek is konsepsioneel in wese en bepaal of die WKOD se diensleweringmodel voldoende is om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel. Met die daarstelling van Onderwys en Bestuur Ontwikkellings Sentrums (OBOSSE) in die Wes-Kaap het die WKOD sy voorneme om skole in die Wes-Kaap in leerorganisaies te ontwikkel uitgedruk. Derhalwe doen ek ʼn literêre oorsig om ʼn konseptuele raamwerk van ʼn leerorganisasie te ontwikkel. Vanuit hierdie literêre oorsig het ek vyf kontitutiewe betekenisse naamlik (kwaliteit, inklusiwiteit, samehorige spanwerk, kommunikasie en mag) geїdentifiseer wat ʼn leerorganisasie saamstel. Hierdie konstitutiewe betekenisse dien as waarneembare lense om vas te stel in hoe ʼn mate skole in leerorganisasies kan ontwikkel, en of die WKOD se diensleweringmodel strook met sy oogmerk om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel.
Ek analiseer vervolgens sekere WKOD diensleweringbeleide teen die konstitutiewe betekenisse om die relevansie om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel vas te stel. Deur hierdie analise het ek ontdek dat nie alle beleide ten volle aan die vereistes van die konstitutiewe betekenisse voldoen nie. Derhalwe kom ek dus tot die gevolgtrekking dat die WKOD se siening van ʼn leerorganisasie fundementeel en konseptueel foutief is omdat die WKOD se diensleweringmodel werk binne die raamwerk van ʼn beheerde en gekontroleerde omgewing tot die nadeel van die interne ontwikkeling van skole. Die onderhoude se interpretasie in verhouding met die vyf konstutiewe betekenisse en beleidsdokument het verdere inligting aangaande die hoofnavorsingsvraag of die WKOD se dienslewering model genoegsaam is om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel verskaf.
Ek argumenteer dat hierdie skewe siening (beeld) mag gedeeltelik daartoe bygedra het tot die WKOD se enkel eensydige bestuurstyl tot hul diensleweringmodel as gevolg van die sterk klem op onderdanigheid eerder as samewerking wat ʼn ideale spangees tussen skole en die WKOD teweeg kan bring. Op grond van die konstitutiewe betekenisse wat ek geformuleer het, doen ek aan die hand dat die WKOD se
diensleweringmodel hulself bevoordeel, eerder as die belange van onderwysers en klaskamer praktyk.
Derhalwe doen ek ʼn paar aanbevelings aan die hand om hierdie leemtes aan te vul en voorsien riglyne om skole in leerorganisasies te ontwikkel. Die hoofargument van hierdie ondersoek is dat beraadslagende demokrasie die WKOD se siening van „n leerorganisasie aansienlik kan verbeter. „n Sleutel aspek van die ontwikkeling van skole in leer organisasies mag begin by die instelling van beter vorme van kommunikasie wat elemente soos reflektiewe besprekings, kommunikatiewe vryheid, konsensus and besluitneming insluit. Hierdie elemente vorm die basis van wat ʼn leer organisasie behels. Dit kan derhalwe die beste gedoen word deur beraadslagende demokrasie met sy klem op publieke argumentering met gelyke geleenthede en die klem op die daarstelling van ooreenstemmende oordeel. Hierdie studie suggereer that die WKOD die idée van beraadslagende demokrasie as ʼn beginsel van kommunikasie moet aanneem wat die mees ideale vorm van demokrasie is wat hulle kan ondersteun om skole in leer organisasies te ontwikkel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5462 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Beukes, Cecil Joseph |
| Contributors | Van Wyk, B., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiv, 264 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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