School managers as catalysts of innovative culture and academic performance: A case of selected schools in the Cofimvaba District in the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Langa, Vuyani Goodman
- Date: 2020-02
- Subjects: School management and organization , Organizational change , Management
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20318 , vital:45650
- Description: School managers have always been on the forefront of the administration of education system since they are the active agents who lead their schools towards wider goals of improving access and quality of education. The contemporary world has had a great deal of surmounting pressure from globalisation and other forces of a universalised society. These influences have become more and more pronounced with the inevitable influences of digitalisation and in the fourth industrial revolution. Information and Communication Technologies have transformed how things are done even within the settings of schools. Attempting to ignore this bold revolution for the so-called ‘tried and tested’ conventional methods of school management, assessment, learning, teaching and monitoring does not only leave a school or education system behind but inhibits leaners and stakeholders from enjoying the many benefits of innovation, creativity and flexibility. This study explores the role of school managers in creating and maintaining an innovative culture and academic performance in selected public schools of the Cofimvaba Education District which has become synonymous with declining pass rates post-1994. A qualitative research approach was used where existing literature collected, collated and thematically analysed. The findings of the study indicated that the school principals are not empowered or willing enough to catalyse the creation and sustaining of innovative cultures in schools. There was also a political willingness of the leaders of the education sector in the Cofimvaba Education District is deficient, the absence of sanctions for failure to innovate is a challenge to innovation. Other findings include evidence policy gaps on what is innovation and who must do what in schools which affects the efficacy of school managers. The study also established that the bureaucratisation of the education sector has done nothing by crippled school managers’ ability to innovate by school managers. The study recommends strategies on how school managers can become that active catalyst that they should be, to drive innovation include in-service training and setting minimum benchmarks for school managers eligibility. Also, policy interventions such as 4th industrial revolution aligned innovation regulations, exchange of ideas with countries which successful school innovation formulating a sanction model of non-performers, towards improving access and quality of education in the Cofimvaba Education District. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-02
- Authors: Langa, Vuyani Goodman
- Date: 2020-02
- Subjects: School management and organization , Organizational change , Management
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20318 , vital:45650
- Description: School managers have always been on the forefront of the administration of education system since they are the active agents who lead their schools towards wider goals of improving access and quality of education. The contemporary world has had a great deal of surmounting pressure from globalisation and other forces of a universalised society. These influences have become more and more pronounced with the inevitable influences of digitalisation and in the fourth industrial revolution. Information and Communication Technologies have transformed how things are done even within the settings of schools. Attempting to ignore this bold revolution for the so-called ‘tried and tested’ conventional methods of school management, assessment, learning, teaching and monitoring does not only leave a school or education system behind but inhibits leaners and stakeholders from enjoying the many benefits of innovation, creativity and flexibility. This study explores the role of school managers in creating and maintaining an innovative culture and academic performance in selected public schools of the Cofimvaba Education District which has become synonymous with declining pass rates post-1994. A qualitative research approach was used where existing literature collected, collated and thematically analysed. The findings of the study indicated that the school principals are not empowered or willing enough to catalyse the creation and sustaining of innovative cultures in schools. There was also a political willingness of the leaders of the education sector in the Cofimvaba Education District is deficient, the absence of sanctions for failure to innovate is a challenge to innovation. Other findings include evidence policy gaps on what is innovation and who must do what in schools which affects the efficacy of school managers. The study also established that the bureaucratisation of the education sector has done nothing by crippled school managers’ ability to innovate by school managers. The study recommends strategies on how school managers can become that active catalyst that they should be, to drive innovation include in-service training and setting minimum benchmarks for school managers eligibility. Also, policy interventions such as 4th industrial revolution aligned innovation regulations, exchange of ideas with countries which successful school innovation formulating a sanction model of non-performers, towards improving access and quality of education in the Cofimvaba Education District. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-02
Analysis of work environment factors as correlate of school management teams' productivity in Mount Frere Education District
- Authors: Majova, L A
- Date: 2016-08
- Subjects: School management teams , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24684 , vital:63516
- Description: There is a perception that SMTs are not effective in some schools in South Africa. Hence, a huge number of learners in the public schools, particularly in high schools are not getting a good pass in their matric exams. The ineffectiveness of SMTs in some schools results in poor performance, as evidenced in poor matric results ever since 1994 in Mount Frere District, since the end of the homeland system in South Africa. To this end, the study was conducted to analyse work environment factors that affect productivity of school management teams‟ in Mount Frere Education District. Therefore, 64 schools, which formed the sample in this study, were selected randomly from the target of 210 schools (population) in Mount Frere District of Education. It was revealed that the following factors are central to the ineffectiveness of SMTs: lack of knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes, Human immune deficiency virus (HIV); redeployment; teachers‟ absenteeism and non-availability and mismanagement of resources. Consequently, the researcher employed quantitative research method to explore the work environment of SMTs in Mount Frere District of Education. To collect data from the SMTs, the SMT Productivity Questionnaire (SPQ) and the SMT performance appraisal form (SPAF) were used. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics like frequency count, percentages, charts and tables, and inferential statistics of Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC). It was discovered that the work environmental factors as espoused by the literature, negatively affect the performance or productivity of SMTs. The findings in the data analysis prove beyond reasonable doubt that redeployment of educators negatively affects the productivity of School Management Teams in various schools. In other words, the study confirmed the literature. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2016
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016-08
- Authors: Majova, L A
- Date: 2016-08
- Subjects: School management teams , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24684 , vital:63516
- Description: There is a perception that SMTs are not effective in some schools in South Africa. Hence, a huge number of learners in the public schools, particularly in high schools are not getting a good pass in their matric exams. The ineffectiveness of SMTs in some schools results in poor performance, as evidenced in poor matric results ever since 1994 in Mount Frere District, since the end of the homeland system in South Africa. To this end, the study was conducted to analyse work environment factors that affect productivity of school management teams‟ in Mount Frere Education District. Therefore, 64 schools, which formed the sample in this study, were selected randomly from the target of 210 schools (population) in Mount Frere District of Education. It was revealed that the following factors are central to the ineffectiveness of SMTs: lack of knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes, Human immune deficiency virus (HIV); redeployment; teachers‟ absenteeism and non-availability and mismanagement of resources. Consequently, the researcher employed quantitative research method to explore the work environment of SMTs in Mount Frere District of Education. To collect data from the SMTs, the SMT Productivity Questionnaire (SPQ) and the SMT performance appraisal form (SPAF) were used. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics like frequency count, percentages, charts and tables, and inferential statistics of Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC). It was discovered that the work environmental factors as espoused by the literature, negatively affect the performance or productivity of SMTs. The findings in the data analysis prove beyond reasonable doubt that redeployment of educators negatively affects the productivity of School Management Teams in various schools. In other words, the study confirmed the literature. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2016
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016-08
An analysis of schooling outcomes in the Eastern Cape, using production function approach
- Authors: Ncanywa, Thobeka
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Education -- Economic aspects , Production functions (Economic theory) , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26570 , vital:65656
- Description: This study analysed the schooling outcomes of the Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education in the period heading into the second decade of democracy. The main objective of the thesis is to discover what constitutes the education production function of the Eastern Cape schooling system. In an attempt to reach this objective, the study adopted an education production function approach to answer the questions of what constitute the Eastern Cape education production function, what the effects are of the Dinaledi policy interventions on learner performance and the effects of district size on schooling outcomes. The main focus of the constituents of the production function is on the level of the former Bantustan penalty and Department of Education and Training (DET) penalty in relation to former White schools; as well as the quality of educators in the province. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and quantile regressions were used to analyse the data and the Annual National Assessment (ANA) represented schooling outcomes and was estimated against school, educator and community characteristics. The results indicated a strong relationship between schooling outcomes and the school inputs that were used in the study. The effects of the Dinaledi intervention programme were analysed using the grade 12 panel data for the period from 2008 to 2013, where event dropout rates represented schooling outcomes. The findings that emerged from this study indicated that this programme provides a model that can improve the Eastern Cape schooling outcomes. The effects of district size on schooling outcomes were analysed with the regression discontinuity design technique and this revealed that district sizes have an impact on schooling outcomes. Overall, the results suggested that White schools perform better than their counterparts; that placing schools in quintiles is a good policy intervention; and that educator quality is associated with schooling outcomes. The key findings from this research were the continuing existence of the apartheid legacy in Black schools; poor educator quality; an inappropriate language of instruction; gender inequalities in performance and an uneven distribution of schools in districts. The recommendations for this research are to pay more attention to the improvement of educator quality in terms of educator qualifications, training and remuneration; implement a programme like the Dinaledi programme to all schools, as it provides resources to schools; and enforce the district size as informed by the district act so as to improve the support that district officials give to schools. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Ncanywa, Thobeka
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Education -- Economic aspects , Production functions (Economic theory) , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26570 , vital:65656
- Description: This study analysed the schooling outcomes of the Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education in the period heading into the second decade of democracy. The main objective of the thesis is to discover what constitutes the education production function of the Eastern Cape schooling system. In an attempt to reach this objective, the study adopted an education production function approach to answer the questions of what constitute the Eastern Cape education production function, what the effects are of the Dinaledi policy interventions on learner performance and the effects of district size on schooling outcomes. The main focus of the constituents of the production function is on the level of the former Bantustan penalty and Department of Education and Training (DET) penalty in relation to former White schools; as well as the quality of educators in the province. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and quantile regressions were used to analyse the data and the Annual National Assessment (ANA) represented schooling outcomes and was estimated against school, educator and community characteristics. The results indicated a strong relationship between schooling outcomes and the school inputs that were used in the study. The effects of the Dinaledi intervention programme were analysed using the grade 12 panel data for the period from 2008 to 2013, where event dropout rates represented schooling outcomes. The findings that emerged from this study indicated that this programme provides a model that can improve the Eastern Cape schooling outcomes. The effects of district size on schooling outcomes were analysed with the regression discontinuity design technique and this revealed that district sizes have an impact on schooling outcomes. Overall, the results suggested that White schools perform better than their counterparts; that placing schools in quintiles is a good policy intervention; and that educator quality is associated with schooling outcomes. The key findings from this research were the continuing existence of the apartheid legacy in Black schools; poor educator quality; an inappropriate language of instruction; gender inequalities in performance and an uneven distribution of schools in districts. The recommendations for this research are to pay more attention to the improvement of educator quality in terms of educator qualifications, training and remuneration; implement a programme like the Dinaledi programme to all schools, as it provides resources to schools; and enforce the district size as informed by the district act so as to improve the support that district officials give to schools. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Leaners' perceptions of factors contributing to poor academic performance in rural high schools of the Fort Beaufort Education District
- Authors: Tom, Lusu Lennox
- Date: 2013-01
- Subjects: Education, Higher , School management and organization , Teacher effectiveness
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25272 , vital:64137
- Description: This research investigates learners’ perceptions of factors which they believe contribute to their poor academic performance in high schools. The study focuses on four schools in Fort Beaufort district of the Eastern Cape. Twenty-four learners (6 from each school) participated in this study. Using a theoretical framework drawn from Bandura (1977) the study explored the views of learners in both under and high performing schools. One main research question was posed, answered and discussed for the purpose of the study. Data was collected through individual interviews, focus group discussions and document analyses. The findings of the study revealed a number of factors contributing to poor academic performance. These were learner factors, teacher factors, home factors and teaching resources. Regarding learner factors, the study revealed that while learners were committed and motivated to do their work in order to avoid low income jobs, this did not always happen as they found themselves getting distracted during class time and this affected their performance. The study revealed that some of the teachers lacked commitment, and were very unprofessional and incompetent. This, according to the learners, contributed to poor learner performance in the various subjects. Home factors also played a role in learner performance. The study revealed that home factors were seen to be enabling when parents were supportive and helpful to their children. At the same time, home factors tended to impede learning when learners were given household chores to do and this impinged on their study time. Some parents were also illiterate and as a result were not able to help their children with homework or supervise them while they were busy with their homework. The lack of teaching and learning resources such as textbooks, computers and laboratories as well as overcrowded classrooms also contributed to poor learner performance. This study makes the following recommendations: Teachers should be closely monitored by principals to ensure that they come to class regularly and are punctual so that learners do not lose time necessary to cover the content on their syllabus. Teachers should plan and prepare for lessons thoroughly. Lessons must cover a wide range of activities during their teaching to actively engage learners and prepare them adequately for their assessment tasks, including examinations. Teachers should be work-shopped regularly in order to capacitate them on the latest trends and pedagogies in education as well as rejuvenate their professionalism. It is important that teachers be active researchers in class in order to appraise themselves their learners’ needs and how they can, from the learners’ point of view, improve service delivery. From time to time teachers should work closely with parents to develop strategies they can jointly use to monitor and support children’s learning effectively. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2013
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013-01
- Authors: Tom, Lusu Lennox
- Date: 2013-01
- Subjects: Education, Higher , School management and organization , Teacher effectiveness
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25272 , vital:64137
- Description: This research investigates learners’ perceptions of factors which they believe contribute to their poor academic performance in high schools. The study focuses on four schools in Fort Beaufort district of the Eastern Cape. Twenty-four learners (6 from each school) participated in this study. Using a theoretical framework drawn from Bandura (1977) the study explored the views of learners in both under and high performing schools. One main research question was posed, answered and discussed for the purpose of the study. Data was collected through individual interviews, focus group discussions and document analyses. The findings of the study revealed a number of factors contributing to poor academic performance. These were learner factors, teacher factors, home factors and teaching resources. Regarding learner factors, the study revealed that while learners were committed and motivated to do their work in order to avoid low income jobs, this did not always happen as they found themselves getting distracted during class time and this affected their performance. The study revealed that some of the teachers lacked commitment, and were very unprofessional and incompetent. This, according to the learners, contributed to poor learner performance in the various subjects. Home factors also played a role in learner performance. The study revealed that home factors were seen to be enabling when parents were supportive and helpful to their children. At the same time, home factors tended to impede learning when learners were given household chores to do and this impinged on their study time. Some parents were also illiterate and as a result were not able to help their children with homework or supervise them while they were busy with their homework. The lack of teaching and learning resources such as textbooks, computers and laboratories as well as overcrowded classrooms also contributed to poor learner performance. This study makes the following recommendations: Teachers should be closely monitored by principals to ensure that they come to class regularly and are punctual so that learners do not lose time necessary to cover the content on their syllabus. Teachers should plan and prepare for lessons thoroughly. Lessons must cover a wide range of activities during their teaching to actively engage learners and prepare them adequately for their assessment tasks, including examinations. Teachers should be work-shopped regularly in order to capacitate them on the latest trends and pedagogies in education as well as rejuvenate their professionalism. It is important that teachers be active researchers in class in order to appraise themselves their learners’ needs and how they can, from the learners’ point of view, improve service delivery. From time to time teachers should work closely with parents to develop strategies they can jointly use to monitor and support children’s learning effectively. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2013
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013-01
Assessment of the implementation of teacher performance appraisal system in Zimbabwe: a study of 12 selected primary schools in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province
- Mathwasa, Joyce https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6637-2083
- Authors: Mathwasa, Joyce https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6637-2083
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Education, Elementary , Performance standards , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25249 , vital:64108
- Description: The massive campaign by Zimbabwe to educate all children was achieved through the education for all policy. When quantity had been achieved more focus was on quality issues. The quality concerns coincided with market-based developments which compelled Zimbabwe to adopt change reforms such as the teacher performance appraisal, one of which focused on quality teaching strategies that would enhance learners’ quality academic achievement. Nevertheless since its inception in 1996 and subsequent implementation in 2000, teachers through their unions have challenged the use of the appraisal which quantifies the teacher’s work, alleging their work cannot be atomized into separate elements to be measured, weighed and then ticked off. The contention highlighted above prompted the need for a research to be carried out which sought to assess: How is the performance appraisal system being implemented in the primary schools? A mixed methods design which is located in the postpositivist paradigm which produced in-depth, detailed, rich data from personal perspectives and experiences that resulted in realistic understanding, interpreted through the social and cultural context of the respondent’s lives. Educators resisted the imported system alleging it was imposed on them without adaptation to local environment. Lack of pilot-testing of the system, lack of proper training and lack of a meaningful reward system perverted the system to a mere ritual that frustrated implementers who found it difficult to use it in their daily work. The study recommends the following: That the educators be incorporated in designing an appraisal system that encompasses the whole teacher’s work package which is geared towards teaching the whole child. That there be a more efficient and sustainable reward system. That the system be interwoven into supervisory mechanisms so that there is no demarcation between the appraisal and daily supervision. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012-01
- Authors: Mathwasa, Joyce https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6637-2083
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Education, Elementary , Performance standards , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25249 , vital:64108
- Description: The massive campaign by Zimbabwe to educate all children was achieved through the education for all policy. When quantity had been achieved more focus was on quality issues. The quality concerns coincided with market-based developments which compelled Zimbabwe to adopt change reforms such as the teacher performance appraisal, one of which focused on quality teaching strategies that would enhance learners’ quality academic achievement. Nevertheless since its inception in 1996 and subsequent implementation in 2000, teachers through their unions have challenged the use of the appraisal which quantifies the teacher’s work, alleging their work cannot be atomized into separate elements to be measured, weighed and then ticked off. The contention highlighted above prompted the need for a research to be carried out which sought to assess: How is the performance appraisal system being implemented in the primary schools? A mixed methods design which is located in the postpositivist paradigm which produced in-depth, detailed, rich data from personal perspectives and experiences that resulted in realistic understanding, interpreted through the social and cultural context of the respondent’s lives. Educators resisted the imported system alleging it was imposed on them without adaptation to local environment. Lack of pilot-testing of the system, lack of proper training and lack of a meaningful reward system perverted the system to a mere ritual that frustrated implementers who found it difficult to use it in their daily work. The study recommends the following: That the educators be incorporated in designing an appraisal system that encompasses the whole teacher’s work package which is geared towards teaching the whole child. That there be a more efficient and sustainable reward system. That the system be interwoven into supervisory mechanisms so that there is no demarcation between the appraisal and daily supervision. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012-01
Impact of performance evaluation on service rendering by the Department of Education in the Lady Frere District at selected schools (2010-2011)
- Authors: Ngodwane, Anele Anthony
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Performance standards , Education and state , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26437 , vital:65312
- Description: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of performance evaluation on the service rendering by the department of education. There have been studies made around performance management system but to my knowledge it was the first of this nature in Lady Frere District. Performance Management System has not been a success ever since its implementation. A lot had happened in our country from apartheid era to the present democratic dispensation. Among the achievements South Africa masters is the ability to formulate or the formulation of policies but its weakness is on the implementation. Performance management system is among the policies that were developed but its implementation has never been a success. Its main aim is to enhance service delivery and attempt to make government effective and efficient. This research considers if performance management system and performance evaluation might address the question of service delivery in the Department of Education in Lady Frere District. Findings on this research spell it out that effective implementation performance management system will lead to an enhanced service delivery. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce , 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012-01
- Authors: Ngodwane, Anele Anthony
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Performance standards , Education and state , School management and organization
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26437 , vital:65312
- Description: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of performance evaluation on the service rendering by the department of education. There have been studies made around performance management system but to my knowledge it was the first of this nature in Lady Frere District. Performance Management System has not been a success ever since its implementation. A lot had happened in our country from apartheid era to the present democratic dispensation. Among the achievements South Africa masters is the ability to formulate or the formulation of policies but its weakness is on the implementation. Performance management system is among the policies that were developed but its implementation has never been a success. Its main aim is to enhance service delivery and attempt to make government effective and efficient. This research considers if performance management system and performance evaluation might address the question of service delivery in the Department of Education in Lady Frere District. Findings on this research spell it out that effective implementation performance management system will lead to an enhanced service delivery. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce , 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012-01
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