Self-reflection practices of school-management teams in the Capricorn District : towards a reflective management strategy for South African schools
- Authors: Malatji, Khashane Stephen
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: School management teams -- South Africa Educational leadership -- South Africa School management and organization -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/3021 , vital:28238
- Description: The study investigated the self-reflection practices of School Management Teams (SMTs) in the Capricorn District. The purpose of the study was to establish self-reflective practices employed by SMT in performing their management functions, and to suggest a reflective model for the enhancement of SMT performance. The study followed the qualitative approach with a case-study research design. The population consisted of SMTs from primary, secondary and special schools. Purposive sampling was utilised to select 8 Head of Departments from less experienced to more experienced in management positions, while 9 principal and 9 deputy principals were randomly selected. Literature reviewed focused on the aims of self-reflection; the functions of SMT; the strengths and weaknesses of self-reflection; self-reflective practices and enhanced performance; models of school management; challenges in school management; and previous studies on SMT and school management. Henderson’s Ethical Model of Enquiry on reflective practice was used. The theory discusses what characterises reflective practitioners. Data was collected from quest views, individual interviews and focus group interviews. The interpretation and understanding were organised in the form of descriptive accounts. Tape-recorded interviews and data from quest views were transcribed verbatim. After transcribing data a sense of the whole was obtained by reading carefully with understanding, and then summarizing the salient aspects. Themes were identified from the responses and discussed. The study found that SMT members were not fully aware of all of their daily functions and poor reflective practices made it difficult for them to effectively fulfil their management functions. Furthermore, the study revealed that SMT members experienced challenges, such as dealing with unprofessional teachers, poor parental involvement, poor communication, poor infrastructure and lack of resources amd these impacted negatively on their performance. The study provided insights into the practice of self-reflection and how SMT members could become reflective practitioners. A new framework was suggested that SMTs should continuously and critically reflect on their management practices and decisions. The study recommends that SMT be trained and oriented about management functions prior to their appointment in the positions. The study further recommends that SMTs consider self-reflection as part of their daily activities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Malatji, Khashane Stephen
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: School management teams -- South Africa Educational leadership -- South Africa School management and organization -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/3021 , vital:28238
- Description: The study investigated the self-reflection practices of School Management Teams (SMTs) in the Capricorn District. The purpose of the study was to establish self-reflective practices employed by SMT in performing their management functions, and to suggest a reflective model for the enhancement of SMT performance. The study followed the qualitative approach with a case-study research design. The population consisted of SMTs from primary, secondary and special schools. Purposive sampling was utilised to select 8 Head of Departments from less experienced to more experienced in management positions, while 9 principal and 9 deputy principals were randomly selected. Literature reviewed focused on the aims of self-reflection; the functions of SMT; the strengths and weaknesses of self-reflection; self-reflective practices and enhanced performance; models of school management; challenges in school management; and previous studies on SMT and school management. Henderson’s Ethical Model of Enquiry on reflective practice was used. The theory discusses what characterises reflective practitioners. Data was collected from quest views, individual interviews and focus group interviews. The interpretation and understanding were organised in the form of descriptive accounts. Tape-recorded interviews and data from quest views were transcribed verbatim. After transcribing data a sense of the whole was obtained by reading carefully with understanding, and then summarizing the salient aspects. Themes were identified from the responses and discussed. The study found that SMT members were not fully aware of all of their daily functions and poor reflective practices made it difficult for them to effectively fulfil their management functions. Furthermore, the study revealed that SMT members experienced challenges, such as dealing with unprofessional teachers, poor parental involvement, poor communication, poor infrastructure and lack of resources amd these impacted negatively on their performance. The study provided insights into the practice of self-reflection and how SMT members could become reflective practitioners. A new framework was suggested that SMTs should continuously and critically reflect on their management practices and decisions. The study recommends that SMT be trained and oriented about management functions prior to their appointment in the positions. The study further recommends that SMTs consider self-reflection as part of their daily activities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The role of intergroup conflict in school-based violence in the Johannesburg Central Education District Schools: towards a strategy for peace education implementation
- Authors: Mkhomi, Moses Sipho
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: School violence -- South Africa -- Johannesburg School discipline -- South Africa -- Johannesburg School crisis management -- South Africa -- Johannesburg Juvenile delinquency -- South Africa -- Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2304 , vital:27750
- Description: School-Based Violence (SBV) is prevalent in South Africa and globally. SBV is one of the challenges that the South African education system is facing resulting in a new deep-rooted culture of unsafe and insecure schools. Teachers are expected to teach learners, who display antisocial behaviour. These learners swear, back chat, verbally and physically abuse and show total disrespect for teachers. The presence of such learners has turned schools into battle field. This violence is not exclusively directed to teachers, but learners are also the common victims of bullying in particular. This study therefore sought to investigate how intergroup violence impacts on the schoolbased violence. The concepts, Intergroup Conflict (IC) and gangs/gangsterism were used interchangeably to describe actions of individuals who take part in the social conflict, driven by competition, antagonism and aggression within the school context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Mkhomi, Moses Sipho
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: School violence -- South Africa -- Johannesburg School discipline -- South Africa -- Johannesburg School crisis management -- South Africa -- Johannesburg Juvenile delinquency -- South Africa -- Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2304 , vital:27750
- Description: School-Based Violence (SBV) is prevalent in South Africa and globally. SBV is one of the challenges that the South African education system is facing resulting in a new deep-rooted culture of unsafe and insecure schools. Teachers are expected to teach learners, who display antisocial behaviour. These learners swear, back chat, verbally and physically abuse and show total disrespect for teachers. The presence of such learners has turned schools into battle field. This violence is not exclusively directed to teachers, but learners are also the common victims of bullying in particular. This study therefore sought to investigate how intergroup violence impacts on the schoolbased violence. The concepts, Intergroup Conflict (IC) and gangs/gangsterism were used interchangeably to describe actions of individuals who take part in the social conflict, driven by competition, antagonism and aggression within the school context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Supporting the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment in the Eastern Cape secondary schools : towards a framework for school management teams and teachers
- Authors: Kalipa, Velelo Clifton
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Rewards and punishments in education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5664 , vital:29359
- Description: Alternative to corporal punishment in schools is a worldwide practice. Most countries have banned the use of corporal punishment in schools and have promulgated laws and adopted policies aiming to enforce the practice of alternative to corporal punishment. South Africa is one of the countries that have introduced policy on alternatives to corporal punishment. However, this policy does not provide details on how School Management Teams (SMTs) and teachers should support the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment; as a result, schools end up having different approaches in as far as implementing alternatives to corporal punishment is concerned. There is also a serious problem of indiscipline in schools and this has since attracted growing attention of researchers in South Africa and the whole world. There are serious offences by learners in schools which range from serious criminal ones such as drug abuse, assaults, theft, murders and rapes to less serious ones such as truancy, incomplete projects, absenteeism and lateness, dodging and bunking of classes in schools. This study therefore sought to investigate how SMT and teachers support the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment in schools. This was a multi case study of four secondary schools in the King Williams Town Education District which was conducted through qualitative research approach. Interviews and documentary analysis were used to collect data and a total of 16 participants (four principals, four SMT members and eight teachers) were selected. From the data, it emerged that some teachers were fixed in using corporal punishment to discipline learners in schools. The data also showed that the alternatives to corporal punishment (ATCP) policies were inconsistently applied as schools had different approaches in as far as how ATCP is implemented and that some schools had no ATCP policies at all. It also emerged from the data that school leadership was a problem in as far as supporting the implementation of ATCP in schools as in some schools the issues of disciplining learners was centralised in the principal’s office. It also became clear that the majority of participants did not understand the national policy on ATCP. There were no indications of parental involvement in the implementation of ATCP in schools. It can be concluded that the channels of communication among principals, SMTs, teachers with regards to the implementation of ATCP was problematic as there were no clear roles as to how each of these officials should implement ATCP. Some teachers still perceived the ATCP as unsuitable for maintaining discipline in rural schools and their discipline strategies were still characterized by punitive measures which border on corporal punishment. School discipline was not seen as a societal matter where other relevant stakeholders could play a pivotal role in learner discipline. This had a negative impact on the school discipline. Learners had no responsibility on maintenance of positive school atmosphere as they were not in any way part taking in the maintenance of discipline in schools. This study therefore recommends a comprehensive framework for the implementation of ATCP that will give details on the roles of SMTs and teachers in the implementation of ATCP in schools. It is recommended that this framework be inclusive of parents and other community stakeholders who would give different perspectives on the implementation of ATCP in schools as education is a societal matter. It is also recommended that more research be conducted that will deal with urban schools and on the involvement of parents and other stakeholders in the implementation of ATCP.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Kalipa, Velelo Clifton
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: School discipline -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Rewards and punishments in education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5664 , vital:29359
- Description: Alternative to corporal punishment in schools is a worldwide practice. Most countries have banned the use of corporal punishment in schools and have promulgated laws and adopted policies aiming to enforce the practice of alternative to corporal punishment. South Africa is one of the countries that have introduced policy on alternatives to corporal punishment. However, this policy does not provide details on how School Management Teams (SMTs) and teachers should support the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment; as a result, schools end up having different approaches in as far as implementing alternatives to corporal punishment is concerned. There is also a serious problem of indiscipline in schools and this has since attracted growing attention of researchers in South Africa and the whole world. There are serious offences by learners in schools which range from serious criminal ones such as drug abuse, assaults, theft, murders and rapes to less serious ones such as truancy, incomplete projects, absenteeism and lateness, dodging and bunking of classes in schools. This study therefore sought to investigate how SMT and teachers support the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment in schools. This was a multi case study of four secondary schools in the King Williams Town Education District which was conducted through qualitative research approach. Interviews and documentary analysis were used to collect data and a total of 16 participants (four principals, four SMT members and eight teachers) were selected. From the data, it emerged that some teachers were fixed in using corporal punishment to discipline learners in schools. The data also showed that the alternatives to corporal punishment (ATCP) policies were inconsistently applied as schools had different approaches in as far as how ATCP is implemented and that some schools had no ATCP policies at all. It also emerged from the data that school leadership was a problem in as far as supporting the implementation of ATCP in schools as in some schools the issues of disciplining learners was centralised in the principal’s office. It also became clear that the majority of participants did not understand the national policy on ATCP. There were no indications of parental involvement in the implementation of ATCP in schools. It can be concluded that the channels of communication among principals, SMTs, teachers with regards to the implementation of ATCP was problematic as there were no clear roles as to how each of these officials should implement ATCP. Some teachers still perceived the ATCP as unsuitable for maintaining discipline in rural schools and their discipline strategies were still characterized by punitive measures which border on corporal punishment. School discipline was not seen as a societal matter where other relevant stakeholders could play a pivotal role in learner discipline. This had a negative impact on the school discipline. Learners had no responsibility on maintenance of positive school atmosphere as they were not in any way part taking in the maintenance of discipline in schools. This study therefore recommends a comprehensive framework for the implementation of ATCP that will give details on the roles of SMTs and teachers in the implementation of ATCP in schools. It is recommended that this framework be inclusive of parents and other community stakeholders who would give different perspectives on the implementation of ATCP in schools as education is a societal matter. It is also recommended that more research be conducted that will deal with urban schools and on the involvement of parents and other stakeholders in the implementation of ATCP.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
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