Teachers’ views of pragmatic strategies to enhance leadership potential for female learners in primary schools at Amathole East Education District
- Authors: Bubulu, Thandiwe
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Educational leadership , School improvement programs
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20024 , vital:44949
- Description: This study examined how the establishment of leadership development programme targeted at female learners in primary schools could promote female learner leaders and motivate more women to take up leadership positions to address concerns of gender and to prepare females for the challenges they may face when assuming leadership roles in future.Whereas adolescent girls may be the future representation of women leaders in society, leadership development of female learners in primary schools has been neglected. Currently, a review of literature on the problem of gender imbalance at leadership level reveals a dearth of research among the youth, less so, among young women. Yet, globally, in Africa and in South Africa, particularly, there is an inequitable balance of leadership positions in society when comparing men and women. The researcher has identified this gap and has decided to dedicated research efforts in adolescent leadership development to enrich the scant existing knowledge on the born-global phenomenon. Because schools play an important role in student development and schools are a key resource for achieving equity goals, understanding how leadership is promoted by school teachers is an important step toward growing the literature on female learners’ leadership development. The study was based on five primary schools in the Amathole District in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study followed a qualitative research approach where interviews were employed to elicit data from the study’s participants and to help in understanding the phenomenon under study. A non-probability, purposive sampling technique was used where ten participants were selected. The study’s participants were five (5) principals, two (2) HoDs, two (2) post level 1 teachers and one (1) Learner Support Assistant (LSA). The study found that a paradigm shift from the traditional view of leadership, where young people are not given leadership positions because they are regarded as young or quiet is a patriarchal belief system that should be done away with. Instead, role-players should embrace and encourage female children to be transformational and servant leaders. There is need for a change of mind-set from all role-players in South Africa to accept learners as equal participants in school leadership and to prioritise the training and development of female learner leaders. Female learners need to be taught a broader understanding of leadership as a concept including differing leadership theories and styles. Leadership as a concept needs to be taught early in primary school and to all learners. The study recommended leadership development seminars, camps, workshops and guest speakers that could aid in the development of leadership at primary school, and to be prioritised. The study concluded that continuous leadership training from a young age, for all learners in primary schools should be encouraged to ensure that learners chosen to lead assume leadership roles with confidence, skills and experience. Government schools need to allocate budget for leadership development of learners, with special funding for the relatively disadvantaged gender. , Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Education, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-09
A review of factors influencing poor performance in matric examinations in Libode District, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Tsama, Vuyani
- Date: 2020-02
- Subjects: High school students , School improvement programs , Education--South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20506 , vital:46029
- Description: The researcher reviewed the factors that influence poor performance in matriculation examinations in the Libode District, also referred to as the OR Tambo Coastal District. Okoye (1982) defines poor academic performance of the individual or candidate in the learning situation as one in which a candidate fails to attain a set standard of performance in a given evaluation exercise such as a test, an examination or a series of continuous assessment. The research used a mixed method approach in an explanatory and case study research design. A purposive sampling of sixty (60) participants, who were the principals in the schools selected, was used. The researcher distributed forty-five (45) questionnaires and fifteen (15) interviews were conducted. The data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel for the quantitative data and thematic analysis for the qualitative data. Furthermore, inferential statistics were done, validating some statements in the research, and approving or disproving statements in the findings of the research. The perceptions of the causes of poor performance showed that forty percent (40 percent) of respondents disagreed that good planning was being done by the Department of Basic Education. Thirty-eight (38 percent ) percent of the participants also disagreed that low motivation on the part of the children was a factor in the poor results, followed by thirty-five percent (35 percent ) who slightly agreed that matric learners are failing because of socio-economic factors. Furthermore, on the challenges affecting the Department of Education, eight-seven percent (87 percent ) of the respondents supported the impact of drugs on poor performance, sixty-nine percent (69 percent) cited the issue of shortages of Learner Teaching and Support Material (LTSM) and sixty-five percent (65 percent) of respondents attributed the erratic and unfair progression of learners at grade eight (8), nine (9) and ten (10) level, which ultimately affected the grade twelve (12) results. The interview findings showed that the average pass rate was fifty percent (50 percent) in most schools, and the administration and leadership issues of the schools had been poorly managed. This, coupled with a shortage of LTSM and societal issues, such as drugs, negatively affected the matriculates. The research findings pointed to the challenge of drugs as being the biggest societal contributor to poor performance in matriculation results in OR Tambo Coastal District. The inferential statistics showed that gender could not affect the principal’s role as administrators and leader. However, gender did impact on leadership style. Women’s leadership style, which was more participative and consultative, was found to produce lower results; while male principals, who used a more bureaucratic, authoritative style, tended to produce higher results. Among other issues, the task-oriented, emotional nature of the principal’s job showed effects on school performance overall and the education level of the grade twelves (12), but educators alone could not affect the matric results. Furthermore, alone, the department’s efforts to improve results were not found to be productive; rather a number of factors could be combined to produce results. Lastly, the researcher recommended that the OR Tambo Coastal District should train teachers through development programmes, adjust the leadership style to one that is situational and transformational, and improve dialogue with school principals through regular school visits. Again, underperforming schools should be provided with LTSM, and teachers should be recruited and deployed on time. , Thesis (MPA) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2020-02
Factors that influence a performance culture in a selected school in Johannesburg East district
- Authors: Gumbo, Edwell
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Educational change -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , Academic achievement -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , School improvement programs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4900 , vital:20748
- Description: A country’s competitive advantage is linked to its educational outcomes. South Africa, as a developing country wants to shift from being a resource based economy to being a knowledge based economy. To enable such a shift, schools must be able to graduate learners who are adequately prepared for the demands of institutions of higher learning. Schools, therefore, must become centres of excellence and a culture of performance must be prevalent in schools. The National Development Plan as outlined by the National Planning Commission (2011) identified education as one of the pillars from which South Africa’s economy will be driven. However, recent studies have rated South Africa’s education system as one of the worst among middle income economies and sometimes even worse than many low-income African economies. To bridge that gap, there is a need to drive schools to be centres of excellence. This study sought to identify factors that influence a performance culture in schools. In order to achieve this objective, literature was scanned and five factors that influence a performance culture were identified (organisational school climate, teacher attitude, school managerial processes, organisational school value and organisational school structure). These factors were initially identified and used by Marcoulides and Heck (1993) in a corporate organisation and later adopted for testing in a school setting by Gomez, Marcoulides and Heck (2012). A school in Johannesburg East district was sampled through convenience sampling and data was collected through a questionnaire which was administered to the principal, teachers and staff, school governing board members, parents and alumni of the school. The total sample was 120 and a total of 94 questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 78 percent. Descriptive statistical techniques were performed to establish the mean and standard deviation of perceptions among the respondents. Inferential statistical techniques were used to measure and ascertain reliability through Cronbach’s alpha, comparisons of responses through t-testing and ANOVA, association through correlation and hypotheses were tested through multiple regression analysis. All the variables were found to be valid and reliable. Furthermore, statistical results revealed that in the sampled school, even though all the five factors had an association among each other, only organisational school culture and organisational school value had an association to the dependent variable, performance culture. Organisational school value, however, was found to be the only variable of great influence to performance culture at the sampled school. The ideologies and activities that represent the values, therefore, influence the performance culture of a school.
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- Date Issued: 2016