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Educators’ Perceptions of School Effectiveness and Dysfunctional Schools in South Africa

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Abstract

Based on international comparisons and annual national assessments of reading and mathematics achievement levels it could be stated that the South African education system is to a large extent ineffective. Large numbers of schools are considered to be dysfunctional. This study aimed at investigating practitioners’ perceptions of effective schools and ineffective or dysfunctional schools within the specific context of South Africa. It is argued that the root causes of dysfunction must be discovered in order to develop a coordinated and structured strategy in turning dysfunctional schools around to become effective again. On the basis of an in-depth literature review and a qualitative investigation it was found that practitioners’ perceptions show a great deal of similarity with school effectiveness models developed elsewhere. Various root causes for dysfunction came to the fore including ineffective management of the education system on various levels of management, an ineffective teacher corps and limited mother tongue instruction.

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... In a research study by Pretorius (2014), it was revealed that effective schools are striving towards the attainment of their mission. Contrary to Pretorius, Mawdsley et al. (2015) argue that some schools become dysfunctional as soon as they fail to accomplish their mission. ...
... He attested that the functionality of schools has been negatively affected by lack of resources, stigmatized with an obstinate culture of failure, and failure to accomplish the mission statement. Pretorius (2014) research conducted in Eastern Cape schools, revealed that the South African Democratic Teachers Union reiterated that "Colonialism and apartheid created miserable conditions in schools; until there is redress and equality, there is nothing we can do"( p. 62). However, can schools keep on holding onto the past injustices liable for the state of the dysfunctionality in schools' ad infinitum? ...
... Those schools are characterized by efficient and effective management of their school budget with one goal in mind "the children come first". Consequently, Pretorius (2014) added by saying that in most instances a functional school has staff and parents who are united and understand their mission to deliver quality and excellent education. ...
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Purpose: This article investigates the connection of budgeting and the mission of schools which could lead to the success of dysfunctional schools, and establish whether the school management teams are capable enough in developing a realistic mission of the schools in line with the budget. Approach/Methodology/Design: The purposeful sampling was employed drawing 131 participants from forty schools. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques were used by distributing questionnaires and conducting interviews. Descriptive statistics were primarily used to organize, analyze, summarize and interpret collected data through the application of mathematical procedures. Findings: It is revealed that knowledge of developing a realistic schools mission and budget is inadequate in some public schools; This results in dysfunctional schools which are clouded by fragmentation of budgeting and mission operating parallel to each other. This is attested by the level of contradictions of SMTs and human resource officials in meeting the basic educational needs, such as the acquirement of learner/teachers support materials and maintenance of dilapidated infrastructure. Learners are left stranded without learning support materials and conducive learning environments. Consequently, quality education is compromised denying learners better education and future enshrined in most schools' mission statements. Practical Implications: What is crucial in modern times, that being meticulous budgeting, capacity building on budgeting, financial and project management as well as a unified and modeling mission in all school activities and a refusal to tolerate dysfunction. Originality/value: The study investigates a crucial problem; the reasons behind dysfunctional schools. There are contradictions between budgeting and school mission statements, mostly leading to dysfunctional performance.
... There is no indication that this downward trend in the schools has been arrested (Westaway, 2015). Some schools have been affected to the point of dysfunctionality (Pretorius, 2014) resulting from issues which include commitment of teachers, the well-being of teachers, teacher's knowledge of subject content, learner and teacher-interaction, use of different teaching approaches and assessments, unstable management conditions, inappropriate or lack of leadership, lack of vision, an unhealthy school climate and culture, and low staff and learner morale (Kutame, Maluleke, Netshandama & Ramakuela, 2014;Pretorius, 2014); high pregnancy rate among learners (Mbulaheni, Kutame, Frances & Maluleke, 2014) and violence amongst learners (Rossouw, 2003). A school may become dysfunctional due to abnormal or impaired functioning, thus, it fails to accomplish the true purpose of teaching and learning for which it was instituted (Pretorius, 2014). ...
... There is no indication that this downward trend in the schools has been arrested (Westaway, 2015). Some schools have been affected to the point of dysfunctionality (Pretorius, 2014) resulting from issues which include commitment of teachers, the well-being of teachers, teacher's knowledge of subject content, learner and teacher-interaction, use of different teaching approaches and assessments, unstable management conditions, inappropriate or lack of leadership, lack of vision, an unhealthy school climate and culture, and low staff and learner morale (Kutame, Maluleke, Netshandama & Ramakuela, 2014;Pretorius, 2014); high pregnancy rate among learners (Mbulaheni, Kutame, Frances & Maluleke, 2014) and violence amongst learners (Rossouw, 2003). A school may become dysfunctional due to abnormal or impaired functioning, thus, it fails to accomplish the true purpose of teaching and learning for which it was instituted (Pretorius, 2014). ...
... Some schools have been affected to the point of dysfunctionality (Pretorius, 2014) resulting from issues which include commitment of teachers, the well-being of teachers, teacher's knowledge of subject content, learner and teacher-interaction, use of different teaching approaches and assessments, unstable management conditions, inappropriate or lack of leadership, lack of vision, an unhealthy school climate and culture, and low staff and learner morale (Kutame, Maluleke, Netshandama & Ramakuela, 2014;Pretorius, 2014); high pregnancy rate among learners (Mbulaheni, Kutame, Frances & Maluleke, 2014) and violence amongst learners (Rossouw, 2003). A school may become dysfunctional due to abnormal or impaired functioning, thus, it fails to accomplish the true purpose of teaching and learning for which it was instituted (Pretorius, 2014). ...
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The present study explores the relationship of academic success with basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and perceived social support of friends, family, and instructors. These components are examined in the context of historically underrepresented (i.e., generational status, ethnicity, and gender)college students versus those in traditional majority groups. This assessment of perceived social support is essential to creating beneficial and supportive environments for all students. Results indicate a relation between motivation and group identities; concurrently, instructor support has the greatest impact on academic success. Institutions often neglect to emphasize the importance of connections among students and faculty. Our research suggests that significant focus should be placed on increasing promotion of instructor support and resources.
... Despite the advocacy in the South African CAPS to teach science and its processes at different educational levels, the performance of South African learners in science, including international science assessments, such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), has been consistently poor (Pretorius, 2014). While many factors could account for this poor performance, ineffective teaching of science in the Foundation phase could be a contributing factor (Shidiq & Falkhmta, 2020). ...
... If teachers have a poor understanding of science and its processes, and they have negative perceptions about the teaching of science to early primary school learners, then they are not likely to introduce science to learners adequately or to motivate them to study science and to take up science related careers in the future (Ualesi & Ward, 2018). This could partly explain the poor performance of most South African learners in science assessments (Pretorius, 2014). ...
Conference Paper
Early primary school (grades R to 3) science education has been in the spotlight in recent years, as science education scholars are increasingly acknowledging the need to provide a strong foundation in science education, to motivate learners to study the subject in subsequent years. Literature suggests that most early primary school teachers lack the basic knowledge required to introduce young learners to science, and to motivate them in the study of science. Primary school teachers’ limited knowledge of science and its processes could affect how they introduce and develop science concepts in early primary school learners. In the South African context, there is limited literature on early primary school teachers’ knowledge of science and its processes, as well as on teachers’ attitudes towards the teaching of science to early primary school learners. The purpose of the study was to investigate early primary school teachers’ knowledge of the concepts of science and science process skills, and to determine their perceptions regarding the teaching of science in early primary school. The study involved four purposively selected early primary school teachers, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews, and the findings showed that the participating teachers had limited knowledge of the concepts of science and science process skills, and that they mostly had negative perceptions about the teaching of science in early primary school. These findings have implications on the training of early primary school teachers.
... Westaway (2015) stresses that there is no indication of poor performance trends in various schools that can be prevented. Kutame, Maluleke, Netshandama and Ramakuela (2014); and Pretorius (2014) indicate factors such as lack of teachers" commitment, teachers" welfare, inadequate subject content knowledge, teacher-learner relationship, teaching approaches and assessment influence school performance. The school is dysfunctional due to the failure to accomplish the core business of teaching and learning, which is compromised (Pretorius, 2014). ...
... Kutame, Maluleke, Netshandama and Ramakuela (2014); and Pretorius (2014) indicate factors such as lack of teachers" commitment, teachers" welfare, inadequate subject content knowledge, teacher-learner relationship, teaching approaches and assessment influence school performance. The school is dysfunctional due to the failure to accomplish the core business of teaching and learning, which is compromised (Pretorius, 2014). Mohlala (2009) reports in his study that Limpopo Province is one of the Provinces with the highest number of dysfunctional schools due to inadequate teaching staff, lack of dynamic teaching skills, as well as demotivated and demoralised teachers. ...
Article
The Department of Basic Education in South Africa is worried about massive learners" poor academic performance in public secondary schools. In various secondary schools in Vhembe District, the quality of learners" academic performance has retrogressed and deteriorated, despite several intervention strategies to improve the performance. The study aims to determine how teachers' approaches can influence intervention strategies to enhance learners" performance in Grade 12 by providing support, care, guidance and professional development programmes within the schools and through the government initiative programmes. This study focused on the teachers" approaches to improving intervention strategies to enhance the academic performance of Grade 12 learners in Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa. A sample of 16 teachers and 15 heads of the department was purposively selected in this interpretive qualitative study. The participants were engaged in two semi-structured focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the interview data. Findings revealed that extra lessons, peer teaching, collaborative teaching and learning, outsourcing of expert subject teachers, Volume 12, Number 2, June 2022 pp 7-29 Teachers' Approaches to Improving Intervention … 8 quality quarterly assessment and monitoring of informal and formal tasks were implemented as teachers" approaches to enhance quality of learners' performance. While the participants decried that several schools in the Vhembe District are dysfunctional and need interventions to improve output. The study recommends further support for teacher professional development to enhance teaching and learning for better quality results.
... Emphasising the import of education, contends that it is the ladder to an individual's prosperity, independence, and success in life while breaking such individuals free from the shackles of poverty and illiteracy while Sathorar and Blignaut (2021) argue that it is the vehicle for social change. Given that 80% of South Africa's schools are reportedly dysfunctional, it is well-documented that the country's educational system is essentially not generating the desired educational outcomes (Bergman, 2013;Pretorius, 2014;Wilkinson, 2015); this dysfunctionality has been acclaimed to be due to several factors, including a lack of or inadequate humanisation of her pedagogy or curriculum. ...
Article
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A humanising curriculum cum pedagogy is an evolving terminology in the South African education space. Post-apartheid South Africa continues to struggle with her reasonably new democracy, which is still characterised by social injustice, inequity, racism, xenophobia, crime, and unemployment. A panacea for these is through a fully humanised education system. Underpinned by the Freirean humanising pedagogy theory, this review explored the state of a humanising curriculum and pedagogy in South Africa. Five search terms, "humanising curriculum", "humanising pedagogy", "humanising teacher education", "humanising andragogy", and "South Africa", were used for the review. Journal articles, scholarly books, doctoral theses, and conference proceedings published in English and indexed in SCOPUS, EBSCO, PsyINFO, and Google Scholar formed the inclusion criteria. 29 published articles were initially identified, with only 7 articles meeting the set criteria. The review's findings and strategies for promoting a humanising teacher education curriculum and pedagogy are discussed. I surmise that a humanising curriculum and pedagogy is not fully operational in South African schools. I suggest that practical deliberative actions and efforts at enhancing its operations and manifestations be intensified to avoid making it rhetorical. It is anticipated 152 ©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. that this paper will lead to a better understanding of and promote a humanising philosophy in teacher education that is geared towards changing the current situation in schools and equip curriculum designers and scholars, teacher educators, as well as pre-service and in-service teachers, to commit to a humanising curriculum and pedagogy in these current times. Thus, promoting a more humane philosophy and approach in the South African teacher education curriculum and pedagogy could be the first step in this transformation.
... Critical voices such as Bloch (2009), Fleisch (2006, and Pretorious (2014), posited that despite the constitution being the supreme law, the education system in South Africa currently remains in crisis, is dysfunctional, and has been termed a national disaster. This is despite the fact that the gratification of the right to basic education is meant to be all-inclusive, taking into consideration that the state has put in place a legislative and policy framework to meet its obligations in this regard. ...
Article
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The right to basic education of a child is a requirement of human dignity. South Africa, through its new dispensation and conformity with human rights laws, is expected to transform and be consistent with the provision of the Constitution of 1996 that promotes and protects the best interest of the child. However, the current standards in a majority of South African schools, particularly in impoverished provinces, has clearly demonstrated the urgent need for rapid fundamental changes. This article provides a review of the constitutional right to basic education with reference to the welfare of the learners in South African schools and raises questions as to whether South Africa is out-of-depth in upholding its constitutional obligation with respect to the right to basic education in the eradication of pit latrines in schools. It argues that the lack of adequate resources in the provisioning of sanitation undermines many of the fundamental rights that are entrenched in the Constitution 1996. An overview of the international conventions and human rights treaties to which South Africa is a signatory is given, showing the country’s commitment to protecting and improving the status and welfare of the children. Furthermore, the second section intersects the right to basic education with the best interest of the child as envisaged in South Africa’s legal framework. The final section details how despite legislation in place, the existence of pit latrines in schools violates the right to life, health, and dignity of its learners, particularly the right to basic education. Key words: children, education, human rights and dignity, pit latrines, schools Le droit de l’enfant à l'éducation de base est une exigence de la dignité humaine. L'Afrique du Sud, à travers sa nouvelle dispensation et sa conformité avec les lois sur les droits de l'homme, est censée se transformer et être cohérente avec la disposition de la Constitution de 1996 qui promeut et protège l'intérêt supérieur de l'enfant. Cependant, les normes actuelles dans une majorité d'écoles sud-africaines, en particulier dans les provinces pauvres, ont clairement démontré le besoin urgent de changements fondamentaux rapides. Cet article passe en revue le droit constitutionnel à l'éducation de base en se référant au bien-être des apprenants dans les écoles sud-africaines et soulève la question de savoir si l'Afrique du Sud perd pied quant à son obligation constitutionnelle en ce qui concerne le droit à l'éducation de base dans l'éradication des latrines à fosse dans les écoles. Il affirme que le manque de ressources adéquates pour la fourniture de services d'assainissement porte atteinte à de nombreux droits fondamentaux inscrits dans la Constitution de 1996. On présente un aperçu des conventions internationales et des traités relatifs aux droits de l'homme dont l'Afrique du Sud est signataire, montrant l'engagement du pays à protéger et à améliorer le statut et le bien-être des enfants. En outre, la deuxième section met en relation le droit à l'éducation de base avec l'intérêt supérieur de l'enfant tel qu'il est envisagé dans le cadre juridique sud-africain. La dernière section détaille comment, malgré la législation en place, l'existence de latrines à fosse dans les écoles viole le droit à la vie, à la santé et à la dignité de ses apprenants, en particulier le droit à l'éducation de base. Mots clés: enfants, éducation, droits de l'homme et dignité, latrines à fosse, écoles
... Affluent parents could also opt to enrol their children at independent or private schools, a sub-system of schools associated with high school fees. As can be expected, only a third of the population can afford better-functioning public schools that charge fees (Pretorius, 2014). Parents do not want their children to attend schools characterised by low morale, high teacher absenteeism, low achievement and an unsafe environment. ...
... Learner school truancy coming is a widespread problem in many public schools in South Africa (Pretorius, 2014). ...
Article
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The study investigated the management strategies that school principals employed to curb the incidents of learner truancy in South African township public schools. Learner truancy boil down to effective teaching and learning. In this study, the researchers argue that school principals should use effective management strategies that will instil a sense of discipline and respect for time management and a collaborative effort by parents as well. An interpretive qualitative research method was used in this study to elicit rich contextual data of school principals' management strategies of learner truancy in their respectful schools. A convenience sample of 13 school principals in one district of education in South Africa was sampled. The study used in-depth interviews strategies to collect data that enhanced and shed light on management strategies used by township school principals. It took two months for the researchers three months period to interview and collate the data. Qualitative data collected was transcribed from the recordings and thematically analysed. The study results revealed that their school policies in place for learner late coming and they are being used in schools. However, the study also showed that disciplinary practices are inconsistent with the actual policies. It was further revealed that school principals persist to violate school policies and school education legislation.
... In agreement with Pretorius (2014) the results reflected in Table 3 show the majority (91.5%) of respondents agreed that teachers' professional development is a useful strategy that teachers can use to improve learners' understanding. Pretorius (2014) indicates that every school should have a plan for the continuous professional development of its teaching staff in place.The findings by Carpenter et al. (1989) show that professional development programs which are focused on student thinking can help teachers increase their understanding of children's mathematical understandings and misconceptions enhance their ability to build on children's understanding in their teaching, and improve students' problem-solving skills. ...
... Learners for example lack metacognitive skills to self-regulate learning and find it difficult to reflect on and direct their learning to ensure progress (Fashant et al., 2020). This problem is compounded by teachers who still appear to be using teaching approaches that no longer serve the self-directed roles learners will have to play in the 21st century (Jansen, 2012;Pretorius, 2014;Eyre, 2016;Lotz, 2016). Patrinos (2020) adds that learners need to possess skills and dispositions to direct and manage their learning progress, establish worthwhile relationships, enjoy a successful and high-quality life, and contribute to a meaningful and reliable society. ...
Chapter
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In recent years, the school curricula in many European countries have introduced social and emotional learning (SEL). This calls for the teachers to have SEL competencies. The present study evaluates teachers’ and their students’ readiness for SEL during an intervention in five European countries. The participants were teachers (n = 402) in five European countries; Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Spain. The pre-and post-measuring points for both the intervention and the comparison group were at approximately the same time before and after the intervention. Comparison data consisted of 159 teachers in the same countries. The training for the intervention group lasted 16 h for the teachers and a maximum of 16 h for the principles and headmasters. An additional 9 h of further monitoring took place. There were two student groups participating in the study: the age group of 8–11 years (pre-puberty) and the age group of 12–15 years (adolescents). Students, whose teachers had participated in the intervention, formed the intervention group (n = 2,552). Those students, whose teachers did not participate in the intervention, formed the comparison group (n = 1,730). The questionnaire data were collected at the beginning and at the end of the school year for both age groups. The results indicated that there was a favourable development in the intervention group in some of the measured skills among students, but the effects were different for the two age groups. This study adds to both theoretical and practical development of continuing teacher training about SEL and its possible role in reducing problem behaviour among the students.
... This research is positioned within South Africa where the constitutional goals of social justice and democracy in education have yet to be achieved (Bergman, 2013;De Vos, 2015;Moloi, 2019;Pretorius, 2014). As noted earlier, while the inclusion of African music in a national curriculum might appear to validate indigenous knowledge, the minimal take up of the IAM stream suggests it may, instead, be devalued by this curriculum. ...
Thesis
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This thesis considers African music curricula in South Africa. It explores the problem of recontextualising a musical practice into the formal space of curriculum. Theoretical lenses are provided by Bernsteinian Theory and Legitimation Code Theory. These allow an indepth consideration of musical knowledge as it is articulated in curricula.
... Learners for example lack metacognitive skills to self-regulate learning and find it difficult to reflect on and direct their learning to ensure progress (Fashant et al., 2020). This problem is compounded by teachers who still appear to be using teaching approaches that no longer serve the self-directed roles learners will have to play in the 21st century (Jansen, 2012;Pretorius, 2014;Eyre, 2016;Lotz, 2016). Patrinos (2020) adds that learners need to possess skills and dispositions to direct and manage their learning progress, establish worthwhile relationships, enjoy a successful and high-quality life, and contribute to a meaningful and reliable society. ...
Article
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Background The international crisis of declining learner wellbeing exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic with its devastating effects on physical health and wellbeing, impels the prioritization of initiatives for specifically enabling academic and personal wellbeing among school learners to ensure autonomous functioning and flourishing in academic and daily life. Research emphasizes the role of self-directed action in fostering wellbeing. However, there is limited research evidence of how self-directed action among school learners could be advanced. Aim We explore the effectiveness of an intervention initiative that exposes teachers to foregrounding Cognitive Education – the explicit and purposeful teaching of thinking skills and dispositions to learners that would advance self-regulated action - to establish the latent potential of the intervention for assisting learners to develop self-regulating abilities that progressively inspires increased self-directed action. Method We illuminate the qualitative outcomes of an exploratory pilot study with a heterogeneous group of willing in-service teachers from two public primary schools (n = 12), one private primary school (n = 3), and one pre-school (n = 2) in South Africa who received exposure to an 80-h intervention that comprised seven study units. The article delineates the experiences of the teachers concerning their participation in the intervention as reflected in their written reflections, as well as their perceptions about the value of the intervention probed with semi-structured one-on-one interviews after completion of the intervention. Results The findings revealed that exposure to the intervention holds benefits for equipping teachers with teaching strategies to create classroom conditions that nurture the development of thinking skills and dispositions that are important for self-regulating, and ultimately self-directing academic and personal wellbeing. Conclusion Cognitive Education is a form of strengths-based education that can play an indispensable role in enabling self-directed academic and personal wellbeing among school learners.
... There are frequent reports of infrastructural inadequacies in KZN schools, most typically in the rural and township sectors. Reports from teachers, department officials and researchers/media personnel label many of these schools as dysfunctional (Pretorius, 2014). Furthermore, many of the teachers in these schools are underqualified. ...
Article
This article focuses on the state and status of Physical Education (PE) in six KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) schools in three different school contexts: former Model-C, rural and township. This comparative case study employed a qualitative, descriptive research design with an interpretative approach. The findings, conclusions and recommendations inform a nationwide research project under the auspices of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)-Department of Basic Education (DBE) partnership. Adopting a social justice theoretical framework, analysis of the KZN data demonstrates the imperative to adopt a holistic, inclusive approach in the promotion of PE across school contexts. The playing fields, both physically and figuratively are not level between quintiles 2, 3 and 5 schools. The infrastructure, particularly, in the lower quintile schools, needs attention. Teachers are key resources needed to bring about change and both pre-service and in-service Life Orientation teachers require training and support to facilitate PE. It is hoped that national and provincial stakeholders will respond to the empirical data presented in this study so that PE can, with integrity, afford learners the opportunity to learn-to-move and to learn-through-movement in all school contexts. There are many tertiary institutions in South Africa, including KZN, that are well-positioned to deliver pre-service training, accredited coursework and information resources to schools in the country.
... The unequal education system of the apartheid era differentiated along racial and gender lines, thus adding to the poor quality of education that is experienced in today's higher education. Basic schooling structure is replete with negligence and dysfunction (Pretorius, 2014;Alston, 2018) to the extent that only a small pool of high school graduates has the necessary grades and subjects to access higher education, not to mention the so-called scarce skills. To improve access to institutions of higher learning, the government has recently lowered entry requirements. ...
Article
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This paper, based on scholarly as well as documentary evidence, intends to highlight thesocioeconomic implications of fraud and assessment irregularities in South Africa’s higher education. Highereducation institutions serve nation building purposes and as such it is expected that what they produceshould be of high standard in order to further this purpose. Lately, owing to the rise in assessmentmalpractices across South African institutions of higher learning, calls have been made by business andsociety for ways to deal with this. This paper asks a few questions related to what constitutes fraud andassessment irregularities and the sources of these. The paper also points out what these portend for highereducation in South Africa while at the same suggesting some recommendations. This paper contributes to theliterature on the growing concerns of educators and researchers regarding high levels of examinationmalpractice and assessment irregularities within higher education sector globally, but in particular SouthAfrica.
... The study showed a significant relationship between principals' leadership behaviour and school effectiveness; school leadership is one of the correlates under investigation in this paper. Pretorius (2014) did a study to investigate practitioners' perceptions of effective, and dysfunctional schools in South Africa. Using in-depth literature review and a qualitative investigation, the study found that a well-managed school has proper execution of the management functions of planning, organisation, leading and control, and a clarity on process by which such functions relate to each other. ...
Article
The paper examines the link between school effectiveness and academic performance among primary schools in Nairobi city, Kenya. Data are from 1120 teachers spread in 89 primary schools. Using multivariate regression analysis, the school effectiveness correlates and school academic performance are investigated. Results show existence of a latent variable that strongly explains academic performance even after accounting for covariates. This implies that poor parents in urban poor neighbourhoods choose to enrol their children in schools perceived to be effective; and, investment on strategies that enhance school effectiveness could go a long way to improve school academic performance.
... In agreement with Pretorius (2014) the results reflected in Table 3 show the majority (91.5%) of respondents agreed that teachers' professional development is a useful strategy that teachers can use to improve learners' understanding. Pretorius (2014) indicates that every school should have a plan for the continuous professional development of its teaching staff in place.The findings by Carpenter et al. (1989) show that professional development programs which are focused on student thinking can help teachers increase their understanding of children's mathematical understandings and misconceptions enhance their ability to build on children's understanding in their teaching, and improve students' problem-solving skills. ...
... In agreement with Pretorius (2014) the results reflected in Table 3 show the majority (91.5%) of respondents agreed that teachers' professional development is a useful strategy that teachers can use to improve learners' understanding. Pretorius (2014) indicates that every school should have a plan for the continuous professional development of its teaching staff in place.The findings by Carpenter et al. (1989) show that professional development programs which are focused on student thinking can help teachers increase their understanding of children's mathematical understandings and misconceptions enhance their ability to build on children's understanding in their teaching, and improve students' problem-solving skills. ...
... Teacher misconduct and unlawful use of corporal punishment need to be firmly addressed. A learning environment needs to be created for teachers and learners to flourish [5], [9], [16], with increased teaching quality, effort, and skill [8]. A holistic model should be followed by active involvement of the principal in addressing both teachers and learner development. ...
Conference Paper
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The role of the school principal is instrumental in quality education. This paper is a qualitative inquiry with an interpretive orientation, investigating the principals' views on teacher under-performance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on nine principals and two cluster leaders. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews yielded both causal and solution factors. The study provides both challenges and resolutions to the role of the principal in addressing under-performance in the educational sector.
... In agreement with Pretorius (2014) the results reflected in Table 3 show the majority (91.5%) of respondents agreed that teachers' professional development is a useful strategy that teachers can use to improve learners' understanding. Pretorius (2014) indicates that every school should have a plan for the continuous professional development of its teaching staff in place.The findings by Carpenter et al. (1989) show that professional development programs which are focused on student thinking can help teachers increase their understanding of children's mathematical understandings and misconceptions enhance their ability to build on children's understanding in their teaching, and improve students' problem-solving skills. ...
Article
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The aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the impact of Continuing Professional Development on promoting quality teaching and learning. This study adopted a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative research designs. Closed-ended self-administered questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect data. Two hundred teachers were sampled through simple random sampling procedure to complete the questionnaires, while ten teachers participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The results show that teachers recognise the impact of professional development in broadening their pedagogical and content knowledge, teaching skills and strategies to improve student’s learning. Results also show that teachers are undergoing professional development initiatives in order to gain financial rewards. The study concludes that teachers have positive perceptions of their professional development even though they are not being supported adequately by Department of Basic Education and their schools.The study recommends that adequate financial rewards be put in place to encourage and motivate teachers when furthering their studies as part of Continuing Professional Development. Further research into the factors influencing teachers furthering their studies as part of professional development in South Africa should be undertaken.
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Equipping students with well-developed thinking skills and dispositions to become Advanced Performers appears to remain a daunting task for teachers. To this end, the research foregrounded two feasibility objectives for a pilot study that, firstly, obtained information based on teachers’ perceptions about the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the factors that influence the nurturing of Advanced Performance, and, secondly, established the suitability of the questionnaire items to ascertain teachers’ perceptions about their readiness towards nurturing Advanced Performance. Quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive survey research with a heterogeneous group of Grade R and Foundation Phase teachers from two public primary schools and one pre-school (n = 26) in South Africa was employed. Findings revealed that a main study would be feasible and should continue with modification to the questionnaire to streamline data collection. Perceptions about teaching practice as well as competence in teaching thinking skills and dispositions seem to strongly influence teaching for Advanced Performance. Questionnaire items could be selected and grouped more meaningfully to focus attention to these two constructs. Moreover, exploring additional contextual factors, such as curriculum overload and a content-driven approach to teaching, could extend the present identification of factors that hamper the nurturing of Advanced Performance.
Thesis
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Previous research in the area of school leadership indicates that current models of management are falling short of equipping school leaders with the skills required to meet the demands of 21st century schools. Nowhere in the world is this more evident than in South Africa, where transformation of the education system since democracy in 1994, has been slow - eroded by weak management, bureaucratic management structures and policy overload. Nowadays, effective, intelligent leaders are those who respond to challenges utilising different intelligences. For these reasons, this study draws on leadership intelligence (LQ) theory and proposes that a holistic understanding of intelligence, known as leadership intelligence (LQ), can be a useful theoretical approach to effective school leadership in a South African school context. LQ refers to how leaders need to make logical decisions (IQ), manage their own and their team’s emotions (EQ) and express their desires and passions (SQ); focusing on the balance between these three intelligences. “How can a leadership intelligence (LQ) development course empower the leadership team of a township school to lead more intelligently?” is the fundamental question in this study. To illustrate this, I employed a participatory action research (PAR) design to explore the perceived changes in the LQ of a school management team (SMT) in a township school. In attending a three-week long LQ intervention, and using a LQ questionnaire (LIQ) as a pre- and post-intervention technique, the SMT as research collaborators, wrote about their learning in journals before finally devising action plans. In using inductive reasoning, I explored the participant’s journals and action plans, by looking for patterns then allocating codes before eventually identifying common themes. What emerged as a result of the thematic analysis, were three predominate themes of autonomy, empathy, and communication. These prevailing themes were then discussed, illuminating some of the challenges facing school leadership in township schools and was evidence of their growing LQ. The findings point to the impact of hierarchical structures and autocracy prevalent in schools as obstacles to the participants who are working towards accessing their LQ skills. Furthermore, while the results of this study have shed light on the fields of school leadership in a South African township school and leadership intelligence (LQ), the PAR approach has also contributed to research in school leadership development in South Africa as a suggested avenue for future research.
Article
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Equipping students with well-developed thinking skills and dispositions to become Advanced Performers appears to remain a daunting task for teachers. To this end, the research foregrounded two feasibility objectives for a pilot study that, firstly, obtained information based on teachers’ perceptions about the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the factors that influence the nurturing of Advanced Performance, and, secondly, established the suitability of the questionnaire items to ascertain teachers’perceptions about their readiness towards nurturing Advanced Performance. Quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive survey research with a heterogeneous group of Grade R and Foundation Phase teachers from two public primary schools and one pre-school (n = 26) in South Africa was employed. Findings revealed that a main study would be feasible and should continue with modification to the questionnaire to streamline data collection. Perceptions about teaching practice as well as competence in teaching thinking skills and dispositions seem to strongly influence teaching for Advanced Performance. Questionnaire items could be selected and grouped more meaningfully to focus attention to these two constructs. Moreover, exploring additional contextual factors, such as curriculum overload and a content-driven approach to teaching, could extend the present identification of factors that hamper the nurturing of Advanced Performance.1234
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The problem addressed in this theoretical paper is that of learners and educators as agents of social transformation in dysfunctional schools of South Africa. While 80% of South African schools are said to be dysfunctional, learners and educators in these schools can be activated to challenge and actively struggle against any form of social oppression that dehumanises and renders them failures. Educators can work in collaboration with learners to conscientize the latter so that they are able to question different forms of inequalities and discrimination implicit in the curriculum offered at school, which excludes their cultural learning experiences. This paper argues that township and rural school educators and learners can become social agents for change if they are exposed to critical pedagogy which fosters emancipatory methods of teaching and learning. Consequently, structural factors surrounding the South African education system must be addressed if learner performance in dysfunctional schools is to improve.
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Is it possible to provide context-relevant education to a diverse and dispersed body of students via online presented courses? Contextual relevance is called for by students and the public alike, as can also be seen in the #fallist movements. More traditional academics and institutions argue for retaining excellence from the past and known knowledge still to be taught. In this conceptual article, education is seen as a mastery of knowledge expanses by integrating Data and Information into Knowledge and Wisdom (D-I-K-W). Departing from the learning sciences, especially mind, brain and education science and its application in culturally appropriate learning, it is argued that including effective learning strategies in online courses, especially application-oriented strategies, can help students to apply knowledge from the past to contexts in the present, thereby attaining context-relevant education. However, the application of learnt material to situations brings forward another dimension, namely, the future, which is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA). In applying and making decisions, it is helpful to attend to the Cynefin framework, attending to the domains of the obvious, the complicated, the complex, the chaotic and the disorder. Excellence from the past and relevance in the present should, therefore, be augmented by abilities aimed at future readiness. Context-relevant online education should therefore attend to the past, the present and the future.
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The fact that all children must attend school has characterised South Africa over the past two decades. While many schools are struggling to address this challenge, others have made strides and progress in closing the gap between groups. This article recounts how these secondary schools have been able to narrow the achievement gap and sustain their success over time. The three schools described here are all large public schools that serve disadvantaged communities in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Data was collected during meetings with the three schools which consisted of two rounds of focus group and one whole group session. These meetings helped the researcher to gather important information about each school’s characteristics, school change process, school climate, role of the curriculum and instructional practices in promoting learner achievement. While each of the participating schools has unique characteristics, a set of important common practices emerged.
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Poor academic performance of learners is a major problem in South African public schools today. A considerable number of schools in the Vhembe District are dysfunctional. The main aim of this study was to find challenges in the promotion of the teachers’ mental health for them to create an environment that promotes quality teaching and learning in dysfunctional secondary schools in Mutale area in the Vhembe District. Quantitative research design was used, collecting data through questionnaires. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select 160 teachers from rural dysfunctional schools. Data was analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS statistics). Results showed that conditions in the schools were not conducive to the promotion of teachers’ mental health. A model was developed in order to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in dysfunctional secondary schools in the Mutale area through promotion of teachers’ mental health.
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While there are strategies and models for teachers advocating for promotion of effective teaching in schools, these have not been successful in improving the quality of teaching in public secondary schools. The aim of this study was to develop a model which promotes the quality of teaching through teachers’ professional development. Quantitative data was collected through closed-ended self-administered questionnaires. Two hundred teachers were sampled through simple random sampling procedure. Results show that though teachers were attempting to improve the quality of teaching in dysfunctional schools in rural areas, their efforts have been short lived. A model to assist in improving teachers’ skills and the quality of teaching through their professional development has been developed. The model shows that teachers must be involved in the planning, conception and implementation of their professional development to improve their teaching skills. Teachers’ professional development linked to promotional development would improve the quality of teaching and learning. The model promotes teacher observation process while teaching in class to improve skills.
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Models for professional development of teachers that advocate for the promotion of effective teaching and learning have not been successful in improving the quality of teaching in public secondary schools. Some of the teacher professional development models are based on assumptions and theories about teachers’ needs but lacking applicability in the context of teachers’ places or classroom work. The aim of this research was to develop an empirically based teachers’ professional development model for effective teaching and learning in schools. A quantitative survey research was conducted through close-ended self-administered questionnaires for data collection. Two hundred teachers were sampled through the simple random sampling procedure. The paper concludes that professional development of teachers should be planned, conceived and implemented by teachers themselves. A model to enhance teachers’ skills and quality of teaching, through effective teacher professional development was developed as a recommendation.
Conference Paper
Teachers are the key role players in ensuring that all learners at school become good thinkers. However, recent studies conducted nationally and internationally point to many school leavers entering the world of study or work without the necessary higher order thinking skills, strategies and dispositions to cope effectively with the academic demands at university and the challenges of the workplace environment. Certain cognitive and meta-cognitive skills, strategies and dispositions that will always be in demand and valued, namely communicating with clarity and precision, productive collaboration, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of continuously growing amounts of information, solving challenging and complex problems, and focusing on and performing tasks with persistence and accuracy, need to be taught explicitly. There is not a computer in the world that can teach any of these skills. Good teachers need to impart and model these skills, strategies and dispositions, and provide opportunities for all learners to acquire effective thinking skills and dispositions as part of a well-rounded education in the 21st century. When the teaching of thinking becomes the heart of a school, learners could become the citizens that the 21st century needs, namely Advanced Performers, Global Learners and Enterprising Learners (Eyre, 2016). In order to impart and model good thinking skills and dispositions, teachers themselves have to possess well-developed thinking skills. The series of six posters will provide evidence of (i) the status quo of developing critical thinking at school level; and highlight successful ways to: (i) nurture critical thinking skills and dispositions among pre-service teachers in Life Sciences and Mathematics; (ii) report on a potential initiative to nurture critical thinking among pre-service History teachers through a puzzle video game; and (iii) illustrate how the High Performance Learning Theory (Eyre, 2016) will be employed in a research project at primary school level to develop Advanced Performers for the 21st century.
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The South African education system is grappling with vast numbers of dysfunctional schools. Schools on their own cannot be blamed for all educational ills of a country. Dysfunctional schools are the symptoms of the impaired functioning of the entire education system in which a great variety of societal structures are involved. Thus, this article aimed at developing an education system’s perspective on turning around dysfunctional schools. In addition to an extensive review of related literature, a qualitative approach was adopted in which a broad sample of practitioners and experts were targeted. Typical of a qualitative approach, a variety of data sources were explored, including interviews, a qualitative survey and school visits. Based on the literature review and the responses of the experts it was found that the South African education system fails to build and sustain the conditions for school and teacher effectiveness. It was concluded that the education system, consisting of the managerial and administrative structures, the educational institutions, support services and the parties with an interest in education should unite in making schools effective. All hands in the community are needed in order to transform dysfunctional schools into places of dedicated teaching and learning. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n15p348
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This article develops the Explanatory Model of School Dysfunctions based on 80 essays of school principals and their representatives in Gauteng. It reveals the degree and kinds of school dysfunctions, as well as their interconnectedness with actors, networks, and domains. The model provides a basis for theory-based analyses of specific dysfunctions, and for context and culture-sensitive interventions. The main dysfunctions relate to rules (dysfunctional rules, rule bending, and rule breaking), competences (management, finances, and conflict resolution), and roles (role confusion and conflict, abuse of power). The model was developed to invite researchers to explore these and other dysfunctions in relation to their antecedents, motivations, and consequences, as well as to formulate evidence-based interventions and policies.
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Rather than blame teachers, we must ensure that teachers work within a highly functional system that provides meaningful evaluations, high-quality professional development, reasonable class sizes, reliable and stable leadership, and time for planning and collaboration.
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It is argued that school effectiveness research has made three considerable contributions: (1)The setting up of a field which exhibits the characteristics of mature normal science; (2) The generation of a considerable volume of research findings on numerous important topics; (3) The combatting of societal and professional pessimism concerning the prospects of educational advance. It is argued that the recent criticisms by those such as Thrupp, Slee and Weiner are misplaced, and that the field is reflexively critiquing itself to a high degree. It is concluded that school effectiveness researchers are likely to generate more purposive social and educational change than their critics.
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Criticisms of school effectiveness research (SER) from recent books are addressed. Fourteen criticisms are presented, followed by counterpoints, including: (1) many criticisms are based on simplistic/skewed readings of SER; (2) there is a wide diversity in SER; no single viewpoint prevails, as implied by critics; (3) many SER researchers have reported the direct/indirect impact of social class on student achievement, instead of ignoring it as implied by critics; (4) SER researchers believe schools have an impact beyond that of social class, and educators should influence what they can in their schools/classrooms; critics pessimistically focus on the social class/student achievement relationship; (5) pragmatism is a valid paradigm for studying schools; indeed, it has advantages over ``critical'' theory employed by other commentators. Resolution of these issues is unlikely given differences in commentators' world views.
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