A critical analysis of governance and management in Zimbabwe's colleges of technical and vocational education: issues for revitalisation
- Authors: Mbizvo, Washington T
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Education, Higher -- Zimbabwe Universities and colleges -- Zimbabwe Universities and colleges -- Zimbabwe -- Administration Vocational education -- Zimbabwe Technical education -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1469 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003350
- Description: This research was carried out in order to gain a better understanding of the practice of governance in a technical or vocationally oriented college and the critical role played by the principal as a college manager within the governance system in which industrialists and head office are also key players. Conceptual literature relating to issues of governance and management within the education scenario is examined. The wider issues of governance are critically analysed in the context of power and control mechanisms initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education as the responsible authority for the colleges. The influence of the industrial sector as the consumers of skilled labour force is analysed through college advisory councils set up in terms of the relevant pieces of legislation. The research is qualitative and takes the form of three case studies of technical and vocational colleges in Zimbabwe. Data were collected through multiple methods from varied sources with a view to ensuring triangulation. The multiple-case design enabled me to dig beneath the surface of what apparently happens in these organisations and unearth issues and concerns at the wider governance and management levels. Views and experiences of participants are captured and explained through in-depth interviews, observations and documentary sources. Results are discussed in relation to the relevant literature allowing grounded theory to emerge. The research highlights the roles of key players in governance and the issues of relationships among these actors. What emerges is a desperate situation of ineffectiveness, problematic processes in governance and poor responsiveness of these colleges to the labour market demands. The potential for generalisability and transferability is discussed in the report and possible corrective intervention strategies are recommended. The thesis demonstrates that managers of these colleges and indeed senior officers in head office who are at the centre of governance and will need transformational leadership development in order for them to come to terms with such things as people’s feelings, abandoning ‘outdated’ policies, managing change, and handling communication effectively. Various strategies for revitalisation of governance and management in technical and vocational colleges are suggested.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Mbizvo, Washington T
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Education, Higher -- Zimbabwe Universities and colleges -- Zimbabwe Universities and colleges -- Zimbabwe -- Administration Vocational education -- Zimbabwe Technical education -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1469 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003350
- Description: This research was carried out in order to gain a better understanding of the practice of governance in a technical or vocationally oriented college and the critical role played by the principal as a college manager within the governance system in which industrialists and head office are also key players. Conceptual literature relating to issues of governance and management within the education scenario is examined. The wider issues of governance are critically analysed in the context of power and control mechanisms initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education as the responsible authority for the colleges. The influence of the industrial sector as the consumers of skilled labour force is analysed through college advisory councils set up in terms of the relevant pieces of legislation. The research is qualitative and takes the form of three case studies of technical and vocational colleges in Zimbabwe. Data were collected through multiple methods from varied sources with a view to ensuring triangulation. The multiple-case design enabled me to dig beneath the surface of what apparently happens in these organisations and unearth issues and concerns at the wider governance and management levels. Views and experiences of participants are captured and explained through in-depth interviews, observations and documentary sources. Results are discussed in relation to the relevant literature allowing grounded theory to emerge. The research highlights the roles of key players in governance and the issues of relationships among these actors. What emerges is a desperate situation of ineffectiveness, problematic processes in governance and poor responsiveness of these colleges to the labour market demands. The potential for generalisability and transferability is discussed in the report and possible corrective intervention strategies are recommended. The thesis demonstrates that managers of these colleges and indeed senior officers in head office who are at the centre of governance and will need transformational leadership development in order for them to come to terms with such things as people’s feelings, abandoning ‘outdated’ policies, managing change, and handling communication effectively. Various strategies for revitalisation of governance and management in technical and vocational colleges are suggested.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
A critical analysis of the application of total quality management principles in two schools
- Authors: Carlson, Brian Kenneth
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Total quality management School management and organization -- Case studies School management and organization -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1472 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003353
- Description: In recent years, the principles of Total Quality Management, developed by Edwards Deming and others and used with varying degrees of success in the business world, have been used in schools as part of the process to transform education in terms of school management and classroom learning. This research grew out of my experiences when St. Andrew's Preparatory School participated in a Total Quality Management training programme which highlighted for me the problems and the benefits of such training. This research was undertaken, therefore, to find out how two other schools - one a high school in Grahamstown and the other a high school in Clarke County, U.S.A. had responded to similar training. Open ended questionnaires were used and the responses were analyzed to detect patterns of thoughts, feelings and attitudes, particularly in terms of human relationships at the school and with regard to various components of school culture. Comparisons were also made between the responses from the two schools, and the findings were compared with the claims made for TQM by the theorists and other educational practitioners who have ventured into TQM in their schools. The research findings indicate that Total Quality Management training had a positive impact on the participating schools but that there are problems associated with its adaptation for education. Given the necessary leadership commitment, however, these problems are not insurmountable. Total Quality Management may well be able to contribute towards the restructing of education which seems to be more and more urgently needed both in South Africa and in their countries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Carlson, Brian Kenneth
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Total quality management School management and organization -- Case studies School management and organization -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1472 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003353
- Description: In recent years, the principles of Total Quality Management, developed by Edwards Deming and others and used with varying degrees of success in the business world, have been used in schools as part of the process to transform education in terms of school management and classroom learning. This research grew out of my experiences when St. Andrew's Preparatory School participated in a Total Quality Management training programme which highlighted for me the problems and the benefits of such training. This research was undertaken, therefore, to find out how two other schools - one a high school in Grahamstown and the other a high school in Clarke County, U.S.A. had responded to similar training. Open ended questionnaires were used and the responses were analyzed to detect patterns of thoughts, feelings and attitudes, particularly in terms of human relationships at the school and with regard to various components of school culture. Comparisons were also made between the responses from the two schools, and the findings were compared with the claims made for TQM by the theorists and other educational practitioners who have ventured into TQM in their schools. The research findings indicate that Total Quality Management training had a positive impact on the participating schools but that there are problems associated with its adaptation for education. Given the necessary leadership commitment, however, these problems are not insurmountable. Total Quality Management may well be able to contribute towards the restructing of education which seems to be more and more urgently needed both in South Africa and in their countries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
A critical analysis of the examining of poetry in the English First Language Higher Grade course at senior secondary level in Cape Education Department schools
- Authors: Clarke, Linda Colleen
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Examinations -- South Africa -- Evaluation English poetry -- Examinations English poetry -- Study and teaching (Secondary -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1473 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003354
- Description: The study of poetry has become entrenched in most secondary school English syllabuses, including the English First Language Higher Grade syllabus of the Cape Education Department. This acceptance of poetry as a part of the formal academic programme has, however, been accompanied by a demand that could be considered contrary to the spirit of poetry: that an examination should conclude the study. The problem is exacerbated if this examination is set and controlled by an external body, since the nature and objectives of a standardised, mass examination frequently conflict sharply with the aims of studying poetry. The implications of such control over the examining of poetry go beyond this, however. These include the defining and narrowing of the course of study by means of lists of prescribed poems selected by a committee often far removed from the world of the candidates and the significant combined effect of these lists and the style of questioning adopted by the external examiners on methods of teaching. Furthermore, the influence of the external examination is not restricted to the final year of study; the approach to poetry during the entire senior secondary course (of three years) tends to conform to the pattern laid down by the final examination paper. This domination of the external examination over the study of poetry is acknowledged but not condoned. There is undoubtedly a need for further research into alternative ways of assessing a poetry course. In the face of reality, however, this study seeks to identify and analyse the many features of external control that influence the study of poetry; and to consider ways in which examinations in poetry can be devised, approached and used to the best effect in order to fulfil the aims of studying poetry. The most important of these aims are held to be the pleasure and enjoyment of personal engagement with a poem, where there is a meeting of minds, a generation and deepening of emotion and feeling, extension of awareness and stimulation of imagination.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1993
- Authors: Clarke, Linda Colleen
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Examinations -- South Africa -- Evaluation English poetry -- Examinations English poetry -- Study and teaching (Secondary -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1473 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003354
- Description: The study of poetry has become entrenched in most secondary school English syllabuses, including the English First Language Higher Grade syllabus of the Cape Education Department. This acceptance of poetry as a part of the formal academic programme has, however, been accompanied by a demand that could be considered contrary to the spirit of poetry: that an examination should conclude the study. The problem is exacerbated if this examination is set and controlled by an external body, since the nature and objectives of a standardised, mass examination frequently conflict sharply with the aims of studying poetry. The implications of such control over the examining of poetry go beyond this, however. These include the defining and narrowing of the course of study by means of lists of prescribed poems selected by a committee often far removed from the world of the candidates and the significant combined effect of these lists and the style of questioning adopted by the external examiners on methods of teaching. Furthermore, the influence of the external examination is not restricted to the final year of study; the approach to poetry during the entire senior secondary course (of three years) tends to conform to the pattern laid down by the final examination paper. This domination of the external examination over the study of poetry is acknowledged but not condoned. There is undoubtedly a need for further research into alternative ways of assessing a poetry course. In the face of reality, however, this study seeks to identify and analyse the many features of external control that influence the study of poetry; and to consider ways in which examinations in poetry can be devised, approached and used to the best effect in order to fulfil the aims of studying poetry. The most important of these aims are held to be the pleasure and enjoyment of personal engagement with a poem, where there is a meeting of minds, a generation and deepening of emotion and feeling, extension of awareness and stimulation of imagination.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1993
A critical investigation into the managerial implications of inclusive education
- Authors: Cloete, Sanet
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1477 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003358
- Description: Special needs education has always provided special challenges to school administrators, policy makers and teachers. The world-wide move towards inclusive education as an alternative to exclusive education or casual mainstreaming has resulted in significant developments in Namibia in the past decade. Global educational reforms have focused on education for all as well as inclusive education and Namibia is signatory to several conventions and declarations in this regard. Research in this field has largely focused on the role of the inclusive teacher, and of course the special needs of the learners. Little or no attention has been paid to possible managerial and organisational challenges which accompany the move to inclusive education. This thesis seeks to critically investigate the managerial implications of inclusive education. The focal point of this research is to gain a clear understanding of the managerial implications in an inclusive school for learners with visual impairment, chiefly through an exploration of the experiences of management members of the inclusive process. The research is located within a qualitative research paradigm, which is subsumed by a phenomenological model. The data gathered through in-depth interviews include many anecdotal accounts that provide insight into the ways respondents reacted to experiences at the inclusive school. The main findings of the research are highlighted and discussed. Recommendations arising from a critical analysis of these main findings are presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Cloete, Sanet
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1477 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003358
- Description: Special needs education has always provided special challenges to school administrators, policy makers and teachers. The world-wide move towards inclusive education as an alternative to exclusive education or casual mainstreaming has resulted in significant developments in Namibia in the past decade. Global educational reforms have focused on education for all as well as inclusive education and Namibia is signatory to several conventions and declarations in this regard. Research in this field has largely focused on the role of the inclusive teacher, and of course the special needs of the learners. Little or no attention has been paid to possible managerial and organisational challenges which accompany the move to inclusive education. This thesis seeks to critically investigate the managerial implications of inclusive education. The focal point of this research is to gain a clear understanding of the managerial implications in an inclusive school for learners with visual impairment, chiefly through an exploration of the experiences of management members of the inclusive process. The research is located within a qualitative research paradigm, which is subsumed by a phenomenological model. The data gathered through in-depth interviews include many anecdotal accounts that provide insight into the ways respondents reacted to experiences at the inclusive school. The main findings of the research are highlighted and discussed. Recommendations arising from a critical analysis of these main findings are presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
A critical investigation of a planned organisation change initiative within an educational institution in the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Irvine, Margaret Hillian
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: School management and organization -- South Africa -- Evaluation Education and state Educational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education -- Economic aspects Organizational change -- South Africa -- Management Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1479 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003360
- Description: South Africa is living is turbulent times at present. Non-government educational organisations are challenged by changes in education policy and by scarcity of donor funding for their work. This study focuses on the management of organisation change in a non-government organisation (NGO) working in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. I undertook the research to gain a clearer understanding of the management of organisational change. I used a third-wave change management approach, the future search conference, to conduct the process of change with the NGO. It focuses on the positive aspects of the organisation, its potential and its desired future. I conducted both the study and the future search conference as participatory action research, which involved the participants in the cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection and thus built ownership of the solutions they generated. I used the accounts of the activities arising from the future search conference, minutes of meetings, semistructured interviews and observation of behaviour to gather data. I analysed the data using triangulation, and in particular, space triangulation, to minimise the impact of the differences in culture and language use in the facilitator and participants. Analysis of the data collected revealed in the NGO that change and transformation are slow processes requiring ongoing support from the OD consultant. The staff defined organisational effectiveness, the goal of organisational change initiatives, in terms of fundraising ability. This ability embraces many of the qualities of a learning organisation and open systems thinking, two requirements for successful organisational change. In the NGO both organisation development and transformation were processes as well as products, and changes could not easily be measured until after the processes were completed. Organisational culture, and in particular the juxtaposition of the values of the organisation and staff and those of its partners and clients, played an important role in transformation. The differences lay in a ‘being’ and a ‘task’ orientation and the staff’s responsibility lay in building connections between the two. The staff received the approach of the future search conference well and there was an equally good fit between the future search conference and participatory action research. This needs to be investigated further with regard to change management in South African organisations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Irvine, Margaret Hillian
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: School management and organization -- South Africa -- Evaluation Education and state Educational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education -- Economic aspects Organizational change -- South Africa -- Management Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1479 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003360
- Description: South Africa is living is turbulent times at present. Non-government educational organisations are challenged by changes in education policy and by scarcity of donor funding for their work. This study focuses on the management of organisation change in a non-government organisation (NGO) working in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. I undertook the research to gain a clearer understanding of the management of organisational change. I used a third-wave change management approach, the future search conference, to conduct the process of change with the NGO. It focuses on the positive aspects of the organisation, its potential and its desired future. I conducted both the study and the future search conference as participatory action research, which involved the participants in the cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection and thus built ownership of the solutions they generated. I used the accounts of the activities arising from the future search conference, minutes of meetings, semistructured interviews and observation of behaviour to gather data. I analysed the data using triangulation, and in particular, space triangulation, to minimise the impact of the differences in culture and language use in the facilitator and participants. Analysis of the data collected revealed in the NGO that change and transformation are slow processes requiring ongoing support from the OD consultant. The staff defined organisational effectiveness, the goal of organisational change initiatives, in terms of fundraising ability. This ability embraces many of the qualities of a learning organisation and open systems thinking, two requirements for successful organisational change. In the NGO both organisation development and transformation were processes as well as products, and changes could not easily be measured until after the processes were completed. Organisational culture, and in particular the juxtaposition of the values of the organisation and staff and those of its partners and clients, played an important role in transformation. The differences lay in a ‘being’ and a ‘task’ orientation and the staff’s responsibility lay in building connections between the two. The staff received the approach of the future search conference well and there was an equally good fit between the future search conference and participatory action research. This needs to be investigated further with regard to change management in South African organisations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
A critical investigation of conflict management : a case study of a Namibian institution
- Authors: Uiras, Hilja
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Conflict management -- Namibia Conflict management -- Study and teaching Culture conflict Social conflict Conflict management -- Namibia -- Case studies Conflict management -- Study and teaching -- Case studies Culture conflict -- Namibia -- Case studies Social conflict -- Namibia -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1480 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003361
- Description: This study is a qualitative interpretative study of conflict management in a multicultural Namibian institution. The focus of the study is to understand how individual people in a particular organization perceive conflict, the possible sources of conflict as well as to explore the possible strategies of managing conflict. This is followed by an analysis of the general educational cultural and social characteristics of Namibia, which relate to the sources of conflict. I also make an attempt to have a deeper understanding of people from different cultural and educational backgrounds in viewing conflict and how these differences might be seen as major sources of conflict and how they deal with it - by using a case study approach. I interviewed 5 participants from different cultural backgrounds. The major research methodology I used in this study is in-depth interviews that allowed me to explore people's understanding of, attitudes to and views on conflict. I supplemented the interviews with participant observation, which allowed me to get first-hand information on how people interact socially and in meetings in order to explore possible sources and existence of conflict in meetings and how the staff dealt with it. Furthermore, I tried as much as possible to observe daily activities as an observer. People interviewed have different perceptions about conflict. Some use conflict to their advantage to arouse discussion and stimulate creative thinking. Some people find conflict to be a burden, something to be minimized. This avoidance leads to poor decisions and poor use of teams as a way to improve both decision making and acceptance of the decisions that are made. Cultural differences among staff and the process of reform emerge as the major sources of conflict. Whether a conflict will result in negative or positive consequences, or both, will depend to a large part on the strategy taken to resolve the conflict.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Uiras, Hilja
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Conflict management -- Namibia Conflict management -- Study and teaching Culture conflict Social conflict Conflict management -- Namibia -- Case studies Conflict management -- Study and teaching -- Case studies Culture conflict -- Namibia -- Case studies Social conflict -- Namibia -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1480 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003361
- Description: This study is a qualitative interpretative study of conflict management in a multicultural Namibian institution. The focus of the study is to understand how individual people in a particular organization perceive conflict, the possible sources of conflict as well as to explore the possible strategies of managing conflict. This is followed by an analysis of the general educational cultural and social characteristics of Namibia, which relate to the sources of conflict. I also make an attempt to have a deeper understanding of people from different cultural and educational backgrounds in viewing conflict and how these differences might be seen as major sources of conflict and how they deal with it - by using a case study approach. I interviewed 5 participants from different cultural backgrounds. The major research methodology I used in this study is in-depth interviews that allowed me to explore people's understanding of, attitudes to and views on conflict. I supplemented the interviews with participant observation, which allowed me to get first-hand information on how people interact socially and in meetings in order to explore possible sources and existence of conflict in meetings and how the staff dealt with it. Furthermore, I tried as much as possible to observe daily activities as an observer. People interviewed have different perceptions about conflict. Some use conflict to their advantage to arouse discussion and stimulate creative thinking. Some people find conflict to be a burden, something to be minimized. This avoidance leads to poor decisions and poor use of teams as a way to improve both decision making and acceptance of the decisions that are made. Cultural differences among staff and the process of reform emerge as the major sources of conflict. Whether a conflict will result in negative or positive consequences, or both, will depend to a large part on the strategy taken to resolve the conflict.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
A critical investigation of leadership in a Technical, Vocational Education and Training college in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Chagi, Nonkonzo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Technical education -- South Africa , Vocational education -- South Africa , Educational leadership -- South Africa , Postsecondary education -- South Africa -- Administration
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140045 , vital:37827
- Description: Far-reaching reforms of the TVET college system – including a merger and frequent revisioning of the colleges’ role in the educational landscape of South Africa – have focused renewed attention on this sector. The fact that the sector has been plagued by poor performance – even to the extent that several colleges have been placed under administration – suggests problems at the level of leadership. This study sought to explore key role-players’ understanding of the leadership and management challenges faced by a TVET college and, by examining responses to these challenges, develop a sense of what leadership means in the sector. The study drew on three leadership theories – distributed leadership, transactional leadership as depicted in political models of management, and critical leadership – to help make sense of the findings. A qualitative case study design was used to explore key respondents’ views and lived experiences. The respondents were the principal, two deputy principals, a council member, three campus managers and a programme head. Interviews, questionnaires and document analysis were the chief data collection tools. The study found that critical leadership was the dominant approach at the college. This was revealed in the college leadership’s awareness of broader societal needs and its own role in operating in a socially just manner. College leadership also revealed signs of rejecting the status quo and opposing state control and bureaucracy, in favour of reactionary initiatives. There was limited evidence of distributed and transactional leadership. In fact, ‘leadership’ as such, seemed not to be part of the college discourse, suggesting that the concept and habit of leadership was not broadly discussed, shared and promoted. This sense was strengthened by the fact that at the time of the study, the college was headed by a charismatic and visionary leader. Indeed, the problem at the college seemed to be the Department of Higher Education and Training, which has failed the college in a number of ways.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Chagi, Nonkonzo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Technical education -- South Africa , Vocational education -- South Africa , Educational leadership -- South Africa , Postsecondary education -- South Africa -- Administration
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140045 , vital:37827
- Description: Far-reaching reforms of the TVET college system – including a merger and frequent revisioning of the colleges’ role in the educational landscape of South Africa – have focused renewed attention on this sector. The fact that the sector has been plagued by poor performance – even to the extent that several colleges have been placed under administration – suggests problems at the level of leadership. This study sought to explore key role-players’ understanding of the leadership and management challenges faced by a TVET college and, by examining responses to these challenges, develop a sense of what leadership means in the sector. The study drew on three leadership theories – distributed leadership, transactional leadership as depicted in political models of management, and critical leadership – to help make sense of the findings. A qualitative case study design was used to explore key respondents’ views and lived experiences. The respondents were the principal, two deputy principals, a council member, three campus managers and a programme head. Interviews, questionnaires and document analysis were the chief data collection tools. The study found that critical leadership was the dominant approach at the college. This was revealed in the college leadership’s awareness of broader societal needs and its own role in operating in a socially just manner. College leadership also revealed signs of rejecting the status quo and opposing state control and bureaucracy, in favour of reactionary initiatives. There was limited evidence of distributed and transactional leadership. In fact, ‘leadership’ as such, seemed not to be part of the college discourse, suggesting that the concept and habit of leadership was not broadly discussed, shared and promoted. This sense was strengthened by the fact that at the time of the study, the college was headed by a charismatic and visionary leader. Indeed, the problem at the college seemed to be the Department of Higher Education and Training, which has failed the college in a number of ways.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
A critical investigation of managing the standards development process for the life insurance industry in Namibia
- Authors: Kaimu, Himeesora Irene
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Life insurance -- Management -- Namibia Insurance -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1481 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003362
- Description: The development of standards for education and training is regarded as a very important activity by many countries. Any country that sets standards for education and training is trying to define its training system and avoid duplication of training by providers who do not see eye to eye. National standards are public documents accessible to anyone interested in education and training. Namibia introduced standards setting as a core activity of administering the National Qualifications Framework in 1996 after the passing of the Namibia Qualifications Act by parliament. This research attempts to gain an understanding of how the process of developing standards for the Life Assurance Sector in Namibia was managed by focusing on the experiences of three persons who took part in the process of developing the said standards. The case study approach enabled me to gain considerable insight into management issues that may have influenced the process of developing these specific standards. The findings illuminate the management and leadership issues which characterised the process for the LA Industry. Several management issues emerge as key elements in the process. These include: A strong emphasis on transformational leadership through clear vision crafting; empowerment through emancipatory thinking; OD features such as problem solving and effective communication; the importance of organisational structure; the concept of a learning organisation and benchmarking as well as collegiality. This research explores the relationship between management thinking generally, and the management of the standards development process in particular.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Kaimu, Himeesora Irene
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Life insurance -- Management -- Namibia Insurance -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1481 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003362
- Description: The development of standards for education and training is regarded as a very important activity by many countries. Any country that sets standards for education and training is trying to define its training system and avoid duplication of training by providers who do not see eye to eye. National standards are public documents accessible to anyone interested in education and training. Namibia introduced standards setting as a core activity of administering the National Qualifications Framework in 1996 after the passing of the Namibia Qualifications Act by parliament. This research attempts to gain an understanding of how the process of developing standards for the Life Assurance Sector in Namibia was managed by focusing on the experiences of three persons who took part in the process of developing the said standards. The case study approach enabled me to gain considerable insight into management issues that may have influenced the process of developing these specific standards. The findings illuminate the management and leadership issues which characterised the process for the LA Industry. Several management issues emerge as key elements in the process. These include: A strong emphasis on transformational leadership through clear vision crafting; empowerment through emancipatory thinking; OD features such as problem solving and effective communication; the importance of organisational structure; the concept of a learning organisation and benchmarking as well as collegiality. This research explores the relationship between management thinking generally, and the management of the standards development process in particular.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
A critical realist exploration of the emergence, development, management and sustainability of a Christian private institution of higher education in Malawi
- Kadyakapita, Mozecie Spector John
- Authors: Kadyakapita, Mozecie Spector John
- Date: 2013 , 2013-03-24
- Subjects: Christian universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Private universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Education, Higher -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Higher education and state -- Research -- Malawi Universities and colleges -- Malawi -- History Educational planning -- Malawi
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1400 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001818
- Description: This study was prompted by an interest in exploring ways in which the development of private higher education in Malawi could be more sustainable. It examines the challenges that private institutions of higher education face in different contexts and the underlying causes of these challenges. The aim of the study was to explore the emergence of private higher education (PHE) in Malawi, its management, development, the challenges it faces and the generative mechanisms of these challenges. The research is a case study of one of the earliest private institutions of higher education in Malawi. The institution is owned and operated by a Christian church organisation that has been operating a network of private primary and secondary schools and health centres since its establishment in Malawi in the early 1890s. Critical realism is used as an underlabourer for its stance on ontological, epistemological and ethical assumptions of reality and its views on agency and structure. Two theoretical frameworks - complexity theory and transformational leadership theories - are used as lenses to help make sense of the nature of social organisations and also as heuristic devices for organising and making sense of data. Data were collected using qualitative interviews, archival document content analysis and observation. Twenty participants were purposefully selected for interviews. The participants comprised a senior officer at the MoEST headquarters, proprietors, members of the top management team of the institution, administrative assistants, heads of academic and nonacademic departments, teachers and non-teaching staff and students. Abstracted data were analysed using inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference. The study established that the emergence of private higher education in Malawi was generated by a number of mechanisms. These include the need to survive the threat to socioeconomic development posed by global trends in scientific and technological issues that heavily rely on access to the knowledge economy; the need to respond to demand for equity and access to higher education; the need to carry out the mission of the Christian church; government’s failure to expand and widen access to higher education; and the agential need to survive economic demands. The research findings indicate that a critical challenge that the emergence of private higher education faced was the lack of adequate and efficient structures and systems in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to expeditiously process applications to establish and accredit, monitor and control the development of private higher education institutions. It was also found that the challenges that the private higher education faces include high level of authoritarian governance and management practices, weak institutional management and control systems and structure, secularisation, lack of adequate funds to meet operation and capital development costs, facilities and resources to support teaching – learning functions, learner support facilities and services and a critical shortage of appropriately qualified administrative and academic personnel. The underlying causes of the challenges include the perceived threat to personal power and survival; fear of apostasy and secularisation; cultural values, adverse socioeconomic conditions; lack of diverse sources of funding, ineffective communication skills; weak governance systems and structures; low level of self-control; unfavourable attitudes towards educational institutions and the need to restore equity. To make private institutions of higher learning more sustainable, the study recommends that governance practices be guided by clear structures, policies and guidelines in the interest of transparency and accountability. It also recommends that government works in close partnership with private providers, reviews unfair policies concerning government scholarships, subsidizes the cost of materials for instruction and infrastructure development, and provides technical assistance to prospective and active providers. Lastly, the study recommends that private providers form an association so as to share experiences and to collectively deal with issues of common interest and concern. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Kadyakapita, Mozecie Spector John
- Date: 2013 , 2013-03-24
- Subjects: Christian universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Private universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Education, Higher -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Higher education and state -- Research -- Malawi Universities and colleges -- Malawi -- History Educational planning -- Malawi
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1400 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001818
- Description: This study was prompted by an interest in exploring ways in which the development of private higher education in Malawi could be more sustainable. It examines the challenges that private institutions of higher education face in different contexts and the underlying causes of these challenges. The aim of the study was to explore the emergence of private higher education (PHE) in Malawi, its management, development, the challenges it faces and the generative mechanisms of these challenges. The research is a case study of one of the earliest private institutions of higher education in Malawi. The institution is owned and operated by a Christian church organisation that has been operating a network of private primary and secondary schools and health centres since its establishment in Malawi in the early 1890s. Critical realism is used as an underlabourer for its stance on ontological, epistemological and ethical assumptions of reality and its views on agency and structure. Two theoretical frameworks - complexity theory and transformational leadership theories - are used as lenses to help make sense of the nature of social organisations and also as heuristic devices for organising and making sense of data. Data were collected using qualitative interviews, archival document content analysis and observation. Twenty participants were purposefully selected for interviews. The participants comprised a senior officer at the MoEST headquarters, proprietors, members of the top management team of the institution, administrative assistants, heads of academic and nonacademic departments, teachers and non-teaching staff and students. Abstracted data were analysed using inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference. The study established that the emergence of private higher education in Malawi was generated by a number of mechanisms. These include the need to survive the threat to socioeconomic development posed by global trends in scientific and technological issues that heavily rely on access to the knowledge economy; the need to respond to demand for equity and access to higher education; the need to carry out the mission of the Christian church; government’s failure to expand and widen access to higher education; and the agential need to survive economic demands. The research findings indicate that a critical challenge that the emergence of private higher education faced was the lack of adequate and efficient structures and systems in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to expeditiously process applications to establish and accredit, monitor and control the development of private higher education institutions. It was also found that the challenges that the private higher education faces include high level of authoritarian governance and management practices, weak institutional management and control systems and structure, secularisation, lack of adequate funds to meet operation and capital development costs, facilities and resources to support teaching – learning functions, learner support facilities and services and a critical shortage of appropriately qualified administrative and academic personnel. The underlying causes of the challenges include the perceived threat to personal power and survival; fear of apostasy and secularisation; cultural values, adverse socioeconomic conditions; lack of diverse sources of funding, ineffective communication skills; weak governance systems and structures; low level of self-control; unfavourable attitudes towards educational institutions and the need to restore equity. To make private institutions of higher learning more sustainable, the study recommends that governance practices be guided by clear structures, policies and guidelines in the interest of transparency and accountability. It also recommends that government works in close partnership with private providers, reviews unfair policies concerning government scholarships, subsidizes the cost of materials for instruction and infrastructure development, and provides technical assistance to prospective and active providers. Lastly, the study recommends that private providers form an association so as to share experiences and to collectively deal with issues of common interest and concern. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A formative intervention for developing Learner Representative Council (LRC) voice and leadership in a newly established school in Namibia
- Authors: Amadhila, Linda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia , Educational leadership -- Namibia , Education, Secondary -- Namibia , Student government -- Namibia , Student participation in administration -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61744 , vital:28054
- Description: In Namibian schools, learner voice and leadership are being promoted through the policy document entitled the Education Act 16 of2001 which provides an opportunity to establish Learner Representative Councils (LRCs) in secondary schools. However, recent studies have found that this body of learner leaders do not function all that effectively and sometimes exist for the sake of adhering to the policy. This prompted me to conduct an activity theoretical interventionist case- study within the critical paradigm, to develop LRC voice and leadership in a newly established Namibian school. Framed by Cultural Historical Activity Theory, the study was divided into two phases to answer the over-arching question: How can LRC voice and leadership be developed in a school? Phase one was largely interpretive, the contextual profiling phase, where document analysis, individual interviews, questionnaires and observations were used to generate data to answer the following research sub-questions: How is learner leadership understood in the school? What leadership development opportunities for the LRC currently exist in the school? What underlying factors constrain the development of LRC voice and leadership in the newly established school? Phase two of the study was the expansive learning phase, which consisted of three intervention workshops. The Change Laboratory method and a focus group interview were used to generate data in response to the last research sub-question: In what ways can LRC participation in a Change Laboratory process contribute to their leadership development? Data generated were inductively and deductively analysed, using the activity theoretical principles of contradictions and double stimulation. Data revealed that learner leadership was largely understood as managerial roles carried out by the LRC in the school. Unlike many schools in Namibia, this case-study school offered numerous leadership development opportunities for the LRC. The community networking events such as: School Exchange Programmes, Town Council breakfast and Junior Regional Council, were opportunities offered to the LRC to solicit information, exchange ideas and discuss matters of common interest with the LRCs of the fully established schools. However, there were a number of challenges that constrained LRC voice and leadership development, the major one being the fact that this was a newly established school. Of significance was that LRC participation in the Change Laboratory process contributed positively to the development of voice and leadership in learners. During this Change Laboratory process, the LRC developed a new artefact - the vision and mission statement of the school - this signified that the learners expansively transformed the object of their activity. Recommendations emerging out of the study included that the School Management Team see the ‘newly established’ status of the school as an opportunity for development, rather than a limitation, and therefore invite the LRC to participate in the different leadership practices as the school becomes established. A significant recommendation for school leadership research is to use the third generation of CHAT to expand the unit of analysis, in order to understand the leadership relations and power dynamics between multiple activity systems in schools as complex organisations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Amadhila, Linda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia , Educational leadership -- Namibia , Education, Secondary -- Namibia , Student government -- Namibia , Student participation in administration -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61744 , vital:28054
- Description: In Namibian schools, learner voice and leadership are being promoted through the policy document entitled the Education Act 16 of2001 which provides an opportunity to establish Learner Representative Councils (LRCs) in secondary schools. However, recent studies have found that this body of learner leaders do not function all that effectively and sometimes exist for the sake of adhering to the policy. This prompted me to conduct an activity theoretical interventionist case- study within the critical paradigm, to develop LRC voice and leadership in a newly established Namibian school. Framed by Cultural Historical Activity Theory, the study was divided into two phases to answer the over-arching question: How can LRC voice and leadership be developed in a school? Phase one was largely interpretive, the contextual profiling phase, where document analysis, individual interviews, questionnaires and observations were used to generate data to answer the following research sub-questions: How is learner leadership understood in the school? What leadership development opportunities for the LRC currently exist in the school? What underlying factors constrain the development of LRC voice and leadership in the newly established school? Phase two of the study was the expansive learning phase, which consisted of three intervention workshops. The Change Laboratory method and a focus group interview were used to generate data in response to the last research sub-question: In what ways can LRC participation in a Change Laboratory process contribute to their leadership development? Data generated were inductively and deductively analysed, using the activity theoretical principles of contradictions and double stimulation. Data revealed that learner leadership was largely understood as managerial roles carried out by the LRC in the school. Unlike many schools in Namibia, this case-study school offered numerous leadership development opportunities for the LRC. The community networking events such as: School Exchange Programmes, Town Council breakfast and Junior Regional Council, were opportunities offered to the LRC to solicit information, exchange ideas and discuss matters of common interest with the LRCs of the fully established schools. However, there were a number of challenges that constrained LRC voice and leadership development, the major one being the fact that this was a newly established school. Of significance was that LRC participation in the Change Laboratory process contributed positively to the development of voice and leadership in learners. During this Change Laboratory process, the LRC developed a new artefact - the vision and mission statement of the school - this signified that the learners expansively transformed the object of their activity. Recommendations emerging out of the study included that the School Management Team see the ‘newly established’ status of the school as an opportunity for development, rather than a limitation, and therefore invite the LRC to participate in the different leadership practices as the school becomes established. A significant recommendation for school leadership research is to use the third generation of CHAT to expand the unit of analysis, in order to understand the leadership relations and power dynamics between multiple activity systems in schools as complex organisations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A phenomenological investigation of a female leader's perceptions and experience of discrimination in the work place
- Authors: Mabovula, Nonceba
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Sex discrimination against women , Sex discrimination in employment , Women -- Employment , Sexual division of labor , Women -- Economic conditions , Sex role in the work environment , Leadership in women
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1699 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003582 , Sex discrimination against women , Sex discrimination in employment , Women -- Employment , Sexual division of labor , Women -- Economic conditions , Sex role in the work environment , Leadership in women
- Description: Women are now making their mark in virtually every economic sector including traditionally male strongholds of engineering, heavy transport, construction and manufacturing. Probably the most spectacular progress by women has been in the public sector. Many women now have voting rights, follow careers which demand that they work outside of the home, enjoy professional status equal to their male compatriots, occupy top leadership positions in their societies and, furthermore, fulfil their traditional roles of wife and mother. The present study is an attempt to explore a female eader’s perceptions and experience of discrimination in her place of work. The problem has been that although there have been significant changes in women’s increased representation in recent years, it is believed that women who succeed in obtaining top management posts still have to deal with unfair barriers. These need to be more carefully explored and understood. In this study I focus on one female leader’s perceptions and experiences of leadership in an institution of higher learning. The advantages and disadvantages of such a small case study are discussed later. A phenomenological approach was used for obtaining information pertaining to the phenomenon “female leadership”, because phenomenology does offer ways of understanding not offered by other research methodologies. It enables the researcher to enter the lived world of the researched, and understand events and perceptions from a fresh point of view. A semi-structured interview was used to allow the respondent freedom to elaborate on responses in whatever manner she wished. The results obtained indicate that women are in a life-world in which, apart from the general experiences shared with their male counterparts, they are also exposed to many other forms of discrimination. Some of these are subtle, and result from years of socialisation into perceived gender role expectations. I hope that what I have discovered may help to contribute to the small but growing body of literature that seeks to understand women leaders’ experiences, and perhaps in time play a role in enhancing their relative position in education and society at large.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Mabovula, Nonceba
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Sex discrimination against women , Sex discrimination in employment , Women -- Employment , Sexual division of labor , Women -- Economic conditions , Sex role in the work environment , Leadership in women
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1699 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003582 , Sex discrimination against women , Sex discrimination in employment , Women -- Employment , Sexual division of labor , Women -- Economic conditions , Sex role in the work environment , Leadership in women
- Description: Women are now making their mark in virtually every economic sector including traditionally male strongholds of engineering, heavy transport, construction and manufacturing. Probably the most spectacular progress by women has been in the public sector. Many women now have voting rights, follow careers which demand that they work outside of the home, enjoy professional status equal to their male compatriots, occupy top leadership positions in their societies and, furthermore, fulfil their traditional roles of wife and mother. The present study is an attempt to explore a female eader’s perceptions and experience of discrimination in her place of work. The problem has been that although there have been significant changes in women’s increased representation in recent years, it is believed that women who succeed in obtaining top management posts still have to deal with unfair barriers. These need to be more carefully explored and understood. In this study I focus on one female leader’s perceptions and experiences of leadership in an institution of higher learning. The advantages and disadvantages of such a small case study are discussed later. A phenomenological approach was used for obtaining information pertaining to the phenomenon “female leadership”, because phenomenology does offer ways of understanding not offered by other research methodologies. It enables the researcher to enter the lived world of the researched, and understand events and perceptions from a fresh point of view. A semi-structured interview was used to allow the respondent freedom to elaborate on responses in whatever manner she wished. The results obtained indicate that women are in a life-world in which, apart from the general experiences shared with their male counterparts, they are also exposed to many other forms of discrimination. Some of these are subtle, and result from years of socialisation into perceived gender role expectations. I hope that what I have discovered may help to contribute to the small but growing body of literature that seeks to understand women leaders’ experiences, and perhaps in time play a role in enhancing their relative position in education and society at large.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
A phenomenological investigation of Windhoek Senior Secondary school principals' perceptions and experiences of their leadership roles
- Authors: Boys, Ben
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: School principals -- Namibia Educational leadership -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1700 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003583
- Description: Namibia, having been a former colony of South Africa, was equally subjected to apartheid laws and practices. Independence, achieved in March 1990, signaled the dawn of a new era of access, equity, quality and democracy in the Namibian education sector. A unified system of educational administration, management, and control was established. The whole educational corps, especially the principals of all our schools, is expected to implement this new system as agents of change. In terms of the vision for a new Namibia, therefore, school principals are seen as occupying positions of central importance. This notion resonates strongly with recent and contemporary leadership thinking. However, a number of concerns prevalent in schools - particularly, increasing student underperformance, worsening disciplinary problems, increasing teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS pandemic, teacher qualification, decreasing teacher motivation, lack of training including induction for principals, inadequate support from the top (lack of a support system) and insufficient parental involvement in school matters – make the task of running schools extremely challenging and increasingly complex. How do principals experience these challenges and deal with the complex situations? How do they perceive their role, particularly in light of national aspirations and leadership theory? These are questions I think need to be explored. My research goal was to gain an understanding of Windhoek senior secondary school principals’ perceptions and experiences of their leadership role. My focus was on three purposively selected Windhoek senior secondary school principals representative of both the Namibian ethno-cultural diversity and gender. Data was collected through interviews. I found that the situations in which the principals found themselves during the pre- and post independent periods mainly determined their leadership style and behaviour, however, that did not deter their vision for the transformation of the society, as the ultimate objective and essence of their leadership. The appropriate practicing of their leadership role was being hampered by lack of induction and training, lack of a support system and insufficient parental involvement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Boys, Ben
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: School principals -- Namibia Educational leadership -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1700 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003583
- Description: Namibia, having been a former colony of South Africa, was equally subjected to apartheid laws and practices. Independence, achieved in March 1990, signaled the dawn of a new era of access, equity, quality and democracy in the Namibian education sector. A unified system of educational administration, management, and control was established. The whole educational corps, especially the principals of all our schools, is expected to implement this new system as agents of change. In terms of the vision for a new Namibia, therefore, school principals are seen as occupying positions of central importance. This notion resonates strongly with recent and contemporary leadership thinking. However, a number of concerns prevalent in schools - particularly, increasing student underperformance, worsening disciplinary problems, increasing teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS pandemic, teacher qualification, decreasing teacher motivation, lack of training including induction for principals, inadequate support from the top (lack of a support system) and insufficient parental involvement in school matters – make the task of running schools extremely challenging and increasingly complex. How do principals experience these challenges and deal with the complex situations? How do they perceive their role, particularly in light of national aspirations and leadership theory? These are questions I think need to be explored. My research goal was to gain an understanding of Windhoek senior secondary school principals’ perceptions and experiences of their leadership role. My focus was on three purposively selected Windhoek senior secondary school principals representative of both the Namibian ethno-cultural diversity and gender. Data was collected through interviews. I found that the situations in which the principals found themselves during the pre- and post independent periods mainly determined their leadership style and behaviour, however, that did not deter their vision for the transformation of the society, as the ultimate objective and essence of their leadership. The appropriate practicing of their leadership role was being hampered by lack of induction and training, lack of a support system and insufficient parental involvement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
A phenomenological study of how South African entrepreneurs experience and deal with ethical dilemmas
- Authors: Robinson, David Alan
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship -- South Africa Business ethics -- South Africa Decision making -- Moral and ethical aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1175 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002791
- Description: This research sets out to examine how entrepreneurs experience and deal with ethical dilemmas. An entrepreneur is defined as a person who creates something of value and assumes the risk of establishing and managing a business around it. An ethical dilemma comes about when the entrepreneur must choose between alternatives and where the morally correct choice is unclear. This may be due to conflicting personal values or loyalties, tensions arising out of the realization that the moral action is not in line with his self-interest, cross-cultural conflict, or moral ambiguity. Because of the nature of entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur typically lives with ever-present threats arising from limited resources, competition, and the risk of business failure. His actions must simultaneously ensure survival, maximize profit, limit risk, counter threats, optimize the use of resources, and reward him with a feeling of satisfaction. It is hardly surprising that conflicting priorities sometimes ensue. It is also widely believed that these entrepreneurial pursuits supersede the more general need to act in morally appropriate ways. This is a phenomenological study, based on interviews with seven entrepreneurs in established service-oriented ventures. They were asked to describe their business, any dilemmas they have experienced, how they were handled, and what challenges they experience as entrepreneurs in South Africa today. Using phenomenology as my vehicle for data collection and analysis, I sought to enter the lived-worlds of my participants to discover the essence of how ethical dilemmas are experienced in the entrepreneurial milieu. The study’s findings reflect that each entrepreneur has a distinctive world-view, which is represented by a complex mosaic of virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism and metaethical perspectives. The permutations are numerous, thus negating the possibility of typecasting entrepreneurs. Instead this research introduces the reader to aspects of entrepreneurial reality such as the complexity of cultural diversity, the freedom to limit the amount of personal energy given to business, and the existence of a more sensitive, searching inner soul beneath the apparent hard-nosed business-oriented public image. While examining entrepreneurial dilemmas in depth, this research introduces the dilemma drum as a tool to portray the argument form of any dilemma by making explicit the ethical component inherent in every business decision and facilitating its effective resolution in a non-prescriptive way. The findings identify certain individual characteristics of participant entrepreneurs that are unlike anything in the mainstream literature, dispelling notions of the entrepreneur as a societal misfit, an essential innovator with vision and flair, or a compulsive risk-taker, while confirming success as the key motivator rather than money per se, the importance of significant others, and the influence of culture and gender. They provide fresh insights into the psyche of the entrepreneur, which include: the existence of inner conviction - marrying the concept of goal-directedness with that of making a contribution to society; exercising the virtues in order to support a delicate balance between business and ethical imperatives; learning to respect energy flow; an alternative morality based on attracting and allowing benevolent or serendipitous events to happen naturally and redefining success as ‘being able to create what is needed as and when needed’; focusing one’s energy on the telos; developing a personal marketing formula suited to a culturallydiverse society; and the anxiety associated with being out-there on one’s own. The general statement, which is ultimately distilled from the seven situated descriptions, introduces a theory of entrepreneurial ethics that presents a new and different view of the lived-world of entrepreneurship, consisting of: Firstly, the key components of entrepreneurial success – having clear goals, energy, making a contribution to society, being connected, getting others on board, and work as an extension of self; secondly, what drives entrepreneurs – goal-orientation, sense of personal excitement, inner conviction, autonomy, and external recognition of success; thirdly, the entrepreneurial ethic – concern for credibility, commitment to service, contributing to quality of life; fourthly, the nature of entrepreneurial dilemmas - conflicting responsibilities, authenticity and credibility, risk and expansion, and awareness of diversity; fifthly, how entrepreneurs deal with ethical issues in their own distinctive ways – by holding fast to authentic virtues, bowing to community expectations, avoiding friction, adopting a ‘come-what-may’ or ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude, or pursuing a higher purpose where both parties benefit; sixthly, entrepreneurs’ world -views – beliefs, goals, ways of deriving satisfaction, virtuous behaviour; pen-ultimately, the challenges facing entrepreneurs in South Africa – overcoming the legacies of apartheid, containing crime, fostering an acceptable business ethic, and facilitating reconciliation between ethnic groups; and lastly, finding the power within – that illusive entrepreneurial spirit – self-reliance, looking beyond immediate obstacles, grasping opportunities, and understanding serendipity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Robinson, David Alan
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship -- South Africa Business ethics -- South Africa Decision making -- Moral and ethical aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1175 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002791
- Description: This research sets out to examine how entrepreneurs experience and deal with ethical dilemmas. An entrepreneur is defined as a person who creates something of value and assumes the risk of establishing and managing a business around it. An ethical dilemma comes about when the entrepreneur must choose between alternatives and where the morally correct choice is unclear. This may be due to conflicting personal values or loyalties, tensions arising out of the realization that the moral action is not in line with his self-interest, cross-cultural conflict, or moral ambiguity. Because of the nature of entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur typically lives with ever-present threats arising from limited resources, competition, and the risk of business failure. His actions must simultaneously ensure survival, maximize profit, limit risk, counter threats, optimize the use of resources, and reward him with a feeling of satisfaction. It is hardly surprising that conflicting priorities sometimes ensue. It is also widely believed that these entrepreneurial pursuits supersede the more general need to act in morally appropriate ways. This is a phenomenological study, based on interviews with seven entrepreneurs in established service-oriented ventures. They were asked to describe their business, any dilemmas they have experienced, how they were handled, and what challenges they experience as entrepreneurs in South Africa today. Using phenomenology as my vehicle for data collection and analysis, I sought to enter the lived-worlds of my participants to discover the essence of how ethical dilemmas are experienced in the entrepreneurial milieu. The study’s findings reflect that each entrepreneur has a distinctive world-view, which is represented by a complex mosaic of virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism and metaethical perspectives. The permutations are numerous, thus negating the possibility of typecasting entrepreneurs. Instead this research introduces the reader to aspects of entrepreneurial reality such as the complexity of cultural diversity, the freedom to limit the amount of personal energy given to business, and the existence of a more sensitive, searching inner soul beneath the apparent hard-nosed business-oriented public image. While examining entrepreneurial dilemmas in depth, this research introduces the dilemma drum as a tool to portray the argument form of any dilemma by making explicit the ethical component inherent in every business decision and facilitating its effective resolution in a non-prescriptive way. The findings identify certain individual characteristics of participant entrepreneurs that are unlike anything in the mainstream literature, dispelling notions of the entrepreneur as a societal misfit, an essential innovator with vision and flair, or a compulsive risk-taker, while confirming success as the key motivator rather than money per se, the importance of significant others, and the influence of culture and gender. They provide fresh insights into the psyche of the entrepreneur, which include: the existence of inner conviction - marrying the concept of goal-directedness with that of making a contribution to society; exercising the virtues in order to support a delicate balance between business and ethical imperatives; learning to respect energy flow; an alternative morality based on attracting and allowing benevolent or serendipitous events to happen naturally and redefining success as ‘being able to create what is needed as and when needed’; focusing one’s energy on the telos; developing a personal marketing formula suited to a culturallydiverse society; and the anxiety associated with being out-there on one’s own. The general statement, which is ultimately distilled from the seven situated descriptions, introduces a theory of entrepreneurial ethics that presents a new and different view of the lived-world of entrepreneurship, consisting of: Firstly, the key components of entrepreneurial success – having clear goals, energy, making a contribution to society, being connected, getting others on board, and work as an extension of self; secondly, what drives entrepreneurs – goal-orientation, sense of personal excitement, inner conviction, autonomy, and external recognition of success; thirdly, the entrepreneurial ethic – concern for credibility, commitment to service, contributing to quality of life; fourthly, the nature of entrepreneurial dilemmas - conflicting responsibilities, authenticity and credibility, risk and expansion, and awareness of diversity; fifthly, how entrepreneurs deal with ethical issues in their own distinctive ways – by holding fast to authentic virtues, bowing to community expectations, avoiding friction, adopting a ‘come-what-may’ or ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude, or pursuing a higher purpose where both parties benefit; sixthly, entrepreneurs’ world -views – beliefs, goals, ways of deriving satisfaction, virtuous behaviour; pen-ultimately, the challenges facing entrepreneurs in South Africa – overcoming the legacies of apartheid, containing crime, fostering an acceptable business ethic, and facilitating reconciliation between ethnic groups; and lastly, finding the power within – that illusive entrepreneurial spirit – self-reliance, looking beyond immediate obstacles, grasping opportunities, and understanding serendipity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
A phenomenological study of women primary school heads' experiences as educational leaders in post colonial Zimbabwe
- Authors: Muzvidziwa, Irene
- Date: 2013-06-26
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- Zimbabwe Women school administrators -- Zimbabwe School management and organization -- Zimbabwe Women in education -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1949 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008200
- Description: This research study was carried out in order to gain an understanding of the experiences of women primary school heads, their perceptions of their roles as leaders, the challenges they face and how they dealt with them. The study focused on the lived experiences of five women in Zimbabwe's primary schools. Literature relating to the issues and experiences of women in educational leadership within school contexts and the conceptual framework is examined. The importance of leadership has been emphasised in the literature of school effectiveness. Leadership theories tended to emphasise measurability and effectiveness of leadership, oversimplifying the complexity of leadership phenomenon. These features reflect research approach adopted by researchers from a positivist orientation. This study is an in-depth qualitative study conducted along the lines suggested by a phenomenological-interpretivist design with emphasis on rich contextual detail, close attention to individual's lived experience and the bracketing of pre-conceived notions of the phenomenon. Views and experiences based on the participants' perspectives are described through in-depth interviews which were dialogical in nature. Through this approach, I managed to grasp the essences of the lived experiences of women The research highlights the women's perceptions of themselves as educational leaders. What emerges is the variety of approaches to handling challenges. My findings show a rich and diverse culture of creativity in the way participants adopted a problem-solving strategy, which is not reflected in the mainstream leadership. Though educational leadership emerges as a complex phenomenon, with alternative approaches to educational research, there is high potential for increased understanding of woman's leadership, its importance and implications for school. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Authors: Muzvidziwa, Irene
- Date: 2013-06-26
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- Zimbabwe Women school administrators -- Zimbabwe School management and organization -- Zimbabwe Women in education -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1949 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008200
- Description: This research study was carried out in order to gain an understanding of the experiences of women primary school heads, their perceptions of their roles as leaders, the challenges they face and how they dealt with them. The study focused on the lived experiences of five women in Zimbabwe's primary schools. Literature relating to the issues and experiences of women in educational leadership within school contexts and the conceptual framework is examined. The importance of leadership has been emphasised in the literature of school effectiveness. Leadership theories tended to emphasise measurability and effectiveness of leadership, oversimplifying the complexity of leadership phenomenon. These features reflect research approach adopted by researchers from a positivist orientation. This study is an in-depth qualitative study conducted along the lines suggested by a phenomenological-interpretivist design with emphasis on rich contextual detail, close attention to individual's lived experience and the bracketing of pre-conceived notions of the phenomenon. Views and experiences based on the participants' perspectives are described through in-depth interviews which were dialogical in nature. Through this approach, I managed to grasp the essences of the lived experiences of women The research highlights the women's perceptions of themselves as educational leaders. What emerges is the variety of approaches to handling challenges. My findings show a rich and diverse culture of creativity in the way participants adopted a problem-solving strategy, which is not reflected in the mainstream leadership. Though educational leadership emerges as a complex phenomenon, with alternative approaches to educational research, there is high potential for increased understanding of woman's leadership, its importance and implications for school. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
An exploration of leadership development in a learner representative structure in a secondary school, Oshana Region, Namibia
- Kadhepa-Kandjengo, Selma Ndeyapo
- Authors: Kadhepa-Kandjengo, Selma Ndeyapo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia , Educational leadership -- Namibia , Education, Secondary -- Namibia , Student government -- Namibia , Student participation in administration -- Namibia , Cultural Historical Activity Theory
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62450 , vital:28193
- Description: Before independence, Namibia inherited a system of Bantu education which was hierarchical, authoritarian and non-democratic. Upon independence, the educational sector went through numerous reforms which were meant to transform education and to make it more democratic, whereby all stakeholders can broadly participate. In spite of these reforms, leadership of schools has remained a hierarchical system, where a principal who, as an individual, runs the school without recognition of the potential leadership of others. Recent studies on leadership have called for shared leadership, whereby leadership is a practice, permeable to learner leaders and not associated with individuals. This research study aims to explore learner leadership development in the Learner Representative Council (LRC) structure at a secondary school in Namibia. The motivation of this research study was twofold - firstly, my personal interest in learner leadership was aroused by my teaching experience. The second reason was due to my realisation that the area was under-researched in Namibia, hence I wanted to fill the existing gap on learner leadership. The study critically engaged learners and teachers to help me get an understanding of learner leadership and the factors enabling learner leadership development. I also found that challenges which resulted in contradictions, hampered leadership development. The study took an interventionist approach and second generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory was used to surface tensions and contradictions affecting learner leadership development. Change Laboratory workshops enabled the expansive learning process with the 12 LRC members. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, observation, document analysis and journaling. The study found that learner leadership was understood more in terms of traditional views of leadership, whereby a learner needed to possess certain qualities in order to lead. The findings further pointed out that the LRC members were mainly involved in managerial roles and not really leadership roles, as such, and they were not involved in decision-making at the school. Although provision for the LRC body is made in an Educational Act, historical and cultural forces account for teachers’ reluctance to support the LRC members, as well as for silence of learner voice. I hope that findings from this research study strengthen learner leadership structures in schools and contribute to the creation of knowledge on learner leadership in Namibia.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Kadhepa-Kandjengo, Selma Ndeyapo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia , Educational leadership -- Namibia , Education, Secondary -- Namibia , Student government -- Namibia , Student participation in administration -- Namibia , Cultural Historical Activity Theory
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62450 , vital:28193
- Description: Before independence, Namibia inherited a system of Bantu education which was hierarchical, authoritarian and non-democratic. Upon independence, the educational sector went through numerous reforms which were meant to transform education and to make it more democratic, whereby all stakeholders can broadly participate. In spite of these reforms, leadership of schools has remained a hierarchical system, where a principal who, as an individual, runs the school without recognition of the potential leadership of others. Recent studies on leadership have called for shared leadership, whereby leadership is a practice, permeable to learner leaders and not associated with individuals. This research study aims to explore learner leadership development in the Learner Representative Council (LRC) structure at a secondary school in Namibia. The motivation of this research study was twofold - firstly, my personal interest in learner leadership was aroused by my teaching experience. The second reason was due to my realisation that the area was under-researched in Namibia, hence I wanted to fill the existing gap on learner leadership. The study critically engaged learners and teachers to help me get an understanding of learner leadership and the factors enabling learner leadership development. I also found that challenges which resulted in contradictions, hampered leadership development. The study took an interventionist approach and second generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory was used to surface tensions and contradictions affecting learner leadership development. Change Laboratory workshops enabled the expansive learning process with the 12 LRC members. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, observation, document analysis and journaling. The study found that learner leadership was understood more in terms of traditional views of leadership, whereby a learner needed to possess certain qualities in order to lead. The findings further pointed out that the LRC members were mainly involved in managerial roles and not really leadership roles, as such, and they were not involved in decision-making at the school. Although provision for the LRC body is made in an Educational Act, historical and cultural forces account for teachers’ reluctance to support the LRC members, as well as for silence of learner voice. I hope that findings from this research study strengthen learner leadership structures in schools and contribute to the creation of knowledge on learner leadership in Namibia.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An exploration of leadership practices: a case study in a public high school in Nigeria
- Authors: Adediji, John Oluwole
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- Nigeria -- Case studies Teacher participation in administration -- Nigeria -- Case studies School management and organization -- Nigeria -- Case studies Education, Secondary -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1405 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001955
- Description: The management of Nigeria high schools are noted for administrative practices in the management of their schools; hence the term administration is commonly used in their daily operations. This fact on ‘administration’ was emphasised by the Nigerian government in the National Policy on Education (Nigeria, 1981, p. 21). Therefor as a researcher from Nigeria, my rationale for embarking on this research study was to find out to what extent a public high school in Nigeria was still operating in a hierarchical, individualistic, authoritarian style of leadership or whether it has started embracing contemporary approaches such as distributed leadership. The main goal of this study was to explore leadership practices in the case study school with the main focus on how different people relate to each other in the various leadership practices of the school, such as staff and briefing meetings of the school. In addition, my research questions aimed at exploring the respondents’ perceptions of leadership and factors enabling or constraining the distribution of leadership in the school. The study is located within the interpretive paradigm. As a researcher in a wheelchair studying in South Africa I needed to find alternative ways of accessing the research site and gathering data. I was able to use electronic communication for the collection of my data. I used four different tools of data collection methods namely document analysis, observation, questionnaire and stimulated recall interviews. Findings from the study indicated that there was limited evidence of contemporary leadership approaches in the case study school. The school was still operating traditional leadership, while school activities were dominated by a hierarchical chain of command. What emerged from the leadership practices of the school could be termed authorised distributed leadership which was under the command of the school principal. Data also indicated that there were some forms of restricted teacher leadership in the management and administration of the school. In addition, findings revealed that the case study school was very good at the management and administrative functions. The school was very effective and efficient in the controlling and management of both human and material resources. Lastly, findings from the case study school indicated some enabling factors to the distribution of leadership in the case study school which include a culture of respect and cordial relations among the SMT and the teachers, Prominent among constraining factors to the distribution of leadership in the case study school were: cultural orientation of the people where the case school was located, exclusionary religious practices by the principal of the school and the inhibiting role played by the Ministry of Education. Finally, based on these findings, recommendations were made both for practice and for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Adediji, John Oluwole
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- Nigeria -- Case studies Teacher participation in administration -- Nigeria -- Case studies School management and organization -- Nigeria -- Case studies Education, Secondary -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1405 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001955
- Description: The management of Nigeria high schools are noted for administrative practices in the management of their schools; hence the term administration is commonly used in their daily operations. This fact on ‘administration’ was emphasised by the Nigerian government in the National Policy on Education (Nigeria, 1981, p. 21). Therefor as a researcher from Nigeria, my rationale for embarking on this research study was to find out to what extent a public high school in Nigeria was still operating in a hierarchical, individualistic, authoritarian style of leadership or whether it has started embracing contemporary approaches such as distributed leadership. The main goal of this study was to explore leadership practices in the case study school with the main focus on how different people relate to each other in the various leadership practices of the school, such as staff and briefing meetings of the school. In addition, my research questions aimed at exploring the respondents’ perceptions of leadership and factors enabling or constraining the distribution of leadership in the school. The study is located within the interpretive paradigm. As a researcher in a wheelchair studying in South Africa I needed to find alternative ways of accessing the research site and gathering data. I was able to use electronic communication for the collection of my data. I used four different tools of data collection methods namely document analysis, observation, questionnaire and stimulated recall interviews. Findings from the study indicated that there was limited evidence of contemporary leadership approaches in the case study school. The school was still operating traditional leadership, while school activities were dominated by a hierarchical chain of command. What emerged from the leadership practices of the school could be termed authorised distributed leadership which was under the command of the school principal. Data also indicated that there were some forms of restricted teacher leadership in the management and administration of the school. In addition, findings revealed that the case study school was very good at the management and administrative functions. The school was very effective and efficient in the controlling and management of both human and material resources. Lastly, findings from the case study school indicated some enabling factors to the distribution of leadership in the case study school which include a culture of respect and cordial relations among the SMT and the teachers, Prominent among constraining factors to the distribution of leadership in the case study school were: cultural orientation of the people where the case school was located, exclusionary religious practices by the principal of the school and the inhibiting role played by the Ministry of Education. Finally, based on these findings, recommendations were made both for practice and for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
An exploration of teacher leadership: a case study in a Namibian rural primary school
- Authors: Uiseb, Gerson
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- Namibia -- Otjozondjupa -- Case studies Education, Elementary -- Namibia -- Otjozondjupa -- Case studies School management and organization -- Namibia -- Otjozondjupa -- Case studies Educational change -- Namibia -- Case studies Education, Rural -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1394 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001715
- Description: The Namibian education system has undergone a policy shift from a top-down leadership practice or head-centred leadership to a more shared form of leadership in schools. Existing policy documents call for teacher participation in school level decision-making structures and processes as teachers often are involved in other activities and have been through life experiences which equip them with leadership skills. These policies clearly stipulate that school principals cannot lead and manage the schools alone, but should involve teachers and other stakeholders in leadership activities. This study explored teacher leadership in a rural primary school in the Otjozondjupa region of Namibia. The study explored the understanding of the concept teacher leadership, the practice of teacher leadership and the enhancing factors as well as barriers to teacher leadership practice. A qualitative interpretative case study was conducted. Interviews, document analysis, focus group interviews, a questionnaire and observation were employed to produce data with regard to teacher leadership practices in the case study school. The data were analysed thematically using Grant’s (2008) model of teacher leadership. Findings revealed that the concept of teacher leadership was understood as teachers leading both within and beyond the classroom. Teacher leadership was practiced across the fours zones of teacher leadership (after Grant, 2008), but to varying degrees. It could be categorized as emergent teacher leadership (after Muijs and Harris, 2005) within a formal distributed leadership framework (MacBeath, 2005). Teacher leadership in the case study school was enhanced by collaboration among staff and involvement of teachers in school level decision-making. However, barriers to teacher leadership at the case study school included holding on to power by the principal, teachers’ negative attitudes towards teacher leadership, a lack of incentives, a lack of time due to a heavy work load and a lack of professional development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Uiseb, Gerson
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- Namibia -- Otjozondjupa -- Case studies Education, Elementary -- Namibia -- Otjozondjupa -- Case studies School management and organization -- Namibia -- Otjozondjupa -- Case studies Educational change -- Namibia -- Case studies Education, Rural -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1394 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001715
- Description: The Namibian education system has undergone a policy shift from a top-down leadership practice or head-centred leadership to a more shared form of leadership in schools. Existing policy documents call for teacher participation in school level decision-making structures and processes as teachers often are involved in other activities and have been through life experiences which equip them with leadership skills. These policies clearly stipulate that school principals cannot lead and manage the schools alone, but should involve teachers and other stakeholders in leadership activities. This study explored teacher leadership in a rural primary school in the Otjozondjupa region of Namibia. The study explored the understanding of the concept teacher leadership, the practice of teacher leadership and the enhancing factors as well as barriers to teacher leadership practice. A qualitative interpretative case study was conducted. Interviews, document analysis, focus group interviews, a questionnaire and observation were employed to produce data with regard to teacher leadership practices in the case study school. The data were analysed thematically using Grant’s (2008) model of teacher leadership. Findings revealed that the concept of teacher leadership was understood as teachers leading both within and beyond the classroom. Teacher leadership was practiced across the fours zones of teacher leadership (after Grant, 2008), but to varying degrees. It could be categorized as emergent teacher leadership (after Muijs and Harris, 2005) within a formal distributed leadership framework (MacBeath, 2005). Teacher leadership in the case study school was enhanced by collaboration among staff and involvement of teachers in school level decision-making. However, barriers to teacher leadership at the case study school included holding on to power by the principal, teachers’ negative attitudes towards teacher leadership, a lack of incentives, a lack of time due to a heavy work load and a lack of professional development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
An inquiry into the incorporation of a multicultural approach in contemporary textbooks in South Africa
- Authors: Sharma, Anjali
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Multicultural education -- South Africa Multicultural education -- Curricula Textbooks -- South Africa -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1579 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003461
- Description: During the past few decades a substantial body of research has emerged in western as well as the developing nations studying the racial bias in children's texts. However, it is only recently in South Africa, with the ascendance of the ANC government, that interest has been focused on eliminating apartheid values and on promoting multicultural tenets in the school curriculum. It is undeniable that the concept of multiculturalism has been severely stigmatised in the South African educational context. Anxieties have been expressed about embracing the discourse of multicultural education within the educational system based on fears that, like the previous educational system, it too will perpetuate group differences. Nevertheless, in recent years, a clear consensus view has emerged that the implementation of multicultural education is imperative if the goal of a rainbow South Africa is to be realised. Against this background, the present study attempts to study the incorporation of a multicultural approach into contemporary textbooks. To realise this aim I selected a sample of four textbooks, one from each of the major disciplines (science, English, geography and history), and SUbjected the texts and pictures from each to content analysis. The findings of this study suggest that a multicultural approach shall at least for the foreseeable future remain a central feature of learning materials produced for the new South African curricula. The findings indicate that multicultural aspects predominate in the texts as compared to other ideologies. This applies to both text content and illustrations. Contrary to the researcher's initial expectation, however, the texts also reveal a strong tendency towards Eurocentric and patriarchal approaches. This research does not conform to traditional, 'scientific' criteria of validity and reliability; it seeks only to investigate textbook material in more depth and thereby contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the extent to which the texts subscribe to a multicultural approach. Such understanding may help both educationalists and authors in their evaluation of existing textbook material, and in the production of new texts which reflect the reality of South Africa as a multicultural society.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
- Authors: Sharma, Anjali
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Multicultural education -- South Africa Multicultural education -- Curricula Textbooks -- South Africa -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1579 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003461
- Description: During the past few decades a substantial body of research has emerged in western as well as the developing nations studying the racial bias in children's texts. However, it is only recently in South Africa, with the ascendance of the ANC government, that interest has been focused on eliminating apartheid values and on promoting multicultural tenets in the school curriculum. It is undeniable that the concept of multiculturalism has been severely stigmatised in the South African educational context. Anxieties have been expressed about embracing the discourse of multicultural education within the educational system based on fears that, like the previous educational system, it too will perpetuate group differences. Nevertheless, in recent years, a clear consensus view has emerged that the implementation of multicultural education is imperative if the goal of a rainbow South Africa is to be realised. Against this background, the present study attempts to study the incorporation of a multicultural approach into contemporary textbooks. To realise this aim I selected a sample of four textbooks, one from each of the major disciplines (science, English, geography and history), and SUbjected the texts and pictures from each to content analysis. The findings of this study suggest that a multicultural approach shall at least for the foreseeable future remain a central feature of learning materials produced for the new South African curricula. The findings indicate that multicultural aspects predominate in the texts as compared to other ideologies. This applies to both text content and illustrations. Contrary to the researcher's initial expectation, however, the texts also reveal a strong tendency towards Eurocentric and patriarchal approaches. This research does not conform to traditional, 'scientific' criteria of validity and reliability; it seeks only to investigate textbook material in more depth and thereby contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the extent to which the texts subscribe to a multicultural approach. Such understanding may help both educationalists and authors in their evaluation of existing textbook material, and in the production of new texts which reflect the reality of South Africa as a multicultural society.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
An interpretive inquiry into girls' educational choices and aspirations: a case study of Murang'a district, Kenya
- Authors: Mwingi, Mweru P
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Education -- Kenya -- Case studies Education -- Economic aspects -- Kenya -- Case studies Student aspirations -- Kenya -- Case studies Women -- Vocational guidance -- Kenya -- Case studies Sex discrimination in education -- Kenya -- Case studies Sex discrimination against women -- Kenya -- Case studies Sexism in education -- Kenya -- Case studies Women -- Education -- Kenya -- Case studies Educational equalization -- Kenya
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1583 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003465
- Description: Global consensus on the importance of gender equity in education is perhaps one of the greatest agreements reached in the twentieth century. However, for countries in the sub Saharan African region where disparities of gender are wide and primary education takes priority, secondary education continues to remain in the periphery. As countries make progress towards the attainment of Universal Primary Education (UPE), the concerns for gender equity and equality have become associated with school access and pupil retention. Yet, patterns and trends in school enrollment suggest that disparities of gender are more complex. As lessons are learned from the achievements and challenges of attaining UPE, it is increasingly apparent that gender disparities within education occur in, within and beyond access to schooling. In other words, the challenge of making education gender equal goes beyond school access and school enrollment. Kenya is a signatory to the 1990 Jomtein Declaration on Education For All (EFA). It is also among the few countries in the sub Saharan Africa region with a significantly reduced gender gap in primary and secondary education. This is in tandem with the third of the eight Millennium Development Goals whose aims bear a broad social and economic development agenda. While education equity is important in Kenya and tremendous progress has been made in primary education, beyond the attainment of Universal Primary Education (UPE) there is an even more significant target; gender equity in education both in primary and secondary education by 2015. The attainment of this target requires more than access to schooling and for this reason it poses great challenges to governments and schools. In light of the progress made in Kenya and the need for more equitable education beyond primary education, this study conceives a need for an incisive examination of education equity priority areas in Kenya. The study argues on the need for a shift of concern and debate from primary education to secondary education because the gains of UPE only become meaningful when education equity is secured in secondary education. The study underscores that beyond school access and retention, education output and outcomes need to become prominent variables because they gauge trends and patterns and the quality of gains made where education is claimed to be both accessible and equitable. Using case study method, the study makes a critical interpretation of the schooling experiences, educational choices, preferences and aspirations of girls taking secondary education in single-sex schools in Murang’a district, Kenya. The study shows that girls schooling experiences are not homogenous and that there are contradictions in the ways that girls experience their schooling and make educational choices. It also shows that girls do not necessarily stand good chances with their education simply because they are enrolled in single-sex schools. The study reveals individual subjectivities and schooling culture to be at the centre of the differences between schools and the schooling experiences that girls have. The two have impact on how girls perceive themselves and their abilities, the preferences they nurture and the educational choices they make. The study draws attention to nuances in access and equity within girls’ education. It draws out issues and nuances linked to gender access, equity and equality with respect to school, teacher and subject access. Though the study is not generaliseable, it shows that in contexts where female access and survival is secured, there is need for attention to be paid to the environments that nurture educational choices and preferences so that the high rates in school access become translated into equally high educational output and outcomes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Mwingi, Mweru P
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Education -- Kenya -- Case studies Education -- Economic aspects -- Kenya -- Case studies Student aspirations -- Kenya -- Case studies Women -- Vocational guidance -- Kenya -- Case studies Sex discrimination in education -- Kenya -- Case studies Sex discrimination against women -- Kenya -- Case studies Sexism in education -- Kenya -- Case studies Women -- Education -- Kenya -- Case studies Educational equalization -- Kenya
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1583 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003465
- Description: Global consensus on the importance of gender equity in education is perhaps one of the greatest agreements reached in the twentieth century. However, for countries in the sub Saharan African region where disparities of gender are wide and primary education takes priority, secondary education continues to remain in the periphery. As countries make progress towards the attainment of Universal Primary Education (UPE), the concerns for gender equity and equality have become associated with school access and pupil retention. Yet, patterns and trends in school enrollment suggest that disparities of gender are more complex. As lessons are learned from the achievements and challenges of attaining UPE, it is increasingly apparent that gender disparities within education occur in, within and beyond access to schooling. In other words, the challenge of making education gender equal goes beyond school access and school enrollment. Kenya is a signatory to the 1990 Jomtein Declaration on Education For All (EFA). It is also among the few countries in the sub Saharan Africa region with a significantly reduced gender gap in primary and secondary education. This is in tandem with the third of the eight Millennium Development Goals whose aims bear a broad social and economic development agenda. While education equity is important in Kenya and tremendous progress has been made in primary education, beyond the attainment of Universal Primary Education (UPE) there is an even more significant target; gender equity in education both in primary and secondary education by 2015. The attainment of this target requires more than access to schooling and for this reason it poses great challenges to governments and schools. In light of the progress made in Kenya and the need for more equitable education beyond primary education, this study conceives a need for an incisive examination of education equity priority areas in Kenya. The study argues on the need for a shift of concern and debate from primary education to secondary education because the gains of UPE only become meaningful when education equity is secured in secondary education. The study underscores that beyond school access and retention, education output and outcomes need to become prominent variables because they gauge trends and patterns and the quality of gains made where education is claimed to be both accessible and equitable. Using case study method, the study makes a critical interpretation of the schooling experiences, educational choices, preferences and aspirations of girls taking secondary education in single-sex schools in Murang’a district, Kenya. The study shows that girls schooling experiences are not homogenous and that there are contradictions in the ways that girls experience their schooling and make educational choices. It also shows that girls do not necessarily stand good chances with their education simply because they are enrolled in single-sex schools. The study reveals individual subjectivities and schooling culture to be at the centre of the differences between schools and the schooling experiences that girls have. The two have impact on how girls perceive themselves and their abilities, the preferences they nurture and the educational choices they make. The study draws attention to nuances in access and equity within girls’ education. It draws out issues and nuances linked to gender access, equity and equality with respect to school, teacher and subject access. Though the study is not generaliseable, it shows that in contexts where female access and survival is secured, there is need for attention to be paid to the environments that nurture educational choices and preferences so that the high rates in school access become translated into equally high educational output and outcomes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
An investigation into school principals' experience and perceptions of participative management
- Authors: Mungunda, Charles
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Education -- Namibia Educational change -- Namibia School management and organization -- Namibia Educational leadership -- Namibia Management -- Employee participation -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1599 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003481
- Description: The purpose of this research was to investigate three principals’ perceptions and experience of participative management and to gain insight into and understanding of the dimensions involved in participative management from the perspective of the three principals. The research was conducted within the interpretive paradigm, since I was interested in understanding the subjective experience and individual perceptions of three principals with regard to participative management and the meaning they attach to it in their natural settings: how they describe, interpret and make sense of participative management. Data were collected by means of questionnaires, interviews and observation. The findings indicate overwhelming support for the notion that participative management (collegiality) does have a positive influence with regard to creating a sense of common goals, shared vision, a sense of ownership, commitment and improved human relations. The respondents emphasized the critical role of the leader in facilitating the implementation of collegiality as well as an increasing awareness of the potential of participative management to improve human development through delegation. The responses revealed interesting paradoxes with regard to the tensions between leadership and leaderless organizations, as well as between autonomy and interdependence. Responses also reflect the sentiment that participative management should be selective, involving only those with the necessary skills and expertise in the decision-making process. While there is an appreciation of the benefits to be derived from collegiality, critical statements about participative management include the time-consuming nature of participative management, and the notion that participative management impinges on the authority of the principals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Mungunda, Charles
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Education -- Namibia Educational change -- Namibia School management and organization -- Namibia Educational leadership -- Namibia Management -- Employee participation -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1599 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003481
- Description: The purpose of this research was to investigate three principals’ perceptions and experience of participative management and to gain insight into and understanding of the dimensions involved in participative management from the perspective of the three principals. The research was conducted within the interpretive paradigm, since I was interested in understanding the subjective experience and individual perceptions of three principals with regard to participative management and the meaning they attach to it in their natural settings: how they describe, interpret and make sense of participative management. Data were collected by means of questionnaires, interviews and observation. The findings indicate overwhelming support for the notion that participative management (collegiality) does have a positive influence with regard to creating a sense of common goals, shared vision, a sense of ownership, commitment and improved human relations. The respondents emphasized the critical role of the leader in facilitating the implementation of collegiality as well as an increasing awareness of the potential of participative management to improve human development through delegation. The responses revealed interesting paradoxes with regard to the tensions between leadership and leaderless organizations, as well as between autonomy and interdependence. Responses also reflect the sentiment that participative management should be selective, involving only those with the necessary skills and expertise in the decision-making process. While there is an appreciation of the benefits to be derived from collegiality, critical statements about participative management include the time-consuming nature of participative management, and the notion that participative management impinges on the authority of the principals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004