Management development as a task of school managers at institutional level / Mgadla Isaac Xaba

• Main Author: Xaba, Mgadla Isaac
• Language: en
• Published: Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education 2013
• Subjects: Educational management; Management development; Management training; Human resource development; School-based management development; Education management development techniques; Education management development needs; Participative management
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10394/8995

This study investigated management development as a task of school managers by focusing on: • the need for a new education management development approach in South African schools; • the nature and scope of management development; • the international and national perspectives on the education management development practice; • current education management development activities in Gauteng schools; and • an education management development model for Gauteng schools. The literature study exposed the need for a new education management development approach in South African schools, the nature, scope and major aspects of management development. Furthermore, management development approaches, techniques and methods as well as guidelines for a new holistic approach are described. The investigation into the education management development practice for school managers exposed advanced levels in this regard in the UK and USA. Malaysia, Zimbabwe and Namibia are engaged in customising effective programmes for school managers. South Africa is focusing on a holistic approach, with a significant step taken being, the establishment of the National Institute for Education Management Development. The empirical study consisted of a structured questionnaire distributed to a sample population of I 08 school principals, 80 deputy principals and 210 heads of departments to investigate their management development needs, experiences and activities. Main findings revealed a lack of training for school management, uncoordinated education management development programmes, with existing ones being reactions to crisis situations, and ill-defined management roles for school managers. School principals seem solely responsible for school management, thus exposing a need for a school-based management development approach. The management development model developed for Gauteng schools focuses on whole-school development, recognises the participatory management vision of the new education system, includes stakeholder involvement in education management development and provides school managers with a model that employs the ODE Quality Assurance Framework. The major recommendations flowing from this study include customising education management linguistics for South Africa, defining job descriptions for school managers, preparing and inducing school managers, setting education management qualifications for education management posts and institutionalising the National Institute for Education Management Development. === Thesis (PhD)--PU for CHE, 1999