School management training in Zimbabwe : needs and opportunities

• Main Author: Moyo, Sifelani
• Other Authors: Kamper, G. D.
• Format: Others
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: School management training; Training for school heads; School management training needs; Opportunities for school management training; Models for school management training; Developing school leaders; Professional development for school heads; Training school leaders; Educational development for school heads; The training of school principals; Continuing development of school principals; Contents and methods of training school heads; 371.2096891; School management and organization > Study and teaching > Zimbabwe; School principals > Training of > Zimbabwe
• Online Access: Moyo, Sifelani (2002) School management training in Zimbabwe : needs and opportunities, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/17528>; http://hdl.handle.net/10500/17528

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relevance of School Management Training (SMT) to school practice; present an overview of SMT in Zimbabwe; and identify and analyse relevant SMT models to school headship. The research methods involved a literature study of primary and secondary sources, as well as an empirical situation analysis of SMT in Zimbabwe. The secondary sources comprised books, journals, research dissertations and theses. The primary sources comprised official circulars, course outlines of the B.Ed (EAPPS) degree programme and the Heads Training Support Programme (HTSP) modules. The knowledge drawn from these sources was the basis for developing appropriate models for SMT. The empirical situation analysis comprised the use of questionnaires and interviews to examine the content, typology, the modes of SMT in Zimbabwe, as provided by a sample of 218 randomly selected school heads in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South regions. Personal and group interviews were conducted with selected school heads. The findings revealed the following strengths of SMT in Zimbabwe: • Induction SMT is offered to newly-appointed school heads in order to inspire their confidence in leadership. • Various forms of continuing on-site SMT on-the-job training opportunities to school heads. • Whilst off-site SMT workshops inculcate skills from school headship expenence, SMT conferences and seminars run by heads' professional associations cater for SMT needs of school heads. Weaknesses of SMT in Zimbabwe exposed by the study involve: • Lack of SMT newsletters to encourage self-induction • Lack of institutional provision for the smooth co-ordination of SMT • Little involvement of university experts in non-formal SMT (iii) A tripartite collaborative SMT model which integrates self-development, university tuition and HTSP tuition is recommended. For the smooth operation of the model a dedicated institute for SMT is recommended. Any further research study, local or in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, should investigate the feasibility of a tripartite collaborative model and the dedicated institute in SMT === Educational Leadership and Management === D.Ed. (Education Management)