Browsing by Author "Ngcobo, Thandi Moira."

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Educator perceptions of the selection of principals in the Umzinyathi area of the Kwamashu circuit.
(2009) Makanya, Sithembiso Selby.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
Educator professional development and support in three rural and two semi-rural secondary schools in KwaMashu circuit.
(2008) Nkosi, Joyce Nozipho.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
In this study I undertook to investigate educator professional development and support in three rural and two semi-rural schools in the KwaMashu Circuit. The rationale for the study took into consideration the demands for continuous educator professional development in order to enable the educators to face and overcome current challenges in education. In addition, schools located in rural and semi-rural areas are largely under-resourced, thus necessitating excellent human resource input from the educators. This therefore calls for effective and extensive professional development and support in such disadvantaged areas.
Factors associated with the motivation of primary school educators in Isipingo, Phumelela circuit, Ethekwini region.
(2005) Naidoo, Renuka.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
In ensuring a sound culture of teaching and learning various stakeholders in education have emphasised school effectiveness. Schools in achieving and maintaining effectiveness, require optimum levels of commitment and performance from the educators. Therefore, it is an essential task of the school managers to ensure that educators are performing at their optimum levels. "Underpinning this notion of affecting and improving the performance capability of individuals is the concept of motivation" (Middlewood and Lumby, 1998:21). It is with this in mind that the researcher, conducting a case study, aimed at identifying factors associated with the motivation of primary school educators in Isipingo, Phumelela Circuit, EThekwini Region. Through the process of random sampling 5 schools, in Isipingo, were selected. All the principals and Level One educators employed by the Department of Education were targeted for this study. Questionnaires directed at the principals and educators as well as focus group interviews with the educators, formed the research instruments for this study. The study revealed that 60.2% of the educator sample was motivated. These educators claimed that they were generally motivated by the team spirit and the 'togetherness' amongst staff members at their schools. These educators placed a high premium on positive human relations as well as their interaction and love for children and teaching. Other factors associated with the motivation of these educators included being recognised and appreciated for their efforts, increased responsibilities, professional autonomy and the open door policy that some school managers employed. Educators felt strongly that school managers should play fundamental roles in motivating them in their work. The study also revealed that although the school managers were employing some motivation strategies based on the general needs of their educators, emphasis should be on analysing the educators' individual work related needs.
An investigation into the implementation of the staff selection policy for school-based management posts by school governing bodies in three schools in the Umlazi district.
(2006) Gcabashe, Busisiwe Patricia.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
This study is an investigation into the implementation of the staff selection policy in three schools in Umlazi district, south of Durban. The concerns expressed by educators and
An investigation of how selected historically disadvantaged schools in Pietermaritzburg education district manage the prevalent non-payment of school fees.
(2003) Mseleku, Mbangiseni Gabriel.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
The study was set out to investigate how selected historically disadvantaged schools in the Pietermaritzburg Education District, manage the prevalent non-payment of fees. The study used the survey method. The principals of schools were targeted because they are the accounting officers for the financial matters and executive members of the School Governing Bodies. Permission for conducting this research was obtained from the District Manager for the Department of Education and the principals of the sampled schools. For the purpose of data collection, the use of questionnaire and document analysis was adopted. Five principals, each representing their respective circuit in the District, responded to the questionnaire. The research studied financial records to obtain a general view of how principals manage school fees and to draw conclusion on the extent of non-payment of fees. The findings revealed that there is widespread tendency of non-payment of fees in schools. Poverty was cited as the reason for non-payment. Low and middle level income parents did not prioritise school fees from the lists of their accounts. Though principals understand that the victimising of non-paying learners of any form is contradictory to the South African Schools Act No 48 of 1996, they go on to withhold learners' results. Parents have not applied for school fee exemption and schools have not yet advised them to do so. Non-paying parents are reluctant to explain their position to the school and also unwilling to offer voluntary service to school as a form of payment. School fundraising efforts do not help them gain any reasonable amount of cash. The parental support in this venture is lacking. The study recommends that principals should look at other means of dealing with payment and should assist the eligible parents to apply for fee exemption. The Department of Education should consider scaling down personnel expenditure in the office based ranks to add more funds for teaching and learning in the historically disadvantaged schools.
An investigation of the links between principals, advisory school committees and management committees in the management of primary school education in Lesotho : a study of three schools in Botha-Bothe district.
(2002) Marole, Jone Andreas.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
The study explores communication links existing in the management of primary schools in Lesotho. The frequency of the links as well as the content and channels used in the transmission of messages between the principals, advisory school committees and management committees were investigated. The Lesotho primary education management system involves the principals, advisory school committees and management committees. Management committees in Lesotho manage all primary schools under their jurisdiction. Principals manage schools on daily basis on behalf of the management committees. Advisory school committees advise the management committees on all matters relating to education. Questionnaires, interviews and school record books were the research tools used in this study. The responses revealed that links exist between the above bodies even though the links are inadequate in most instances. The way through which messages are sent vary from link to link but most of the links are in the form of meetings. These meetings are often below the stipulated number in the country's Education Act.
The relationship between academic performance, school culture and school leadership in historically disadvantaged African township secondary schools : implications for leadership.
(2005) Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.; Harley, Keneth Lee.; Thurlow, Michael.
The present government places tremendous faith in academic performance as a crucial tool for transforming the country's society. However, academic performance in the majority of historically disadvantaged schools is poor. What this means is that these schools are hardly in a position to contribute to this hoped for transformation. This is despite the numerous policies generated by the government in an effort to improve the performance. Underpinning this study was a view that this is because the policies do not address issues that are foundational for academic performance. One such issue, as indicated by widespread findings, is school culture, and associated leadership. In response to this view, an examination was in this study conducted on the relationship between academic performance, school culture and school leadership in two historically disadvantaged African township secondary schools (HDATSS). The purpose was to develop better understanding of school cultures that have the potential of enabling good academic performance in HDATSS, and, in the process, develop better understanding of leadership associated with the formation of such school cultures. The examination was conducted by means of ethnography. The advantage of ethnography for this study was that the methodology results in micro/thick descriptions more likely to inform practice than is the case with thin descriptions provided by other methodologies. Findings were that school cultures that are most likely to enable good academic performance in HDATSS are those that are predominantly communal in nature, but also incorporate societal features. Of particular advantage about communality for the schools' academic performance are common, consensual understandings in relation to the schools' academic goals and behavioural norms. Of advantage about the societal incorporation, on the other hand, is societal capacity to compensate for communality's failure to negotiate common understandings in organizations that are as complex, ever-changing and multifaceted as are HDATSS. It was further found that for such school cultures to be enabling for HDATSS they need to creatively supplement historical deprivations and reflect the cultural backgrounds of the schools' populations. A style of leadership that was found to be associated with the formation of such school cultures is that which emerges organically and is therefore diffused, serving and diversified.
Staff development programs associated with good academic performance in the Lesotho primary school leaving examination : a study of four primary schools in the Mafeteng district.
(2002) Leeto, Mamoqebelo Nozulu.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
The study searches for staff development programs associated with good academic performance in the Lesotho Primary School Leaving Examination. The study was conducted mainly to: • examine the type of programs available in schools to support staff development. The research was conducted by means of questionnaires (Appendix 2) handed out to principals and teachers in four primary schools in the Mafeteng district in Lesotho. The results of the study indicate that there were inadequate staff development programs in schools and that the programs were not well administered. The main recommendations of the study were: • Considering the nature and scope of this study there is need to broaden the scope of further research to include not only few schools in Mafeteng district but also all schools in Lesotho. • Research should not be conducted in primary schools only; but in post primary schools as well where staff development programs may just be as important as they are in the primary schools. More research needs to be carried out in order to investigate the quality of the programs that presently exist in schools, because according to the study it seems the very few that exist do not have much impact on the academic performance in the schools studied.
Stakeholder perceptions of the selection of management staff at public schools in the Pinetown district.
(2006) Naidoo, Krishna.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
There has been a significant number of disputes being declared after every selection process each year since 1998 when School Governing Bodies were given the responsibility of selecting management staff at schools (Thurlow 2003). Also, anecdotal evidence is that there is suspicion amongst educators that unfairness and favoritism in the selection of management staff is rife. Hence, the researcher sought to develop better understanding of how the selection policy is perceived to be problematic in its implementation. With this in mind the researcher examined the perception of stakeholders, namely educators and School Governing Bodies, on the selection of management staff at public schools in a suburb in the Pinetown District. The research involved all eight schools in the Suburb which comprised two secondary schools and six primary schools. All the teachers and management staff and chairpersons of the Selection Committees of the School Governing Bodies in these schools were targeted for the study. The research instruments used for this study were questionnaires that were administered on educators and interviews conducted with the chairpersons of the Selection Committees of the Schools' Governing Bodies. The findings revealed that both the educators and School Governing Bodies were disillusioned with the current selection process. While the chairpersons of the Selection Committees expressed their dissatisfaction at the training proffered by the Department of Education, the educators indicated frustration at not being promoted and perceived the selection to be unfair and based on favoritism and nepotism. Educators also felt very ABSTRACT There has been a significant number of disputes being declared after every selection process each year since 1998 when School Governing Bodies were given the responsibility of selecting management staff at schools (Thurlow 2003). Also, anecdotal evidence is that there is suspicion amongst educators that unfairness and favoritism in the selection of management staff is rife. Hence, the researcher sought to develop better understanding of how the selection policy is perceived to be problematic in its implementation. With this in mind the researcher examined the perception of stakeholders, namely educators and School Governing Bodies, on the selection of management staff at public schools in a suburb in the Pinetown District. The research involved all eight schools in the Suburb which comprised two secondary schools and six primary schools. All the teachers and management staff and chairpersons of the Selection Committees of the School Governing Bodies in these schools were targeted for the study. The research instruments used for this study were questiormaires that were administered on educators and interviews conducted with the chairpersons of the Selection Committees of the Schools' Governing Bodies. The findings revealed that both the educators and School Governing Bodies were disillusioned with the current selection process. While the chairpersons of the Selection Committees expressed their dissatisfaction at the training proffered by the Department of Education, the educators indicated frustration at not being promoted and perceived the selection to be unfair and based on favoritism and nepotism. Educators also felt very strongly that the Selection Committees were not following procedures as legislated. The findings also revealed that both sets of stakeholders felt that the Department of Education _ should take sole responsibility for selecting management staff for schools if the perceived shortcomings are to be overcome. Recommendations emanating from the above include shifting the responsibility for the selection ofmanagement staff from that of School Governing Bodies to the Department ofEducation, co-opting department officials into the Selection Committees for their knowledge and expertise, enhancing training and capacity building programs for Selection Committees and the provisioning of counseling for unsuccessful applicants. 11 strongly that the Selection Committees were not following procedures as legislated. The findings also revealed that both sets of stakeholders felt that the Department of Education .. should take sole responsibility for selecting management staff for schools if the perceived shortcomings are to be overcome. Recommendations emanating from the above include shifting the responsibility for the selection of management staff from that of School Governing Bodies to the Department of Education, co-opting department officials into the Selection Committees for their knowledge and expertise, enhancing training and capacity building programs for Selection Committees and the provisioning of counseling for unsuccessful applicants.
A study of how primary and combined school principals in Ogongo circuit in Nambia motivate teaching staff.
(2005) Herman, Susanna Namutenya.; Ngcobo, Thandi Moira.
The focus of this research was to examine how primary and combined school principals in the Ogongo Circuit, Namibia motivated the teaching staff. The research instrument used to conduct this survey was a questionnaire. A descriptive statistical method was used to analyse the data. The study was confined to primary and combined schools in above-mentioned circuit. I randomly selected five schools and my sample consisted of 25 respondents made up of five principals and twenty teachers. Three critical questions were developed which focused on: 1. The extent to which primary and combined school principals in Ogongo Circuit in Namibia motivate teachers, 2. create a school environment that promotes motivation; 3. strategies used to motivate teaching staff. The findings of this study were that teachers' motivation in the sample schools was unsatisfactory, as most of the motivational aspects such as morale rewards and recognition, as well as vision and mission statement were neglected. Principals in the sample schools failed to develop good strategies to motivate teachers. This led to an engagement of teachers in private business during school hours as well as poor time management resulted in insufficient motivation. The study reveals some of the contributing factors leading to a lack of motivation. These demotivating factors were: 1. Principals' leadership styles, 2. Teaching in areas or phases where they were not 'specialized' 3. Poor infrastructures and lack of resources. The study recommends that principals need to identify the basic needs of teachers and institute measures to ensure that these needs are met. Principals also need to acknowledge job well done and attempt to create a working environment where teachers are motivated to do their best.