Browsing by Author "Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival"

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    Education district office support for teaching and learning in schools: the case of two districts in the Eastern Cape
    (University of Fort Hare, 2013) Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival
    The idea of district support for schools is based on the view that local education offices are best placed to play a critical role in the promotion of quality teaching and learning. In performing this mandate whose characterisation has, over time, moved away from ‘inspection’ and ‘supervision’ both of which are seen as old fashioned and undemocratic, to support, which is seen as developmental. The aim of this study was to understand how three categories of district based officers, Subject Advisors, Integrated Quality Management System Coordinators and Education Development Officers support teaching and learning in schools. This was a case study of two districts in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A total of six district officials and four school based officials participated in this study. In-depth interviews and document analysis were carried out. There were four main findings. First, support for schools by three district based officials was understood and practiced as administrative tasks, mainly consisting of monitoring policy implementation and monitoring resource provision to schools. School Management Teams saw district officers’ visits as focussing on compliance rather than support. Second, some pedagogical support was given by Subject Advisors through training teachers in subject content and methods of teaching that subject. This was done through workshops and demonstration lessons. However Subject Advisors did not at any time observe actual classroom teaching to see if teachers were implementing what they had learnt at workshops. Third, none of the officers mentioned direct support for teaching and learning at classroom level. Visits by officials were not directly linked to influencing teaching and learning classroom level. Fourth, schools saw district officials as working in separate pockets and sometimes sending different signals to them, despite claims by district officials that inter-disciplinary meetings were held among district officials, however, the nature of the coordination and the use to which it is put remains unclear. There were three main conclusions, first that although the district officials’ visits to schools were described as support, they exhibited the trappings of technicism of inspection; supervision and control; and appeared to neglect the developmental aspects implied in the notion of support. Second, the conception and practice of support visits by district officials were characterised by tension between support and control. Third, at district level support to schools lacked coordination among the three categories of officers who visit schools. This has implications for quality management in schools. Given the findings and conclusions of this study; it is recommended that the issue of support for schools be the focus of a survey research for which a probability sample must be drawn in order to generate findings that are generalisable across the participating target population. Other research could focus on investigating mechanisms by which the tension between support and control can be resolved. To improve practice of a framework for the development of a coordinated district support focusing on the core business of teaching and learning is suggested.
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    Education District Office support for teaching and learning in schools: the case of two districts in the Eastern Cape
    (University of Fort Hare, 2013) Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival; Moyo, G
    The idea of district support for schools is based on the view that local education offices are best placed to play a critical role in the promotion of quality teaching and learning. In performing this mandate whose characterisation has, over time, moved away from ‘inspection’ and ‘supervision’ both of which are seen as old fashioned and undemocratic, to support, which is seen as developmental. The aim of this study was to understand how three categories of district based officers, Subject Advisors, Integrated Quality Management System Coordinators and Education Development Officers support teaching and learning in schools. This was a case study of two districts in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A total of six district officials and four school based officials participated in this study. In-depth interviews and document analysis were carried out. There were four main findings. First, support for schools by three district based officials was understood and practiced as administrative tasks, mainly consisting of monitoring policy implementation and monitoring resource provision to schools. School Management Teams saw district officers’ visits as focussing on compliance rather than support. Second, some pedagogical support was given by Subject Advisors through training teachers in subject content and methods of teaching that subject. This was done through workshops and demonstration lessons. However Subject Advisors did not at any time observe actual classroom teaching to see if teachers were implementing what they had learnt at workshops. Third, none of the officers mentioned direct support for teaching and learning at classroom level. Visits by officials were not directly linked to influencing teaching and learning classroom level. Fourth, schools saw district officials as working in separate pockets and sometimes sending different signals to them, despite claims by district officials that inter-disciplinary meetings were held among district officials, however, the nature of the coordination and the use to which it is put remains unclear. There were three main conclusions, first that although the district officials’ visits to schools were described as support, they exhibited the trappings of technicism of inspection; supervision and control; and appeared to neglect the developmental aspects implied in the notion of support. Second, the conception and practice of support visits by district officials were characterised by tension between support and control. Third, at district level support to schools lacked coordination among the three categories of officers who visit schools. This has implications for quality management in schools. Given the findings and conclusions of this study; it is recommended that the issue of support for schools be the focus of a survey research for which a probability sample must be drawn in order to generate findings that are generalisable across the participating target population. Other research could focus on investigating mechanisms by which the tension between support and control can be resolved. To improve practice of a framework for the development of a coordinated district support focusing on the core business of teaching and learning is suggested.
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    Enhancing parental involvement in children’s academic work: Implications for teaching and learning
    (University of Fort Hare, 2018) Fihla, Gcobisa Victoria; Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival
    Partnership between schools and parents seems to substandard, leading to both parties questioning each other on why children underperform. Most parents view the school as an instrument for the achievement of children and parents with limited or no education may have little or no interest in supporting children’s academic work. The aim of this study was to investigate how parental involvement in children’s academic work can be enhanced. It focused on three rural secondary schools in the Amathole West Education District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study particularly investigated how school schools involved parents in children’s academic work and how they, together with principals, teachers and learners view their involvement in children’s academic work. Guided by Epstein’s theory of parental involvement, this qualitative study was premised on the interpretative paradigm. Face to face interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from three high schools in the Amathole West Education District. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who comprised a target population of 24 participants. It emerged from the data that although schools were trying to involve parents in children’s academic work, their activities were uncoordinated, occurred at school level rather than classroom level and focused less on learners’ academic work. Parent’ involvement in their children’s academic work was not touching the real curriculum issues; rather it touched on the outside. The data also showed that parents’ academic statuses influenced their participation as those who had little education seemed to be reluctant to participate on academic issues. The study concludes that there was lack of coordinated strategies by schools to involve parents in children’s academic work. The study, therefore, recommends that Coordinated Grade-based Parent-Teacher Forums be established. This will assist in opening a planform for teachers and parents to engage on teaching and learning discussions and curriculum debates.
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    An exploration of the roles of the parent SGB members in the SGB: a case study of two selected rural primary schools in the King Williams Town district
    (University of Fort Hare, 2009) Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival; Nduku, N
    The aim of this study was to explore the roles of the parent SGB members in the School Governing Bodies (SGB) of two selected rural primary schools in the King Williams Town District. This was achieved by applying the qualitative approach within the parameters of the interpretivist paradigm. Structured interviews, semi structured interviews, document analysis and non-participatory observation methods were used at two sites that were purposely sampled. The samples in both schools were made up of SGB chairperson, SGB secretary, treasurer, one additional member, principal and non SGB parents. From the findings it emerged that the principal and SGB chairperson work in partnership in the business of school governance. However, principals seemed to dominate their SGB chairpersons who in most cases seem to be less competent than the principals. Parent SGB members seem to be dependent upon the educators in most cases on issues of school governance and they do not differentiate between their role and that of the SMT. Most SGB subcommittees seem to be dysfunctional and it was clear from the data that educators were the persons who dealt with school finances and matters of procurement. The majority of parent SGB members do not know what policies the school must adopt.
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    Integration of indigenous knowledge in the intermediate phase school curriculum in a selected education district in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
    (University of Fort Hare, 2019) Mkosi, Nkosinathi Ndumiso Lizo; Rembe, Symphorosa; Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival; Creator e.g. Surname, Name (no title or punctuation)
    The aims and principles of the post-apartheid South African school curricula, ranging from the Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9 and the National Curriculum Statement Grades 10-12, to include the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (Grades 1-12), have been aligned with the aims and principles of the South African Constitution. The aims and principles, among others, speak to the establishment of human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice, and valuing of indigenous knowledge systems. These are the bedrock of all the subjects and do not necessarily confine themselves to the science subjects only; even though the call of inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the sciences is oversubscribed. There has been concerns raised variously that the integration of indigenous knowledge systems in the curriculum, generally, and in the teaching of the respective subjects, particularly, does not necessarily happen as it should be. Thus, the purpose of this mixed methods approach study that adopted a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design and premised on the postpositivist paradigm investigated the integration of indigenous knowledge in the Intermediate Phase school curriculum in a selected Education District in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The guiding lenses adopted for this study were two-fold. The main primary theoretical framework drew from three integration theories: (a) Huang and Newell’s (2003) Knowledge Integration Processes and Dynamics notions; (b) Beane’s (1995) Curriculum Integration and the Disciplines of Knowledge and (c) Harden’s (2000) Integration ladder: A Tool for Curriculum Planning and Evaluation. The ‘secondary’ lens of analysis, which the researcher named, the ‘supplemental framework’, was constituted by notions and constructs derived from the indigenous knowledge systems discourses and postcolonial notions and constructs. The study revealed, among other findings, that (i) whilst a majority of teachers claimed to integrate IK in their classrooms, a significant number did not, and those who claimed to be integrating were unsure about how to integrate (ii) the majority of teachers, HoDs and Subject Advisors were either poorly trained or did not receive any training in the integration of IK (iii) the support and monitoring of IK integration was poor to non-existent. Thus, the study proposes a model, the Integrative Indigenous Knowledge Integration Support and Monitoring Model (IIKISMM), which may act as a framework for the coordination of the support and monitoring of IK integration in the school curriculum. There are significant recommendations offered by the study to teachers and policy makers with regards the integration of indigenous knowledge systems in the school curriculum. Also offered by the study are possibilities for further research in the integration of indigenous knowledge system in the curriculum.
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    Utilisation of ICT Tools for School Governance amid COVID-19 Crisis in South Africa
    (Society for Research and Knowledge Management, 2023-05) Duku, Ntombozuko; Badaru, Kazeem Ajasa ; Adu, Kemi O.; Mkhomi, Moses Sipho; Adu, Emmanuel O.; Mavuso, Mzuyanda Percival
    Teaching and learning activities in South African schools are a focus of several research on the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) resources during the COVID-19 crisis. However, more studies are required to examine how the school principals and the parent members of the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) used the ICT tools to undertake communication on school governance activities during the COVID-19 lockdown. In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis in South African schools, this study examined the use of ICT technologies for decision making communications relating to issues of school governance between the principals and the SGBs. Utilizing a quantitative research methodology, information was gathered from 126 school principals who were chosen at random from the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) in East London, South Africa. The data analysis method employed was descriptive statistics. The findings showed that the majority of SGB parent members had basic ICT skills, could read and write, used ICT tools like smartphones, voice calls, and SMS messaging, which enabled them to interact with school principals and take part in decision-making related to school governance activities during the COVID-19 crisis. The participants described some of the difficulties associated with their choice of ICT tools, including broken smart phones, a lack of expertise with WhatsApp and Telegram, and slow message answers. The study concludes that the SGBs need to align their school policies with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and adopt more ICT platforms for effective communications, governance, teaching, and learning activities in the new normal. It also recommends that, school principals and other SGB members still need to be trained and retrained for the use of ICT tools for efficient virtual or online participation in meetings; and there is also a need to equip SGB members with digital devices such as tablets, laptops, smartphones, and internet data subscriptions to encourage their participation in meetings from homes, offices or any other locations outside of school premises.