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M anagement of teaching and learning for social justice in township and rural schools Dr Arrie van Wyk North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus South Africa. Research problem. Research problem
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Management of teaching and learning for social justice in township and rural schools DrArrie van Wyk North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusSouth Africa
Research problem Research problem Changes– education – address the previous discriminatory practices in favor of a free and democratic dispensation. (new curriculum; feeding schemes; desegregation of schools; abolishment of corporal punishment; School Governing Bodies; frequent changes in curriculum; No fee schools etc. Problems / Challenges: • Legacy of apartheid left South Africa with a deeply divided education system; under-trained teachers; (over 50% of these teachers were trained in the apartheid era - not given them the foundation for professional development - has devastating effects on the ability of the teachers to make sense of and implementing curriculum reforms since 1994. The latter is already evident in the little improvements in the numeracy and literacy levels of learners in these schools. • Rural schools – lack subject specific knowledge; Most of the impoverished schools in South Africa have low standards in contrast with the good standards in the well-resourced former model C schools.
Research problem • Department of Education and a constant shift in the educational curriculum • Teachers’ personal problems such as late-coming, absenteeism and the inability of some of them to portray the basic roles of teaching are endemic in many schools • South Africa is one of the few countries that do not require from an individual who apply for a post as a principal to have a compulsory and specific qualification in leadership and management (inappropriate appointments) • The essence of the problems in impoverished schools is a deep rooted one. Many learners in rural and township schools come from families affected by appalling circumstances such poverty, hunger and parents with little or no education (Gaza, 2012). From the outside it appears that these learners have no or little problems and operate well as any other normal individual in society, however when on dig deeper, you will find learners that are very distressed
Research problem • Studies undertaken by Nzimande and Thusi, (2008) into communities within conflict stricken areas and forced removals during the apartheid era, illustrate a dark picture of that school communities. These school communities were deeply traumatized by amongst others, forcible relocations, confusion, violence, dispossession of their resources and wealth. The behavior and actions of parents and learners of impoverished will be explained against the backdrop of the aforementioned. • Many parents in townships have never attended school themselves and are not in a good position to help their children (Modisaotsile, 2012). These unfortunate circumstances of parents, communities and families in townships affects the learning and motivational culture in homes negatively. • As a result of the bad home environments of learners, it seems a daunting task for them to perform well in their school work. To worsen things further, learners are often subject to school violence (Prew, 2010). Additionally, teenage pregnancy violence, rape, sexual relationships with adults, child-headed homes and poverty, affecting learners and their school work, negatively.
Research problem • Overcrowded classrooms; multigrade classes; learners from different language groups; overload of teachers' capabilities; improvement of existing poor infrastructure of impoverished schools, places a liability on limited budget of schools; limited involvement of parents disciplinary problems of learners increased; leadership and management challenges; trade unions in education etc. • Frustrations for teachers as well as principals - lead to resistance to the new dispensation in schools; Different levels and types of resistance
Research question & aims Research question • Why do current interventions from education authorities not take root in township and rural schools to improve the performance of township and rural schools? • What are the reasons why township and rural schools are not performing as they should? Research Aims Many efforts and much research have taken place in township and rural schools to eradicate the discriminatory practices of the past in these schools, but there is evidence that these schools still are not performing as they should. The purpose for this research is therefore to: • Firstly, explore why current interventions from education authorities don’t take root to improve township and rural schools. • Secondly, explore reasons why township and rural schools are still not performing as they should after twenty years of a new education system
Conceptual-theoretical framework: Forms of resistance • REVOLUTIONARY RESISTANCE • When there is no change, change can be enforced by resistance (strikes/boycotts, etc.) • Example: Current wage dispute in the public sector • This resistance is a form of power used to change and improve existing practices • Is a bottom-up approach
Conceptual-theoretical framework: FORMS OF RESISTANCE • REACTIONARY RESISTANCE • Change is enforced from above • Example: The new education dispensation • Resists change – wants to maintain the status quo • CONCLUSION • If there is no change there is resistance • If there is change there is also resistance
Conceptual-theoretical framework: Types of resistance to change Negative perceptions and attitudes Opposing points of view Strikes and boycots Blocking behavior Subversion and sabotage Destruction, killing and terrorize Passive resistance Active resistance Aggressive resistance
Quantitative Method • Quantitative method embedded in the post positivistic paradigm: • Survey was used • Structured questionnaire – Four point Likert scale with 68 items • Cronbach alpha coefficients varied between 0.70 and 0.86 and only two were 0.60. Since most of the values were larger than 0.7, the questionnaire was regarded as reliable. • Calculation of the practical significance (effect size – d-value where d ≥ 0.5 indicates medium to large effect) • Study population - 67 principals and 884 teachers in impoverished areas – systematic sampling – every second school on the EMIS list – Department of Basic Education
Results Table 1: Location of the school and the relationship with resistance to change *P = Principal; ** T = Teacher
Results and findings In respect of “township” and rural schools (impoverished schools), which formed 60% of the sample, it was found that principals and teachers from these schools were less sure (average 2.30) whether the process aspects at their schools are in order, while principals and teachers of town schools felt that he process aspects were in order (average 2.43) at their schools. • According to the literature, process factors revolves around aspects such as loss of personal choices and values during the change (change forced from above); • Lack / poor facilities; • Shortage / limited resources; • Overcrowded classes and under staffing; • Poor knowledge and understanding of the change (Example: knowledge about the curriculum); • Doubt about skills and abilities; • Poor in-service training; • Pressure; • Direction of change process change repeatedly (example: new curriculum);
Results and findings • Conflicting aims (Aims of the change process) • Overloading of work; • Leadership and management challenges • From the above it is clear that the appalling conditions in impoverished schools that existed before 1994 as a result of apartheid education, still exist in the new education dispensation. These unfavourable conditions in impoverished schools make innovation impossible
Recommendations • In order for principals to support teachers, support by the Department of Basic Education to principals, as well as investment of the private sector in schools, is fundamental, examples – training of the SGB and training teachers; • Additional criteria such as qualifications in principal-ship together with a psychometric test, set by legislation to appoint principals; • Professional training of principals as well as support in managerial issues, is fundamental; • Further criteria set by legislation, such as project management and financial skills could be set to elect SGB members and computer literacy skills for teachers, to be appointed.
Recommendations • Guidance counselors • Multiplicity of NGOs and agencies put in place for counseling and support to schools; • Interdepartmental approach to schools (Example: Health, Social work etc. • Teacher development system must be put in place
