The role of school management teams in providing care and support to high school teachers

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dc.contributor.advisorFeldman, Jenniferen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMuller, Carlaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-30T07:33:21Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T23:33:02Z
dc.date.available2024-01-30T07:33:21Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T23:33:02Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractTeachers experience multiple challenges and stresses within their profession on a daily basis. The school management teams (SMTs) of a school hold the possibility of influencing how teachers experience aspects of their work life in schools. Hence, this thesis explores how school management teams in three diverse school contexts can provide care and support to teachers in high schools. In order to explore how school management teams can provide support and care to teachers, the literature was consulted to establish what South African policy states about school management teams’ roles and responsibilities in a school. In addition, studies that consider school leadership and management were consulted to obtain literature that is relevant to care and support in schools. The research used qualitative research methods by conducting focus group discussions with teachers and individual semi-structured interviews with school management teams. The teachers who formed part of the focus groups, were post level one teachers, while the school management team participants consisted of departmental heads, deputy principals and principals. The participants were purposively selected from three diverse schools within the Sarah Baartman education district. During the interviews, the post level one teachers responded to questions regarding their expectations in relation to the care and support they felt they required from their school management teams. The school management team participants answered questions in relation to what they felt formed part of their caring and supportive roles and responsibilities towards teachers in the school. All the participants were prompted to identify the challenges they felt impeded the formulation of caring relationships between teachers and school management teams. The data was gathered and presented according to Nel Noddings’ ethics of care framework, which is encompassed by four moral components namely modelling, dialogue, practice and confirmation. In addition, the data was discussed in relation to leadership and management literature and policy documents that guided how schools should care for and support educators. The findings indicated that the SMT members perceived availability, the provision of mentorship, professional development as well as communication through listening and speaking as important caring roles and responsibilities. Similarly, the teachers viewed mentorship and communication as vital SMT caring responsibilities. Furthermore, the teachers identified empathy, appreciation and recognition as caring approaches that they expected from their SMT members. The challenges experienced in the caring and supportive relationship between teachers and SMT members were also identified and discussed. Policy that stated that the leadership and management of a school have a responsibility to act as mentors, guides and coaches in the schooling environment was also discussed. Recommendations for further studies were made in the concluding chapter with regards to the caring responsibilities of SMT members in high schools, and recommendations for SMT members were made. Limitations of the study were stated and a reflection of the significance of the study in my own schooling context is provided after the conclusion of the study. en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onderwysers ondervind verskeie uitdagings en spanning in hulle beroep op ‘n daaglikse basis. Die skoolbestuurspanne (SBS) van ‘n skool, het die moontlikheid om te beïnvloed hoe onderwysers aspekte van hulle werkslewe ondervind in skole. Daarom ondersoek hierdie tesis hoe skoolbestuurspanne in drie diverse skoolkontekste sorg en ondersteuning kan bied aan onderwysers in hoërskole. Om te ondersoek hoe skoolbestuurspanne ondersteuning en sorg aan onderwysers kan bied, was die literatuur geraadpleeg om vas te stel wat Suid-Afrikaanse beleid sê oor koolbestuurspanne se rolle en verantwoordelikhede in ‘n skool. Daarbenewens is studies wat skoolleierskap en –bestuur oorweeg, geraadpleeg om literatuur te bekom wat relevant is vir sorg en ondersteuning in skole. Die navorsing het kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes gebruik deur fokusgroep gesprekke met onderwysers en individuele semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met die skoolbestuurspanne te voer. Die onderwysers wat deel van die fokusgroepe gevorm het, was posvlak een onderwysers, terwyl die skoolbestuurspan deelnemers bestaan het uit departementshoofde, adjunkhoofde en skoolhoofde. Die deelnemers is doelbewus gekies uit drie diverse skole binne die Sarah-Baartman distrik. Tydens die onderhoude het die posvlak een onderwysers gereageer op vrae rakende hul verwagtinge met betrekking tot die sorg en ondersteuning wat hulle voel hulle benodig van hulle skoolbestuurspanne. Die skoolbestuurspan deelnemers het vrae beantwoord in verband met wat hulle voel deel vorm van hulle sorg- en ondersteun rolle en verantwoordelikhede teenoor onderwysers in die skool. Al die deelnemers is aangespoor om die uitdagings te identifiseer wat hulle voel die omgee-verhouding tussen onderwysers en skoolbestuurspanne belemmer. Die data is ingesamel en aangebied volgens Nel Noddings se etiek van omgee- raamwerk, wat deur vier morele komponente omsluit word, naamlik, modellering, dialoog, toepassing, en bevestiging. Daarbenewens is die data bespreek met betrekking tot leierskap- en bestuursliteratuur en beleidsdokumente wat leiding gee oor hoe skole onderwysers moet ondersteun en voor omgee. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat die SBS-lede beskikbaarheid, die verskaffing van mentorskap, professionele ontwikkeling, asook kommunikasie deur luister en praat as belangrike omgee rolle en verantwoordelikhede beskou. Net so beskou die onderwysers mentorskap en kommunikasie as noodsaaklike SBS-verantwoordelikhede. Daarbenewens het die onderwysers empatie, waardering en erkenning identifiseer as omgee-benaderings wat hulle van hul SBS-lede verwag. Die uitdagings wat ervaar word in die omgee en ondersteunende verhouding tussen onderwysers en SBS-lede is ook geïdentifiseer en bespreek. Beleid wat bepaal dat die leierskap en bestuur van ‘n skool ‘n verantwoordelikheid het om as mentors, gidse en afrigters in die skoolomgewing op te tree, is ook bespreek. Aanbevelings vir verdere studies is in die slothoofstuk gemaak met betrekking tot die omgee verantwoordelikhede van SBS-lede in hoërskole, en aanbevelings vir SBS-lede is gemaak. Beperkings tot die studie is gestel en ‘n weerspieëling van die belangrikheid van die studie in my eie skoolkonteks word verskaf na die gevolgtrekking van die studie. af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxi, 88 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130601
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSchool management teams -- Higher educationen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshHigh school teachers -- Psychological aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEducational leadership -- Higher educationen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleThe role of school management teams in providing care and support to high school teachersen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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