Problems experienced by secondary school deputy principals in diverse contexts: a South African study

  • Received November 13, 2017;
    Accepted March 30, 2018;
    Published May 21, 2018
  • Author(s)
    Jan B Khumalo ,
    Herman J van Vuuren
    ORCID , Philip C van der Westhuizen ,
    C.P. Van der Vyver
    ORCID
  • DOI
    http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.16(2).2018.17
  • Article Info
    Volume 16 2018, Issue #2, pp. 190-199
  • TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯ
  • Cited by
    5 articles
  • 1547 Views
  • 253 Downloads

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

This paper reports on research that was undertaken to determine the problems experienced by deputy principals in secondary schools, and the extent to which these problems were experienced. Although some research was conducted on the deputy principalship, no research treats the problems that deputy principals experience upon appointment comprehensively. An understanding of the problems experienced by secondary school deputy principals is a necessary precursor of an induction program to address the problems. A quantitative approach which was underpinned by the post-positivist paradigm was adopted. In order to determine the extent to which the problems were experienced, a survey was conducted among one hundred and fifty seven secondary school deputy principals in the North West Province. The participants came from a diverse context of rural, township and urban schools. The deputy principals who participated in the study included those who were newly appointed (one to three years of service) and those who were experienced (more than three years of service). Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means and percentages. There were no significant differences in the responses of both newly-appointed and experienced deputy principals. The results revealed that deputy principals experienced administrative, financial management, work pressure, personal and physical resources problems. In an attempt to address the problems identified, a context-specific induction program is recommended. The induction program should be an on-going program of professional development and should preferably include specific aims, action steps to be taken to achieve the aims that are set and measures to evaluate progress.

view full abstract hide full abstract
    • Table 1. Cronbach’s alpha values of serious problems for deputy principals
    • Table 2. Mean scores of problems experienced by deputy principals in rank order
    • Table 3. Descriptive statistics of problems experienced by deputy principals
    • Barnett, B. G., Shoho, A. R., & Oleszewsky, A. M. (2012). The job realities of beginning and experienced assistant principals. Leadership and Policy in schools, 11(1), 92-128.
    • Boyle, B., Lamprianou, I., & Boyle, T. (2005). A longitudinal study of teacher change: what makes professional development effective? School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 16(1), 1-27.
    • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education (7th ed.). London: Routledge.
    • Cranston, N., Tromans, C., & Reugebrink, M. (2004). Forgotten leaders: what do we know about the deputy principalship in secondary schools? International Journal of Leadership in Education, 7(3), 225-242.
    • Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE.
    • Grayson, J. L., & Alvarez, H. K. (2008). School climate factors relating to teacher burnout: a mediated model. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(1), 1349- 1363.
    • Greenfield, W. D. (1985). The moral socialization of school administrators: informal roe learning outcome. Educational administration quarterly, 21(4), 99-119.
    • Harris, A., Muijs, D., & Crawford, M. (2003). Deputy and assistant head: building leadership potential. Nottingham, UK: National College for School Leadership.
    • Heystek, J. H. (2012). Financial management in context. In J. W. Van Rooyen (Ed.), Financial Management in Education in South Africa. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
    • Khumalo, J. B., Van Vuuren, H. J., Van der Westhuizen, P. C., & Van der Vyver, C. P. (2017). The Professional Development Needs Analysis Questionnaire for Deputy Principals. Africa Education Review, 14(2), 192-208.
    • Kitavi, M. (1995). The induction of beginning school principals in Kenya (Ph.D.). Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom.
    • Kwan, P. (2009). The vice-principal experience as a preparation for the principalship. Journal of Educational Administration, 47(2), 191-205.
    • Lashway, L. (2003). Inducting school leaders. University of Oregon: ERIC Digest.
    • Le Maistre, C., & Paré, A. (2010). Whatever it takes: how beginning teachers learn to survive. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(1), 559-564.
    • Legotlo, M. W. (1994). An induction programme for newly appointed principals in Bophuthatswana (Ph.D. Thesis). NWU: Potchefstroom.
    • Maake, M. (2013). Educators’ experiences of the induction process by principals (M Ed.). University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
    • Maree, K., & Pietersen, J. (2016). Sampling. In K. Maree (Ed.), First steps in research (2nd ed.). Pretoria: Van Schaik.
    • Marshall, C. (1992). The assistant principal: leadership choices and challenges. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
    • Mathebula, T. (2005). The role of Representative Councils for Learners in South African schools: maximal or minimal participation? Africa Education Review, 2(2), 189-204.
    • Mentz, K., Challens, B., & Kruger, A. G. (2016). Efficient financial management-leadership in schools. In I. Van Deventer (Ed.), An educator’s guide to school management-leadership skills (2nd ed.). Pretoria: Van Schaik.
    • Mestry, R., & Bisschoff, T. (2009). Financial school management explained (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Pearson.
    • Mncube, V. (2008). Democratisation of education in South Africa: issues of social justice and the voice of learners? South African Journal of Education, 28, 77-90.
    • Msila, V., & Mtshali, J. (2011). Professional development of principals: a recipe for future schools? British Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), 1-17.
    • Oplatka, I., & Tamir, V. (2009). I don’t want to be a school head: women deputy heads insightful constructions of career advancement and retention. Educational Management, Administration & Leadership, 37(2), 216-238.
    • Peloyahae, T. H. (2005). The management of induction programme for newly appointed educators in the Ekurhuleni West district (M Ed.). University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg.
    • Potgieter, P. C. (1990). Die inskakeling van nuutaangestelde adjunk-hoofde van sekondere skole [The induction of newly appointed deputy principals of secondary schools] (M Ed). Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoer Onderwys [Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education], Potchefstroom.
    • Seipobi, T. T. (2012). Challenges and training needs of promoted school managers in Xhariep district secondary schools (M Ed.). Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein.
    • Smit, C. A. (2002). Die professionele ontwikkeling van die nuutaangestelde kringbestuurder in die onderwys deur middel van ‘n inskakelingsprogram [The professional development of newly appointed circuit managers by means of an induction programme] (Ph.D.). Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoer Onderwys [Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education], Potchefstroom.
    • Somo, M. P. (2007). The perceptions, experiences and expectations of educators about their own professional development in schools (M Ed.). University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
    • South Africa (1999). Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM). Pretoria: Government Printer.
    • Steyn, G. M. (2011). Continuing professional development in South African schools: staff perceptions and the role of principals. Journal of Social Sciences, 28(1), 43-53.
    • Van der Westhuizen, P. C. (1991). Educational management tasks. In P. C. Van der Westhuizen (Ed.), Effective educational management. Cape Town: Kagiso Tertiary.
    • Van Deventer, I. (2016). Control and accountability as management-leadership tasks. In I. Van Deventer (Ed.), An educator’s guide to school management-leadership skills (2nd ed.). Pretoria: Van Schaik.
Related Articles

  • Effect of work motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance: Mediating role of employee engagement

    Setyo RiyantoORCID , Endri EndriORCID Researcher ID, Novita Herlisha doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(3).2021.14
    Problems and Perspectives in Management Volume 19, 2021         Issue #3         pp. 162-174 Views: 9359 Downloads: 7711 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯ

    Technological developments are things that must be followed by companies to achieve a competitive advantage to improve performance. To achieve and improve performance, companies need active employee engagement by encouraging motivation and fulfilling their job satisfaction. This study aims to analyze the effect of motivation and job satisfaction on performance with employee engagement as a mediating variable. The research sample is Information Technology (IT) companies located in the cities of Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia. Research respondents are system developers who handle system development activities for a project or part of an ongoing project. By using the convenience sampling technique 103 responses were obtained from IT developers. The research model analysis method uses Partial Least Square (PLS) with SMART PLS Ver 3.0 software. Empirical findings prove that motivation has a positive effect on the performance of IT employees, while job satisfaction is independent. Employee engagement does not directly affect employee performance, but the effect of mediation through motivation and job satisfaction can have a significant effect on employee performance. The research findings have managerial implications, in increasing high employee involvement, motivation needs to be encouraged to be more active and innovative, and facilitate the achievement of the desired results.

    Acknowledgment
    This study was made possible because of the full support of the Region III Education Service Institute (LL-DIKTI III), the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Research Center at Mercu Buana University, Jakarta.

  • Management of enterprise’s financial sustainability and improvement of its methods

    Galyna AzarenkovaORCID Researcher ID, Olena GolovkoORCID , Kateryna Abrosimova doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/afc.02(1).2018.01
    Accounting and Financial Control Volume 2, 2018-2019         Issue #1         pp. 1-14 Views: 5326 Downloads: 753 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯ

    The article is dedicated to the solution of the relevant issue, concerning management of enterprise`s financial sustainability. Financial sustainability assessment is one of the most important principles of enterprise`s activity, which provides information about financial capabilities of the company at the time of its evaluation and for the future. It is a requirement for the enterprise activity, which provides a high level of competitiveness, efficiency and intensity. Thus, the restoration and strengthening of financial sustainability is a priority task for the enterprise, a basic precondition for its effective functioning. The purpose of the research is to analyze financial sustainability and to improve the methods and approaches of its evaluation. The following methods were used in this research: financial and economic analysis, economic and mathematical modeling, analysis and synthesis, comparison. The main results of the study are following: the theoretical and essential characteristics of enterprise financial sustainability has been determined; the financial status of PJSC “Turboatom” has been analyzed; the taxonomic index of financial sustainability has been calculated and the forecast of its significance has been made, the approaches to increase enterprise financial sustainability have been proposed.

  • The resource-based view: a tool of key competency for competitive advantage

    Akwesi Assensoh-KoduaORCID doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.17(3).2019.12
    Problems and Perspectives in Management Volume 17, 2019         Issue #3         pp. 143-152 Views: 4679 Downloads: 1069 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯ

    The increasing turmoil in the external organizational setting or business environment has focused attention on capabilities and resources as the primary source of competitive advantage. Obviously, this statement points to the application of the resource-based view (RBV) of organizational management. Nevertheless, what constitutes RBV remains an illusion in many quarters of organizational management, as scholars have managed to put up their personal ideas, and managed to converge on phenomenon-driven theories, in addition to RBV. This paper reviews the concepts of RBV in light of knowledge management to highlight some critical pitfalls that might have eluded the research community on the subject matter of RBV. To this end, this paper’s educational value lies in the fact that it simplifies the concept of RBV to the new researcher in a fashion that is capable of appealing to his or her level. A cross-sectional qualitative research approach was employed in an effort aimed at understanding the role of RBV in creating a sustainable competitive advantage and key competencies. A total of 20 relevant articles were searched from different databases and search engines, including Scopus, EBSCO, ABI Inform, IEEE, PubMed, Science Direct, SABINET, IEEE, Bing, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The findings indicate that RBV plays an important role and assists organizations not only create, nurture, and maintain competitive advantage, but also understand the collective resources needed to compete favorably in a globalized and highly competitive market. With expert knowledge workers at its core to provide support for knowledge creation, sharing, and utilization, the RBV principles discussed in this paper promise to guarantee a methodological step geared towards the achievement of competitive advantage. It, therefore, makes an incremental contribution to the RBV to attain modest improvement in organizational settings.

Download Preview
Close
Problems and Perspectives in Management
Problems and Perspectives in Management