The role of school management teams in supporting mathematics teaching and learning in the senior phase
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Date
2019-11
Authors
Mosala, Ntsabeng Albertina
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
The current study investigated the extent to which school management teams (SMTs) give informal and/or formal curriculum advice and support for mathematics instruction in the senior phase schools within Thabo-Mofutsanyana District in the Free State Province, by examining the SMTs leaders’ (principals, deputy principals, and HODs) perceptions, knowledge and beliefs about support for mathematics curriculum and instruction in the senior phase. The study was guided by post-positivist world view, quantitative in nature and uses a questionnaire as a tool for data collection. A sample of 265 participants (89 principals, 87 deputy principals, and 89 HODs) from 89 senior phase schools was purposively selected. The questionnaires were preliminarily analysed descriptively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Deeper analysis involving analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were undertaken. Qualitative data analysis, which involves coding, was used to analyse open-ended questions. The self-administered questionnaire was validated by various method including mean inter-item correlation pilot study. The findings indicated that the principals, deputy principals and deputies have positive perceptions on the support for mathematics teaching and learning (x̄=3.68). The findings also indicated no significant difference in the perceptions of SMTs’ leaders’ (principals, deputy principals and HODs) on support for the mathematics teaching and learning in the senior phase (F (2,262) = 0.142, p > 0.05). The findings also indicated that SMTs’ knowledge about support for the mathematics curriculum are quite positive (x̄=3.83). Furthermore, the results show that are no significant differences in the SMTs’ knowledge on the five sub-scales on SMTs’ knowledge (F (2,262) = 4.790, p > 0.05). Regarding Beliefs of the SMTs’ on support for the mathematics teaching and learning in the senior phase, the SMTs’ beliefs are relatively positive (x̄=3.92). In addition to these, the differences in the beliefs of the instructional leaders (principals, deputy principals and HODs) beliefs (F (2.262) = 0.916, p > 0.05) was not significant. The SMTs’ perceptions on practical support for mathematics teaching and learning were altogether positive (x̄=3.71). Likewise, the difference in the practical support provided by the SMTs for mathematics teaching and learning was not significant (F (2.262) = 0.894, p > 0.05). These findings demand a structured support professional development for HODs to support mathematics teaching and learning because it was evident the principals and their deputies have the least involvement in practical issues related to supporting mathematics teachers professionally. Teacher development programmes should be structured such that HODs are trained to provide holistic support to mathematics teaching and learning in the senior phase.
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Keywords
Dissertation (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies))--University of the Free State, 2019, Instructional leadership, Distributed leadership, Professional teacher development, School management teams, Teacher leadership