A professional development framework to empower the school management team in financial management

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Date
2018
Authors
Khumalo, Nozipho Prudence
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The aim of the study was to design a professional development framework to empower the school management team in financial management. In order to achieve this, the following specific objectives were devised to guide the study:  To demonstrate the challenges and justify the need to develop a framework for the professional development of school management teams in financial management.  To outline the possible solutions to the challenges faced by school management teams in financial management.  To discuss the conditions conducive to the implementation of the framework.  To delineate the possible threats that may hinder the implementation of a framework.  To demonstrate the possible successes associated with the implementation of the professional development framework to empower school management teams in financial management. The reviewed literature revealed that while the school governing bodies have an ultimate responsibility for the management of school finances, they play a minimal role and delegate the daily operational financial management activities to school management teams. As a result, the school management team has a responsibility of maintaining and managing school finances. However, some school management team members do not understand how a budget is drafted or even how financial reports are prepared due to a lack of knowledge and skills in financial management. Others have little knowledge of the South African Schools Act and the Public Finance Management Act. In some cases, the school management team and the school governing body are not working collaboratively because they do not know their roles and responsibilities in relation to the management of funds. These challenges are due to the fact that they are appointed on the basis of teaching experience and academic and professional qualifications, but knowledge of financial management is not a prerequisite. They are often provided with a one-off unaccredited and inadequate induction workshop; thereafter, their development is not monitored. This is a design research that seeks to find a practical and effective framework that will empower the school management team with the necessary financial management skills and knowledge to manage school funds. This study expects to have a practical framework that will serve as a guide to empower school management teams to establish financial competencies and become better skilled financial managers. A total of 12 co-researchers were purposefully selected from two schools and a district office. The researcher worked collaboratively with co-researchers in order to find solutions to the challenges facing the school management teams in financial management. The theoretical framework adopted to underpin this study is social constructionism, which affirms that knowledge is constructed by humans through social interactions. The data were generated through discussion and information-sharing meetings between the researcher and co-researchers. In order to design a professional development framework, social constructionism was used concurrently with participatory action research as they both aim to promote learning, thus, to empower and to change. Participatory action research was used as it is emancipatory and works with real challenges to bring about change in the community. The data generated were analysed by means of critical discourse analysis, using textual, discursive and social analysis. Consequently, the co-researchers constructed a framework, implemented and reflected on it and improved and shared the transformation that took place during the process.
Afrikaans: Die doel van die studie is om ʼn professionele ontwikkelingsraamwerk te ontwerp om die skoolbestuurspan in finansiële bestuur te bemagtig. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik is die volgende spesifieke doelwitte ontwerp om die studie te lei:  Om uitdagings te demonstreer en die noodsaaklikheid om ʼn raamwerk vir professionele ontwikkeling van skoolbestuurspanne in finansiële bestuur te ontwikkel, te regverdig.  Om moontlike oplossings vir die uitdagings van skoolbestuurspanne in finansiële bestuur te bespreek  Om die voorwaardes wat bevorderlik is vir die implementering van die raamwerk te bespreek.  Om die moontlike dreigemente wat die implementering van ʼn raamwerk kan belemmer, te omskryf  Om moontlike suksesse wat verband hou met die implementering van die professionele ontwikkelingsraamwerk om skoolbestuurspanne in finansiële bestuur te bemagtig, te demonstreer. ‘n Literatuurstudie het aan die lig gebring dat, terwyl skoolbeheerliggame die verantwoordelikheid vir die bestuur van skoolfinansies dra, hulle ʼn minimale rol daarin speel en eerder die daaglikse bedryfsfinansieringsaktiwiteite aan skoolbestuurspanne delegeer. Gevolglik dra die skoolbestuurspan die verantwoordelikheid om skoolfinansies te handhaaf en te bestuur. Sommige lede van die skoolbestuurspan verstaan egter nie hoe ʼn begroting opgestel word of selfs hoe finansiële verslae voorberei word nie. Dit is as gevolg van n gebrek aan kennis en vaardighede betreffende finansiële bestuur. Ander lede dra min kennis van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet en die Wet op Openbare Finansiële Bestuur. In sommige gevalle werk die skoolbestuurspan en die skoolbeheerliggaam nie saam nie omdat hulle nie hul onderskeie rolle en verantwoordelikhede rakende die bestuur van fondse ken nie. Hierdie uitdagings is te wyte aan die feit dat hulle aangestel word op grond van onderrigervaring asook akademiese en professionele kwalifikasie, terwyl kennis van finansiële bestuur nie ʼn voorvereiste is nie. Hulle woon gewoonlik slegs ʼn eenmalige nie-geakkrediteerd, onvoldoende induksiewerkswinkel by, met geen monitoring van hul ontwikkeling nie. Hierdie is ʼn ontwerpnavorsing wat poog om ʼn praktiese en effektiewe raamwerk te vind wat die skoolbestuurspan met die nodige finansiële bestuursvaardighede en kennis sal bemagtig om skoolfondse te bestuur. Hierdie studie verwag om ʼn praktiese raamwerk te hê wat sal dien as ʼn riglyn om skoolbestuurspanne te bemagtig om finansiële vaardighede te vestig en beter geskoolde finansiële bestuurders te word. Altesaam 12 medenavorsers is doelgerig uit twee skole en die distrikskantoor geselekteer. Die navorser het saam met medenavorsers gewerk om oplossings te vind vir die uitdagings wat die skoolbestuurspan in finansiële bestuur ondervind. Die teoretiese raamwerk wat aangeneem is om hierdie studie te ondersteun, is sosiale konstruksie, wat bevestig dat kennis deur mense deur sosiale interaksies opgebou word. Data is gegenereer deur besprekings en vergaderings waar inligting gedeel is tussen die navorser en medenavorsers. Om ʼn professionele ontwikkelingsraamwerk te ontwerp is sosiale konstruksie saam met deelnemende aksienavorsing gebruik aangesien beide beoog om leer te bevorder, dit wil sê, om te bemagtig en te verander. Deelnemende aksienavorsing is gebruik omdat dit emansiperend is en werk met werklike uitdagings om verandering in die gemeenskap teweeg te bring. Die gegenereerde data is ontleed deur middel van kritiese diskoersanalise met behulp van tekstuele, diskursiewe en sosiale analise. Voortspruitend daaruit, het die medenavorsers ʼn raamwerk opgestel, geïmplementeer, daarop gereflekteer en die transformasie wat tydens die proses plaasgevind het, verbeter en gedeel.
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Keywords
School management, Financial management, School finances, Budgeting school funds, Planning and budgeting, Dissertation (M.Ed. (Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2018
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