Improving academic performance in a rural school through the use of an asset-based approach as a management strategy
| dc.contributor.advisor | Nkoane, M. M. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Hlalele, D. J. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Myende, Phumlani Erasmus | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-11-24T06:39:40Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-11-24T06:39:40Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2014-07 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014-07 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2014-07 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The aim of this study was to investigate how academic performance in a rural school can be improved using the asset-based approach as a school management strategy. In other words, the study anticipated developing an asset-based approach strategy through which the management in a rural school can improve academic performance. This was done through finding strategies of identifying and mobilising community assets. With this done, the study further sought to find out what the school management can do to set conditions conducive to the utilisation of the asset-based approach within the selected school. The last part of the study focussed on what could be the possible challenges for the approach and how the school management may address such challenges in order to use the approach to improve academic performance. Arguing that the asset-based approach has gained currency and has worked in educational psychology, community development studies, HIV and AIDS research, and economics, this study couched this approach within educational leadership and management and it treats improvement of academic performance as one of the issues school managers have to address in their daily work. The study acknowledges that indeed rural communities are not deficit, but the researcher in the study argues that research that conscietise rural people about the huge roles they can play in improving academic performance through their assets lags behind. The study further responds to the call from the Department of Education that responses to rural education challenges should be multifaceted and bring the rural people to the centre as solutions providers. The study was theoretically located within the critical emancipatory research (CER) and the asset-based approach as frameworks. The intentions were to conscietise and create a space for rural people to know their assets and further work with them in the process of establishing the strategies for using such assets towards improving academic performance in their secondary school. Through CER, there was hope that participants would be empowered by engaging in the research activities and so able to realise the capacities, skills and strengths that were found in the school and its immediate community, thereafter creating ways through which such assets are used meaningfully in the process of improving academic performance. In understanding that CER promoted equity, social justice, transformation, closeness between the participants and the researchers, spaces for dialogue and questioning of unequal power relations in the society and the conventional research approaches, this study adopted participatory research (PR), as deemed relevant to empowering participants and questioning distorted ideologies that have perpetuated deficit thinking amongst the rural people. I worked with a group of participants made up of learners, teachers, SGB members, and the school management team (SMT) members (Principal and three Heads of Department). These participants volunteered to participate but they were also purposively targeted in that they were part of the school and poor academic performance was one of the problems experienced in the school. They were amongst the people affected by the problem being investigated. Not everyone could participate in the study. The school was understaffed and it only had 11 members of the teaching staff, including four members of the SMT. All these four members participated and four post level 1 teachers (PL1) were part of the larger group that participated. As part of the group there were four members of the SGB but they were not always present during research activities. In summary, the study participants included internal members of the school. While other participants were absent during sessions, at least all sessions had 15 or more, including the components mentioned above. Different research activities were used. These included the introduction of the asset-based approach, conducting the school SWOT analysis, doing inventory capacities. After all these activities, DOI and FAI were used to facilitate discussions in order to generate data. The data was analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis. It was found in the study that assets identification and mobilisation is a difficult process in a context where the problems that would be addressed through the assets are not identified. Thus a need to identify problems is argued to be the first step of the asset-based approach, this has been called agenda-setting in this study. It was further found in this study that the SWOT analysis is not just a tool to understand the school in terms of its positive and negative features, but also a useful strategy in identifying the assets of the community. What makes it an acknowledged strategy is that it furthers the process of identifying the weaknesses and the threats towards the school and the assets identified. On understanding what each asset present in the context of the problems to be solved, the study found conducting a list of inventory capacities to be important in understanding what can be gained from all identified assets. The study therefore argues for the identification of assets through the SWOT analysis and to understand each asset’s contributions through conducting inventory capacities. Based on the assets identified, the study presents school-community assets map seen to be relevant towards improving the school in general and academic performance to be specific. While knowing the assets and their different contributions towards improving academic performance is important, the study found that a relevant setting is required to have the asset-based approach utilised as a strategy in general in improving academic performance in particular. In ensuring this setting, a balanced relationship argued for under the asset-map should be created. Adding to this, the study found that the following are relevant in making the school environment suitable for the asset-based approach: Making the school and the community a single entity; (2) empowerment for potential contributors; (3) challenging inferiority and superiority complexities; (4) avoiding “singing a solo” (leading alone) approach. To achieve the above, the study further found that leadership should be invitational and participative in the school. Power imbalances and the “brain drain” challenges are identified as amongst the challenges for the asset-based approach. Given the findings and informed by the data, the study proposes a strategy for using the asset-based approach. The strategy has four cyclical aspects that emerged in the research process and it is hoped that this can enhance the use of the asset-based approach. The study contributes into new knowledge in the form of the challenges to the asset-based approach and a simplified strategy for using this approach. Its limitation is that the strategy was not implemented and it is only based on what the participants identified as what can work in their context. Thus, I recommend action research that will try to put the strategy into practice in order to advance knowledge on its application. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die doel van hierdie studie was om te ondersoek hoe akademiese prestasie in ’n landelike skool verbeter kan word deur die gebruik van ’n bate-gebaseerde benadering as bestuurstrategie. Die verwagting was dat die studie ‘n bate-gebaseerde benadering sou ontwikkel waarmee die bestuurspan van ‘n landelike skool akademiese prestasie kan verbeter. Dit is gedoen deur strategieë te identifiseer en gemeenskaplike bates te mobiliseer. Met dit gedoen, het die studie verder gesoek om uit te vind wat die skool bestuur kan doen om voorwaardes wat bevorderlik is vir die benutting van die bate-gebaseerde benadering binne die gekose skool, op te stel. Die laaste deel van die studie het gefokus op wat die moontlike uitdagings vir die benadering kan wees en hoe die skool bestuur sodanige uitdagings kan aanspreek ten einde die benadering te gebruik om akademiese prestasie te verbeter. Die argument word gevoer dat die bate-gebaseerde benadering steun opgedoen het in opvoedkundige sielkunde, gemeenskapsontwikkelingstudies, MIV en VIGS navorsing, en Ekonomie en daarom het hierdie studie hierdie benadering binne opvoedkundige leierskap en bestuur en dit behandel verbetering van akademiese prestasie as een van die kwessies wat skool bestuurders in hul daaglikse werk moet aanspreek. Die studie erken inderdaad dat landelike gemeenskappe nie tekort skiet nie, maar die navorser in die studie argumenteer dat navorsing wat landelike mense bewus maak oor die groot rol wat hulle kan speel in die verbetering van akademiese prestasie deur middel van hul bates, sloer. Die studie het verder reageer op die oproep van die Departement van Onderwys dat die antwoorde vir uitdagings in die onderwys in landelike gebiede veelsydig moet wees en die landelike mense na die sentrum as oplossings verskaffers moet bring. Die studie is teoreties gesetel binne critical emancipatory research (CER) en die bate-gebaseerde benadering as raamwerke. Die bedoeling was bewusmaking en die skepping van 'n ruimte vir landelike mense om hul bates te leer ken en verder met hulle saam te werk in die proses van die daarstel van strategieë vir die gebruik van sodanige bates tot die verbetering van akademiese prestasie in hul sekondêre skool. Deur CER, is daar gehoop dat die deelnemers bemagtig sal word deur hul deelname aan die navorsingsaktiwiteite en daardeur die vermoëns, vaardighede en kennis wat teenwoordig is in die skool en sy onmiddellike gemeenskap te besef, daarna die skep van maniere waarop sodanige bates sinvol gebruik sal word in die verbetering van akademiese prestasie. As ons in ag neem dat CER gelykheid, maatskaplike geregtigheid, transformasie, toenadering tussen die deelnemers en die navorsers, ruimtes vir dialoog en bevraagtekening van ongelyke magsverhoudings in die samelewing en die konvensionele navorsingsbenaderings bevorder het, het hierdie studie aangeneem deelnemende navorsing (Participatory Research, PR), as relevant geag om deelnemers te bemagtig en verwronge ideologieë wat minderwaardigheidsdenke onder die landelike mense in stand hou, te bevraagteken. Ek het saam gewerk met 'n groep deelnemers wat bestaan uit leerders, onderwysers, lede van die Skool Beheer Liggaam (SBL/SGB) en die skool se bestuurspan (SBS/SMT) (Skoolhoof en drie departementshoofde). Hierdie deelnemers het vrywillig deelgeneem, maar hulle is ook doelbewus geteiken omdat hulle deel is van die skool, en die swak akademiese prestasie was een van die probleme wat ondervind word in die skool. Hulle was deel van die mense wat geraak word deur die probleem wat ondersoek word. Nie almal kon aan die navorsing deelneem nie. Die skool het nie genoeg personeel nie, daar is slegs 11 lede van die onderwyspersoneel, insluitend vier lede van die SBS. Al vier hierdie SBS lede het deelgeneem en vier posvlak 1-onderwysers (PL1) was ook deel van die groter groep wat deelgeneem het. As deel van die groep was daar vier lede van die SBL, maar hulle was nie altyd teenwoordig tydens navorsingsaktiwiteite nie. Opsommend het deelnemers aan die navorsing slegs interne lede van die skool ingesluit. Terwyl ander deelnemers tydens sommige sessies afwesig was, was daar by alle sessie ten minste 15 of meer deelnemers, insluitend die komponente hierbo genoem, teenwoordig. Verskillende navorsingsaktiwiteite is gebruik. Dit sluit in die bekendstelling van die bate-gebaseerde benadering, die uitvoer van die skool se SWOT-analise en ‘n inventaris van vermoëns. Na afloop van hierdie aktiwiteite is DOI en FAI gebruik om besprekings te fasiliteer ten einde om data te genereer. Die data is ontleed met behulp van kritiese diskoersanalise. Dit is in die studie gevind dat identifisering en die mobilisering van bates is 'n moeilike proses is in 'n konteks waar die probleme wat aangespreek sal word deur middel van die bates nie geïdentifiseer is nie. Dus 'n behoefte dat probleme geidentifiseer word aangevoer as die eerste stap van die bate-gebaseerde benadering, wat in hierdie studie “agenda-setting” genoem word. Dit is verder gevind dat die SWOT-analise is nie net 'n instrument is om die skool in terme van sy positiewe en negatiewe eienskappe beter te verstaan nie, maar ook 'n nuttige strategie is vir die identifisering van die bates van die gemeenskap. Wat dit 'n erkende strategie maak, is dat dit die proses van die identifisering van die swakhede en die dreigemente teenoor die skool en sy geïdentifiseerde bates, bevorder. By begrip van wat elke bate verteenwoordig in die konteks van die probleme wat opgelos moet word, het die studie bevind dat die uitvoer van 'n lys van bestekopname van vermoëns belangrik is om te verstaan wat verkry kan word uit alle geïdentifiseerde bates. Die studie pleit dus vir die identifisering van bates deur die SWOT-analise en om te verstaan wat die bate se bydrae is deur die uitvoer van ’n bestekopname van vermoëns. Gegrond op die geïdentifiseerde bates, bied die studie ‘n skool-gemeenskap batekaart wat relevant geag word vir die verbetering van die skool in die algemeen en meer spesifiek die verbetering van akademiese prestasie. Terwyl dit belangrik is om kennis te neem van die verskillende bates en hulle ondeskeie bydraes tot akademiese prestasie, het die navorsing gevind dat ’n relevante omgewing nodig is om die bate-gebaseerde benadering te gebruik as ’n algemene strategie om akademiese prestasie te verbeter. By die skep van so ’n omgewing moet die gebalanseerde verhouding wat onder die bate kaart bepleit word, gehandhaaf word. Bygesê hiermee, het die navorsing gevind dat die volgende relevant om die skoolomgewing geskik te maak vir die bate-gebaseerde benadering: (1) die skool en gemeenskap moet een enkele entiteit word; (2) bemagtiging van potensiële bydraers; (3) die bevraagtekening van minder- en meerderwaardigheidskomplekse; (4) die wegbeweeg van ‘n “solo gesang” benadering waar een persoon alleen leiding neem. Om bogenoemde te bereik, is daar ook bevind dat die leierskap van die skool uitnodigend en deelneemend moet wees. Magswanbalanse en die sogenaamde “brain drain” word gesien as uitdagings vir die bate-gebaseerde benadering. Gegewe die bevindinge soos ingelig deur die data, wil hierdie studie ’n voorstel maak ten opsigte van die bate-gebaseerde benadering. Die strategie het vier sikliese fases wat in die navorsingsproses vorendag gekom het en die hoop is dat dit die bate-gebaseerde benadering sal versterk. Die studie wil ’n bydrae lewer tot kennis deur die uitwys van die uitdagings tot die bate-gebaseerde banadering en die vereenvoudigde strategie vir die gebruik van hierdie benadering. Die beperking van die studie is dat die strategie nie toegepas is nie en gebaseer is op wat deelnemers gesê het sal werk in hulle konteks. Ek stel dus verdere navorsing voor waar die strategie in werking gestel sal word om kennis oor die toepassing daarvan te bevorder. | af |
| dc.description.sponsorship | National Research Foundation (NRF) | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1758 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Asset-based approach | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Needs-based approach | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Academic performance | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Academic achievement | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Rurality | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Critical emancipatory research | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Participatory research | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | School management | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Community assets | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Critical discourse analysis | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Rural school | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Comparative Education and Educational Management))--University of the Free State, 2014 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Improving academic performance in a rural school through the use of an asset-based approach as a management strategy | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |