School Impact Essay Example

pursue goals set by leaders, reliance on rules and regulations rather than personal initiative, rational decision-making process that involves defining the problem, assessing possible solutions, and selecting the most suitable one to achieve organizational goals, attribution of leaders' authority to their official positions within the organization, and leaders' accountability to the organization's governing body.

The principal oversees the bureaucratic aspects of the organization and ensures that teachers are assigned according to their areas of expertise, while adhering to numerous guidelines and regulations.

A significant obstacle of the theory is that the objectives of educational institutions become secondary to the survival of the bureaucracy, as stated by Holmes and Wayne (1989: 64). This implies that it can be challenging to determine the ultimate goals of schooling. Additionally, human behavior is considered irrational, thereby affecting the rational decision-making process in practice.

According to Bush (2003:51), bureaucratic theories propose that the behavior of individuals is a reflection of their organizational positions rather than their individual qualities and experience, leading to a disregard for individual contributions. Additionally, these theories suggest that power is concentrated at the top of the organization, with principals holding all authority as appointed leaders of schools, resulting in a top-down approach to education management.

In an environment requiring strict discipline, there may be tension between professionalism and hierarchy. According to Bush (2003:51), professionals' expertise may conflict with the positional authority of the principal. Theory X assumes that people dislike work and avoid responsibility, seeking direction from those in charge. Job security is valued more than job-related factors, and ambition is not highly valued.

In contrast, Theory Y operates under the belief

that individuals and their work settings will strive for excellence.

According to Owens and Valences (2011:86), the goal of the General Systems Theory is to provide an account, clarification, and forecast of organizational behavior.

The interrelation between a school and its environment generally characterizes it as an open system.

The educational process is interactive and has a relationship with its wider environment, according to Owens and Valences (2011:88). The esoteric systems theory defines an organization as existing to attain specific goals or objectives, as outlined by Owens and Valences (2011:OHIO), by completing tasks.

The definition of roles within an organization is intertwined with its structure. This structure heavily influences the communication networks that are essential to information flow and ultimately decision-making.

The contingency theory of organizational behavior in schools revolves around three fundamental propositions. The first one is that there is no single universal approach to organizing and managing school districts or schools. Secondly, effectiveness relies on the suitability of the design or style to the situation at hand. Lastly, the choice of organizational design and administrative style should hinge on a thorough evaluation of vital contingencies in the situation (Owens and Valences, 2011:105).

The contingency theory necessitates the organization to acquire a structured comprehension of the dynamics of organizational behavior to facilitate examination and evaluation of the current scenario. Moreover, the theory offers alternative approaches for scrutinizing the interconnections among various components of the organizational structure.

According to Owens and Valences (2011:108), the role theory is useful in addressing issues such as motivation, decision aging, organizational change, organizational culture, and conflict management. The theory analyzes the interpersonal behavior of people in organizations,

particularly those with specific roles to perform (Owens and Valences, 2011:90). The theory considers the factors that influence role determination and helps specify expected performance levels for each role. Interpretation of roles depends on individual factors, and behavior is shaped by interactions with others. The director and other authorities help control the situation by shaping the expectations for roles (Owens and Valences, 2011:91).

In group dynamics, three distinct roles can be observed: group task roles for selecting and defining challenges and seeking solutions; group building and maintenance roles for facilitating group development and maintenance; and individual roles for fulfilling personal needs of group members.

According to Owens and Valences (2011:95), the leader's responsibility is to allocate essential roles to group members and create an environment in which they can perform their roles effectively. The leader must ensure that specific roles are fulfilled so that the group can maintain and improve its effectiveness over time.

The Christian scientific approach is widely discussed in South African academic writing on Education Management.

The process of planning involves policy making, decision making, and problem solving. Organizing, on the other hand, brings about order and develops the function of organizational structures. Guiding establishes an authority-respect relationship while control aims to ensure all planned goals and objectives are achieved. This management system and process is based on Christian ethics that prioritize values, principles and results. The authority of principals is perceived to be God-given with their ability to maintain order through education law.

According to McClellan and Throw (2003:9), management in education is commonly associated with personnel management, management of pupil activities, school business management (including finances,

guidance and control), community relationships, management of administrative affairs, and planning and use of physical facilities. This paradigm was later followed by a shift towards business-oriented practices in education management, particularly with the introduction of Model C schools in 1992.

According to McClellan and Throw (2003:10), Model C schools were established as a means to deal with financial restrictions in the white education budget, rationalization expenditure, and the reduction of teachers. Parents had autonomy within these schools, which were made possible by increased school fees. They managed the appointment of teachers, advised on admission policies, had input in curricula, and maintained the utilization of buildings and financial policy.

The adoption of a business approach by school principals to effectively manage school assets and increase school fees is a result of these shifts. This action aims to justify the schools' capability and results.

At the school level, the education management paradigm focuses on several key strategies such as school effectiveness and educational quality, the provision of school curriculum instructional materials and adequate time for learning, fostering good community - school relations, promoting parent involvement and support, ensuring school based professionalism, leadership and commitment, accountability, and flexibility to adapt to local needs. Additionally, vision and decentralized decision-making are also important. School principals must possess various management competencies including leadership, judgment, sensitivity, organizational ability, and creative problem solving.

Within this paradigm, these skills are considered crucial.

Community involvement and management of training and support can create aspects such as recognition of diversity, participation and communication, responsiveness, collaboration, support, and negotiation. Additionally, the Collegiality Theory, which aligns with democracy in post-apartheid South Africa, gained popularity in the 80s

due to its association with school effectiveness and improvement.

According to Bush (2003:52), collegiality is a good practice model that involves discussing and reaching a consensus on policies and decisions. Power is shared among some or all members who understand the institution's objectives. It promotes democracy, participation, empowerment, and collaboration. This theory highlights the authority of professional staff who possess expertise in their area of work.

The organization has a feature that requires all members to adhere to a shared set of principles while another feature promotes decision-making through consensus rather than conflict. This allows for ethical and collegial decision-making.

According to Bush (2003:56), limitations of democratic decision making in schools include being slow and cumbersome, compromise in democracy due to lack of participation, disagreement and conflict in eradication decisions by teachers with different viewpoints, and reluctance of principals to share power. Effective educational management in schools should address the challenges that impede its success, such as a disconnection between transformational goals and daily realities faced by staff within the system.

Divergent educational systems are opposed to this outlook, while schools are molded by the values, structures, and protocols that were passed down from the apartheid era.

The McClellan and Throw study (2003:5) revealed that some individuals lack the power and capability to address issues and lead schools. This indicates that school principals have limitations. To overcome these obstacles, school management should consider implementing organizational theories to establish effective structures. One such theory is contingency theory, which prioritizes achieving school goals and analyzing situations to determine the most effective means of overcoming them.

Clarification of the concept of 'Education Management' is essential in

order to effectively manage education. According to Throw (2003:38), attempting to provide a concise and scientific definition of education management is both impossible and inappropriate. The Department of Education in 1996 stated that management involves the creation and support of efficient educational institutions (Throw, 2003:25).

According to Role Theory, school managers should establish their roles. This theory helps them comprehend how to interpret their roles. According to Throw, management involves overseeing and administering daily activities within the institution. Glitter (1979) defines management as the internal operations of the institution, which includes working with systems, structures, and culture of the school to guarantee seamless everyday operations.

Naiad concurs that managing an organization entails overseeing various aspects and achieving balance and harmony among them. These aspects comprise the structure of the organization, encompassing its hierarchical chart, committees, departments, and procedures; the people, including teachers, pupils, and non-teaching staff; technology, including the facilities and processes such as classrooms, workshops, and chalkboards; and culture, encompassing the values and standards used to evaluate merit.

Naiad recommends that effective production of quality educational services through joint decision-making requires delegation, accountability, and engagement with relevant stakeholders. To ensure this happens in schools, they should implement the Bureaucratic theory and Christian scientific approach to educational management. This approach provides a clear structure and hierarchical command, promoting discipline in schools.

According to Bush (2004), it is essential for the Principal to lead by example and promote a culture of lifelong learning within schools during the post-Apartheid era. With an emphasis on ongoing learners' progress, high expectations, effective planning and prep, positive relationships, effective discipline and resource management, the Principal can focus on delivering

effective teaching and learning. To achieve this, school principals can adopt the roles theory, ensuring that every member's role is defined and conducted according to their expertise.

Building the capacity to provide high-quality education services is the goal for effective management teams, which will result in progress in schools.

The contingency theory prioritizes the effectiveness of the school, which can result in this outcome. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the meaning of 'Educational Management' and assess the school's present situation, defining the role of school managers. Familiarity with the historical context and environment of education enables them to address issues of change and transformation and provide effective direction for their institutions (Naiad et al, 2008:2).