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Faculty of Management Sciences

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Secondary education

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    The management of intervention and prevention programmes for school-related gender-based violence in selected secondary schools in Durban area
    (2022-09) Guleva-Govender, Maria Svetoslavova; Govender, Rosaline
    School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) is a global and highly concerning phenomenon. In response to the urgent need of addressing it the South African Department of Education has developed policies and protocols and intervention programmes were implemented. Despite the notable development of frameworks there is paucity of research related to the management and effectiveness of intervention and prevention programmes for SRGBV. The aim of this study is to explore the management of SRGBV prevention and intervention programmes at secondary schools in Phoenix and to what extent are they effective in curbing it. The study was guided by two theories – the Bioecological theory of Bronfenbrenner (2005) which framed the exploration of the current state of SRGBV in secondary schools in Phoenix, and the Systems theory of von Bertalanffy (1968) which was applied to the management of the intervention and prevention strategies for SRGBV in the selected schools. The study adopted qualitative approach and employed case study as the strategy of this research. Eight systematically selected secondary schools from Phoenix participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were conducted with three categories of participants – RCL-chairs (learners); Level 1 educators representatives of the Disciplinary Committee; and Principals (SMTs). The interviews were audio-recorded with the permission of the participants and the recordings were transcribed. Member-checking was done to verify the transcripts. To enhance the validity and reliability of the study secondary data was collected through reviewing of schools’ code of conduct, disciplinary policies, and records kept by the school related to SRGBV. Thematic analysis was applied to the collected data from the interviews and the documents were interpretively analysed. The study found that SRGBV exists in Phoenix secondary schools; however, it is not perceived as rife by the stakeholders. Rather it is viewed as incidental and as occurring occasionally. The current codes of conduct and discipline policies used in the selected schools are GBV-blind and this phenomenon is not always identified correctly Recommendations were made both to the Department of Basic Education and to schools. Some of the recommendations deal with developing a comprehensive SRGBV-policy and providing training to educators in identifying and responding to SRGBV by the DBE. Appointing of guidance counsellors to schools and providing opportunities for rehabilitation of perpetrators would further improve the response to SRGBV. Schools would have to review their current policies and add a GBV-section. Identifying a specific channel for reporting dedicated solely to SRGBV and raising awareness of this phenomenon together with information on help available in this regard are some of the recommendations made to schools to enhance the strategies of management of SRGBV.
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    Addressing bullying at a boy’s high school in Durban
    (2023-04) Naidoo, Meedhaloshnie Ragoobathie; Hamlall, Vijay
    This study aimed to explore the current status of bullying at a boys’ high school in urban KZN and the experiences and perceptions of bullying among the learners of this single sex, multicultural, multiracial school. The objective of the study was to investigate the nature, causes and consequences of bullying in this particular school. This study further proposed and implemented interventions that served to address bullying behaviour at the school. The study adopted the interpretivist paradigm and qualitative methods to answer the research questions. A participatory action research approach was used to conduct this study. The data collection methods were semi-structured individual interviews and focus group discussions. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The non-purposive sampling method was used to select the target population, which consisted of five learners from the boarding establishment (a hostel for learners who choose to stay at school during the school term) and five from the day’ boys. Three educators were also interviewed: two males and one female. In total, this study comprised 13 participants. The data gathered from the interviews and focus group discussions with both the learners and educators indicated that bullying was highly prevalent at the school. Forms of both direct and indirect bullying were evident at the school. Direct bullying was both verbal and physical. Physical bullying took place more covertly in the form of boys using their body strength and size to punish and dominate the weaker boys. A considerable amount of verbal bullying took place at the school. This included acts of harassment, teasing, name-calling and ridiculing. Indirect bullying in the form of social exclusion involving ostracism, and the spread of rumours or gossip was also rife. Both forms of bullying targeted personal characteristics and generally constituted attacks on sexuality and appearance. The underlying themes for the causes of bullying behaviour were identified as boys subscribing to hegemonic forms of masculinity, power-seeking and peer expectation. Being in an environment in which there are predominantly male influences, the boys were expected to act like ‘real men’. They wanted to feel powerful and dominate the so called ‘weaker’ boys. This increased their social status in the eyes of their peers. Data generated from the interviews indicated that the consequences of bullying behaviour resulted in the victim experiencing a poor self-image and low self-esteem. Avoidance and absence from school, seclusion and isolation and an increase in violent behaviour were identified as major outcomes of being bullied. Participatory action was used to plan and implement an intervention programme for the whole school to tackle bullying. The aim was to create a safe, positive learning environment for the learners. The short-term outcomes of the programme were evaluated. The study recommends that it is imperative that the seriousness of bullying be recognised by all stakeholders in the school community for appropriate and effective measures to be implemented to reduce bullying in schools. It is not uncommon for school stakeholders to trivialise bullying that takes place in their schools. Many hold the view that bullying is part of growing up (e.g., boys will be boys) and should not be made an issue. Greater awareness of the problem of school bullying is required and a focus on prevention would ensure that schools create safer and more harmonious learning environments
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    The significance of technical education in basic education : a case of high schools in Umlazi, Durban
    (2023-08) Sosibo, Nhlakanipho Mncedisi; Fagbadebo, Omololu M.
    Education is a fundamental building block of economic growth. The quality of education in South Africa remains extremely poor, mostly in the historically-deprived areas; the schools do not even meet the basic learning infrastructure requirements, such as access to laboratories, libraries, and internet connections; and schools have fewer qualified educators than qualified ones. As a result, learners experience learning deprivation, higher-grade repetition, and dropout rates (Statistics South Africa, 2015 and 2016). The inadequate quality of primary education accounts for many secondary dropouts. Primary education in townships and remote areas fails to prepare children for secondary and tertiary education. For instance, primary education has not fully transformed from educating Black children to being “hewers of wood and drawers of water,” as said by Hendrik Verwoerd. The demand for skills necessary for employment and socio-economic development created the demand for some form of technical education and training in South Africa. The technical education and training system in South Africa is influenced by the history of the apartheid government. There is a lack of information and research on the contents of the technical education curriculum in secondary schools. It is evident that there is a huge gap between technical and secondary schools in Durban in terms of learner service delivery, such as performance, skill, and matric pass rates. The concentration should not be in urban areas only; learners in rural areas should be exposed to such education as well. To assess the nature of technical education in secondary schools in the Umlazi district, this study examined the significance of technical education in lower-level grade curriculums. Data was collected through a qualitative method with participants drawn from the community and schools in the area.
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    Gender discrimination and coping mechanisms of black female managers in rural secondary schools
    (2023-08) Zuma, Nikiwe; Hamlall, Vijay
    This study investigated gender discrimination and coping mechanisms of black female managers in four rural secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa using a case study. The overall aim of this study was to identify the extent of gender discrimination toward black female managers and to explore the gender order and gender regime that existed within the four schooling environments. This study also sought to explore the coping mechanisms that black female managers employed in the day-to-day execution of their duties and the effects that their experiences of gender discrimination had on their personal and professional lives. Men play an active role in shaping women’s identities and controlling their behaviour. It is important to understand how men negotiate their identity since they are active players in the construction of female identities. For this reason, this study incorporated both female and male voices since they both construct gender. Observations, face-to-face and focus group interviews with the school principals, deputy principals, departmental heads, educators and school governing body members were used to collect data. The findings revealed that the male educators subjected female managers to stereotyping, in the sense that they placed them in nurturing, submissive roles, whilst they viewed themselves as being more dominant and assertive. The male educators executed duties that were associated with power and status, while the female educators were tasked with lower status duties. The cultural acceptance of Zulu male dominance seemed to be entrenched in all four school environments. The study also found that female managers were subjected to explicit gender based violence by male educators. The male educators displayed violent attitudes and behaviours toward female managers in an array of ways when they faced humiliation or felt that their manhood was threatened. The female managers were also subjected to sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and verbal and physical maltreatment of a sexual nature. The female managers used solidarity, empowerment and assertiveness to cope with stereotyping. They drew on their maternal instincts and mechanisms of acceptance to cope with the sexual division of labour. They adopted the customary behaviour of respect (ukuhlonipha) to cope with discrimination relating to traditional beliefs. The coping mechanisms they used to deal with physical abuse and sexual harassment were acceptance, resignation and deeming this type of behaviour as common in all institutions. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher proposes that to combat gender discrimination against female educators; it is important for members of the community to be sensitised about the crucial role that female educators play in education. This will help parents, as governors of the school, to work in harmony with female school managers, without discrimination along gender lines, towards effective teaching and learning. The female educators in turn should also become actively involved in community activities to demonstrate their commitment, abilities and competence in leadership and management to all stakeholders and the broader community. There is a necessity to review unfair gender cultural practices and their dynamics to ensure that women are not disadvantaged in the workplace. However, it is also important to recognise that not all men or women are the same. While this study found that mainly male educators were the orchestrators of gender-based discrimination and violence, masculinity and femininity should not be seen as polar ends of a spectrum. It is necessary for gender identity to be formed in the dialogue between men and women. Interventions need to involve men and women to change attitudes and behaviours that would significantly decrease gender-based discrimination and incidents of gender-based violence.