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School culture
Any school with some history of its own will have developed a culture of its own which may relate to the culture of the broader society which it serves, but which has its own dynamic determined, usually, by its principal (Evans 1999:19; Leithwood 1992:95; Steyn & Van Wyk 1999:42) and to a lesser extent its teachers and learners (Steyn 2000). There can be extreme examples, where violence and extortion characterize school culture, particularly in countries like the United States of America. One should not, however, think that South Africa is free of such things, as evidenced by television series such as ‘Yizo Yizo’ (Selaledi 2000:258; Steyn & Van Wyk 1999:41). The negative impact of such a culture is clear enough:
One of the worst things that can happen to a school is having a reputation as a place where drugs and weapons exist. It frightens students, parents, and the community. It reduces the degree of support for a school. Teachers become discouraged and lose their enthusiasm for their students … (Rosen 1997:91), Substance abuse, in particular, in adolescents has the effect of creating depressive symptoms which can impact negatively upon their work (Blore 2002:93). At the same time, such problems can be very difficult to control (Yarnold 1999).
The extent to which part of a school’s culture is the involvement of parents (Bastiani 1989) can make a large difference. Not to be forgotten should also be the matter of the involvement of the learners themselves as well as teachers in school policy-making (Beckmann & Blom 2000; Duffield, Turner & Morris 2000; Mosoge & van der Westhuizen 1997; Scales, Blyth, Berkas & Kielsmeier 2000; Steyn 2000). As has been pointed out, new legislation, in the form of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, “brought about a major reform in education administration by decentralising school governance to local school communities” (Squelch 2000:309; similarly Heystek & Louw 1999:21). The particular culture of different schools may be considered thereby reinforced. Constitutional and legislative changes, however, also make a difference to the rights and duties of learners within the system, requiring in turn, among other things, “the need for strong support of firm discipline in the schools (or the implementing of school rules)” (Van Staden 2000:302). That this may not be difficult to achieve is suggested by the findings of the study conducted by Mabeba and Prinsloo (2000:37), who found that learners and parents had similar views on discipline, difrering only on matters of expulsion and suspension. Some caution must be exercised here; in the small study of three schools conducted by Ramashala (1999) in Zebediela – a part of Limpopo Province some distance from the one being studied here – there was a distinct tendency for each element of the school hierarchy to blame the other for poor performance. Area inspectors blamed the principals, teachers and parents; school principals blamed policy, teachers and parents; teachers blamed policy, area inspectors, principals, parents, learners; parents blamed teachers and learners; and learners largely blamed government policy and parents (Ramashala 1999:29-42). It is interesting, in the latter case, that they did not blame their teachers, as is so often reported by teachers themselves.
Funding
Although there are a number of current examples of poorly resourced schools that are attaining virtual miracles of achievement, in the long term and on a day-to-day basis, lack of adequate funding can have a disastrous effect on achievement because it makes everything much more difficult and thus demoralizing (Zangqa 1999:96). A science teacher without a laboratory can teach a great deal of science, but has difficulty preparing learners for examinations where equipment is a given. A school without a library (and a good librarian to run it) cannot honestly encourage independent enquiry among learners who are hardly likely to have a good collection of informative books and magazines in their own homes. These days the use of computers must be added to the necessary skills.
In the study conducted by Van der Westhuizen, Mentz, Mosoge, Nieuwoudt, Steyn, Legotlo, Maaga and Sebego (1999:318), “Lack of resources … features very strongly as a cause for the poor Grade 12 results … (and) seems to be the greatest factor in poor and average schools”. In this respect private schools are bound to have an advantage (Chinapah 1997:76), since their resources are fees-related, and their fees high enough to pay good teachers. They would not dare to allow their schools to be underresourced.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Research Approach and Methods
1.4 Structure of the report
CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH RELATING TO CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, SCHOOL AND TEACHER FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN SCHOOLS
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Historical and Social Context
2.3 School Factors
2.4 Teacher Factors
2.5 Conclusions
2.6 Summary
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH RELATING TO LEARNER FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN SCHOOLS
3.1 Introduction
3.3 Conclusions
3.4 Chapter Summary
CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Aims of the Investigation
4.3 Hypotheses
4.4 The Measurement of Variables
4.5 Mode of Enquiry
4.6 Research Approaches
4.7 Multimethod Data Collection Plan
4.8 Role of the Researcher
4.9 Data Analysis Strategies
4.10 Quality Assurance Techniques
4.11 Ethical Measures
4.12 Delimiters of the Study
4.13 Summary
CHAPTER 5 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Research Hypotheses
5.3 Frequency Analysis for Group One (high performing) schools
5.4 Contingency Tables where there are Statistically Significant Relationships between variables for Group One (high performing) Schools
5.5 Contingency Tables where there are no Statistically Significant Relationships between variables for Group One (high performing) Schools
5.6 Frequency Analysis for Group Two (poorly performing)Schools
5.7 Contingency Tables where there are Statistically Significant Relationships between Variables for Group Two (poorly performing) Schools
5.8 Contingency Tables where there are no Statistically Significant Relationships between Variables for Group Two (poorly performing) Schools
5.9 Testing of the Main Hypotheses – Comparison of Data from Group One (high performing) and Group Two (poorly performing) schools
5.10 Conclusion
5.11 Data Collected through Interviews with School Principals
5.12 Conclusions
CHAPTER 6 SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 Overview of the Study
6.2 Major Findings of the Study
6.3 Limitations of the Study
6.4 Recommendations
6.5 Concluding Remarks
References
Appendix A Letter to school principals
Appendix B Questionnaire
Appendix C Limpopo Province Permission letter
Appendix D UP Ethics Committee Clearance
Appendix E Thohoyandou High School Permission letter
Appendix F Interview questions for principals
Appendix G Photographs of research sites (schools)
