committed to the welfare of learners. The experience and insight obtained by staff will also provide good preparation for some to undertake more extensive responsibilities in the future, whether in their present school or elsewhere.
In conclusion with issues affecting school managers it is important to note that most of the literature reviews have unanimous agree that the most crucial issues or characteristics of effective schools mentioned occupy the front line of all projects that are created for the school improvement, without these points it is unlikely to develop programmes that will sustain schools in rural environments with a strong culture of learning and teaching.
According to Christie and Potterton (1994) the most important responsibilities as teachers are as follows:
~ Teachers decisions taken with regard to effective instructions
~ Strategies and approach for classroom teaching
2.4.2 DECISIONS IN TERMS OF EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION
Effective instructions remain a means by which the teacher presents his or her materials using different methods and strategies. This is done to ensure that he/she will lead to the expected outcome that includes the decisions which the teacher takes in the course of his or her presentations. The method employed by the teacher has a significant influence on the learners' learning process. There is no 'best' method of teaching nor is there anyone method that will suit every occasion. According to Owunka (1981) different subject matter and different types of learners require different teaching strategies and different learning contexts.
Effective instruction goes hand in hand with effective teachers in terms of learners' performance as stated in the beginning. The use of the concept "effective" in this study is utilized on the basis of learners' performance. Effective instruction ought to be promoted or facilitated by the observable behaviour that an effective teacher exhibits in the classroom and on the school premises (Cawelti, 1987). This section seeks to explain that good behaviours of teachers contribute to the improvement of the learners' performance. The assumption here is that the principal has certain specific characteristics in cultivating a good climate for teaching and learning situations, giving rise to good learners' achievements (Edmonds, 1983).
Learners described their teachers as very effective for factors of organizational direction, interactive processes, and organizational linkage. Teachers were perceived to be very active in giving guidelines to learners of how they should perform well in their studies and become successful in their future.
2.4.3 CLASSROOM MANAGERS
Teachers spend more time in classrooms with learners therefore they should know and be equipped to deal with problems facing learners in their classrooms. Principals are the last people to be contacted by teachers and learners. As Fleisch (2002) mentions in his study for school improvement that one of the causes of the failure of school improvement is culture. He associates culture with the teachers by saying teachers have great influence over learners. Teachers contributed to the failure of school improvement by bringing their own culture and imposed to the learners. Learners in lower grades are not trained to questions some of the things happening at school.
Teachers as classroom managers have to take decisions in order to improve teaching and learning in their classrooms. As mentioned in this study school managers have to make choices and teachers have to take decisions of what they are going to teach in class.
There are a variety of decisions taken by teachers, these decisions regarding the type of curriculum in which the school follows. Teachers cannot teach maths in schools where the resources pertaining to maths are not available. I also agree with Hawes and Stephens when they say teaching programmes in school should be relevant to the aims and objectives of the schools' mission statement. Teachers take decisions regarding their duties in their classrooms such as teaching subjects, time allocation, resources to be used how long the presentation will take and so forth.
Research studies done by other researchers III England have also pointed out that
effective schools have effective classrooms. Teaching and learning could not be effective without adequate classrooms. Studies done by Stallings (1979), Brophy (1979) show classrooms where learners with histories of failure were eventually able to achieve considerable success. The main focus point for improving teaching and learning that was used was the resources. Brophy (1979) argues that classrooms were the main cause of the school improvement.
While this section forgrounds studies that highlight that principals and teachers as having separate but key responsibilities for understanding how managers and teachers make meaning of their responsibilities to effect quality teaching and learning in rural schools, this study argues that an appropriate cultural climate that enables ongoing improvement of teaching and learning is possible when and if these two different roles and responsibilities are able to move beyond issues of accountability and support. This study attempts to understand what happens when teachers and managers move beyond these hierarchical structures to create new possibilities.
This clearly shows that teachers and school managers should function together, in identifying shortcomings, establishing outcome targets and setting in place incentives and sanctions which motivate and constrain teachers and managers throughout the system and will able them to apply the lessons learned on training courses in their daily work practices.