Title of the project: Exploring the use of systems thinking approach for school development: a case study of five schools in Umgungundlovu district. In recent decades of educational reform, not much serious attention has been paid to principals' use of the systems-thinking approach to school development.
Background issues
Kendal (2015) advocates systems thinking as one way to see the 21st century from the next generation of thinkers. In this challenge, he offers a systems thinking approach as one of the ways and means of dealing with the complexities of the 21st century.
Statement of the Problem
In this study, I will examine how principals use a systems thinking approach when implementing school development. The goal of the research is to understand the advantages and challenges in using the systems thinking approach in the current model of school development.
Key concepts underpinning the study
In examining the use of systems thinking the aim is to understand its nature and meaning as an approach to school development. The systems thinking approach examines the areas of school development in work contexts where the soft systems methodology will be applied.
Setting the context of the study: personal account
At this point I am passionate about school development and also systems thinking as an approach to any kind of context. This has led me to continue to pursue my research interest in systems thinking as a theoretical framework for school development as context.
Rationale and significance of the study
The purpose of this study is to examine the use of the systems thinking approach in school development. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of the systems thinking approach by principals in the context of school development.
Questions to be asked
The third research question seeks to answer the practical question regarding the application of systems thinking in school development processes. The next supporting question number four seeks to examine the benefits that a systems thinking perspective brings to the whole arena of school development.
Research methodology and design
Research question two arises from the question arising from the two concepts of systems thinking and school development. These directors are part of the Systems Thinking Approach to School Development (STADE) project and have been introduced to the method.
Data generation and analysis
The five selected directors are based in five schools within one circuit, but each can have their own unique character. The selected five schools are located in the rural area within Vulindlela Circuit in Umgungundlovu district.
Theoretical framework
The participants were informed of their freedom to withdraw at any stage of the interview, focus group and reflection process on journals and diaries (Hofstee, 2009). Scholars chart the development of systems thinking over decades to show how it has grown as a field of study (Barton, et al., 2004).
Research scope and limitations
This means that things just happen spontaneously, they are not predictable and even in the near future it is not known what will happen (Barton, et al., 2004, p.17). Because of my previous experience working with school principals, I assume that they have prior knowledge of the systems thinking approach to their daily experiences and activities in the school system.
Outline of the chapters
The Systemic School Development Framework is based on assumptions of the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), System Dynamics (SD), Critical Systems Heuristics and Viable Systems Methodology (VSM). It is a holistic and comprehensive Systemic School Development Framework (SSDF) that advocates Systemic Leadership as a catalyst for school development at the province, district and school level.
Conclusion
As stated in the first chapter, this study attempts to examine the application of a systems thinking approach to school development. In this review, the reader should be careful to use the terms school improvement and school development interchangeably.
Evolution of school development theory and practice
The shift from piecemeal conceptions of school development has led to the current debates about systemic school development. Therefore, the study in the next section will focus on the understanding of school development as part of the literature review.
Conceptualisation of school development
The mechanistic and single-loop thinking that prevailed slowed down school development (Harris, Adams, Suzette, Muniandy & Muniandy, 2015). This study examines the use of systems thinking and its use in school development.
School development in South Africa
Introduction
The 21st century challenges facing schools require a rethinking of the way school development is conceptualised. The outline below will review key features of school development initiatives unique to South Africa.
IQMS Implementation
With the advent of the systemic reform of education, there is a rethinking of the perception of school development. The literature reviewed shows gaps that exist in developing countries in studies conducted on school development from a systems thinking perspective.
Partnerships and networks for school development
The sustainability of the programs requires principals and SMT members to be system teachers in order to complete the process of school development (Hargreaves, 2006; Fullan, 2010a). In the next section, I will guide the reader to the understanding of strategic planning and its value for school development.
The focus of school development planning
Scholars advocate systems tools as part of the process of involvement in school development planning (Senge, 2006; Fullan, 2006). One of the challenges facing school development is the inability to take into account the context prevailing in the school system (Harber & Muthukrishna, 2000; Van der Berg, Burger, Burger, Louw & Yu, 2006; Van der Berg & Van der Berg, 2007; Van der Berg, 2008).
Continuing professional teacher development
The studies were conducted in the context of South African curriculum implementation, which has been a bone of contention for decades (Carrim & . Keet, 2005; Chisholm, 2003; Chisholm, 2005; Pinar, 2003). The studies were conducted in the context of South African curriculum implementation, which has been a bone of contention for decades (Carim & Keet, 2005; Chisholm, 2003; Pinar, 2003).
Managing teaching and learning
The section below focuses on teaching and learning as the other key aspects of school development. Mansour, Heba, Alshamrani & Aldahmash, (2014) strongly believe that CPTD programs should be located in the context where teachers are located.
Leadership and governance
Amponsah (2014) concluded that he examined the Student Group Achievement Department (STAD) technique of teaching a learner-centered approach that influenced the way teachers manage their responsibilities in the classroom. Among the schools in the district, there is a shift from individualistic schools to systemic cooperation.
The systems thinker and school development
Reflection on practice and its role in school development
One of the suggested ways to improve the benefits of journaling is to clarify the nature and purpose of reflective journaling (Jalilifar, Khazaie & Khasgari, 2014; Abednea, et al., 2013; Lai & Calandra, 2010). Reflective journal writing is assumed to strengthen critical thinking, in the sense that the practitioner can relive their understanding of practice (Thorsena & DeVoreb, 2013; Lee, 2007; Abednia et al, 2013).
Conclusion
South African research has found that stakeholders are less exposed to the systems thinking skills needed to deal with complex education issues. Furthermore, the next chapter focuses on understanding systems, systems thinking, and the justification for using systems thinking as a theoretical framework.
Introduction
The meaning of system
A system is conceptualized as a whole with interconnected parts that interact and influence each other (Moloi, Grobler & Grovett, 2002). Components are affected by being in the system, and the behavior of the system changes if they are removed from it.
The nature and type of human systems
Understanding of systems thinking
One of the main objectives of this study is to understand the meaning of systems thinking. The other characteristic of systems thinking is that it is informed by knowledge about systems.
Ontological and philosophical underpinning of systems thinking
This aspect is relevant to the primary question regarding the principled understanding of systems thinking. The following paragraph focuses on the rationale for using systems thinking in this study.
The justification for use of systems thinking
The challenge of systems thinking is to try to make possible desired outcomes more likely (Morgan, 2005). In the next paragraph, I will discuss the use of systems thinking in relation to studying.
The practice and theory of systems thinking
The successful application of systems thinking as a generic approach has been evident through its application to various fields and disciplines. Mcllvain (1999) used the framework of systems thinking to study a primary school in the context of the new learning community.
Different strands of systems thinking
- Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)
- The Viable Systems Model (VSM)
- Critical Systems Thinking (CST)
- Complexity theory
One of the advertised benefits of systems thinking is its increased ability to help people deal with two interrelated phenomena: complexity and uncertainty (Langdon Winner, 2010). a) The phenomenon of emergence. Thus, systems thinking always struggles to find a balance between mystery and mastery, between not understanding anything meaningful and claiming to understand everything (Morgan, 2005). b) The need to learn and experiment.
Operational implications of systems thinking
The application of the laws of systems thinking
The above laws must be understood especially in any area of leadership in order for the organization to grow. The above principles should be considered as tools for examining how principals use systems thinking in school development.
The contextual factors in school systems
These principles must be understood by principals as leaders in schools as learning organizations. The systemic management of principals is crucial to raising school development to a higher level by understanding all the above-mentioned laws that apply to any complex organization.
Approaching school development from a systems perspective
Through systems thinking, new ways are explored to understand the development of schools. Systems thinking is about school development that consists of interconnected and interdependent parts that occur in a complex situation.
A systems view of education
The systems environment model
Systems leadership must work with the entire system and help it develop the concept of school development as a system. Systems thinkers need a sense of optimism that can help the system cope with complexity, risk, and uncertainty.
The functionalist and structural model
Components and structure – this step defines the specific components responsible for fulfilling the functions of the system (Togo & Lotz-Sisitka, 2013; Walton, 2004). The established system of positions and the requirements for these positions in structural functionalism are comparable to the systemic components and the functions that form the structure in the functions/structure model.
Systems thinking and sustainability
According to Walton (2004), the functions are a description of the internal operations of the system that explain/explain how the system achieves its purpose. In the case of this study, the structure of the system is defined only in the context of sustainability issues.
Schools as a learning organisations
Johnson and Johnson (2004) further elaborated on mental models and categorized them in terms of how they affect organizations. Reflection as a skill must be developed while engaging in the representation of mental models (Maynard, 2009).
The use of systems thinking for school development
The study of the effectiveness of the systems thinking approach to school development determines the eclectic perspectives on the phenomenon. The discussion below shifts to systems tools, which are part of the application of systems thinking.
Systems tools
Different questions are formulated with the aim of investigating the heart of the matter regarding the existing patterns. Fleyfel (2010) conducted a study that illustrates the multiple causes of the wastage of water at Lebanon.
Systemic leadership
Critique of systems theory
According to Osifo & Omeregbe (2011), systems theory is criticized because it provides little direct guidance on which aspects of the systems of interest should be manipulated to achieve policy objectives. Other critics argue that it provides little direct guidance on which aspects of the systems of interest should be manipulated to achieve policy objectives (Amagoh, 2008).
Conclusion
In this chapter I will discuss the various aspects of the research design and methodology in detail. In this chapter, the outline of the design and the methodology are described in detail.
Research positionality and bias
After the opening section on positionality and bias, the chapter begins by presenting a brief discussion of the core question and subsequent questions to be answered during the research. The principals showed further interest in being part of the study to further increase their knowledge of the systems thinking approach and its application in school development.
Research aims and questions
Indeed, this case study is relevant in investigating the use of systems thinking by school principals in school development activities. The last question is what are the challenges of using systems thinking in school development.
Research paradigms
Critical paradigm
The critical paradigm is normative and takes into account how things should be and how reality is judged (Scotland, 2012). The critical paradigm seeks to emancipate by engaging with the issues with the aim of bringing about changes.
Interpretive /constructive paradigm
The view held within this paradigm is that the primary purpose of the interpretive paradigm is to interpret the actions of individuals (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2007; Lincoln & Guba, 2013). The purpose of the study is to investigate the use of systems thinking for school development.
Research design
Research methods
In support of this paradigm, Mackenzie and Mouton (2006) argue that its strength lies in data collection. I see this paradigm as crucial based on its epistemological and ontological power and the nature of this study.
Qualitative research methods
This research is believed to provide insight into the use of systems thinking in school development. The combined use of semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and reflective diary techniques enhances the value of the research through the use of collaborative techniques (Morgan, 1996).
A Case study approach
In this effort, the study aims to examine how principals understand and use a systems thinking approach in school development activities. It is right that this case is at the forefront of this one case study of particularity that explores a principal's use of a systems thinking approach to school development.
Selection of participants
As individuals they were reflecting on their experiences in using the systems thinking approach in their contexts. As a focus group, participants also shared their stories about using systems thinking in school development, as well as the benefits and challenges of using it in school development.
Data generation methods
Semi-structured interview
The questions were also formulated differently, taking into account the context and environment of the participant. I asked respondents by further probing some questions for clarity and explanation (Taylor & Bogdan, 1998; Hitchcock & Hughes, 1989). For the latter, the interview instructions were not followed, as the interviewer noticed that some questions were covered in the responses.
Data analysis
Process of analysing data
This allowed me to describe and explain principals' understanding of using a systems thinking approach to school development. I found a deep understanding of the scope and depth of the principal's reflection on the use of systems thinking in school development.
Qualitative research
- Trustworthiness
- Credibility
- Transferability
- Confirmability
It is up to the reader to judge its degree of credibility based on his/her own understanding of the study. Another angle of looking at this issue is the importance given to following the reader of the boundary of the study (Cole & Gardiner, 1979; Marchionini & Teague, 1987).
Ethical issues
The basis for this was to ensure that I minimized my personal biases and perceptions that could affect the findings and conclusions of the study. The purpose of the study was explained to the participants to avoid “misleading bias,” which typically occurs when participants understand one purpose of the study but the researcher has a different purpose in mind (Creswell, 2003).
Appropriateness of methodology to the study
The real names of participants were neither required nor used to protect participants' privacy for research (Creswell, 2003). The data generated allowed for multi-case studies on systems thinking, school development issues and ideas in the analysis and conclusions of the study.
Conclusion
I discussed the way I collected data and the processes involved in analyzing data. In this chapter, I present the data using the main questions, sub-questions and data collection through semi-structured interviews, focus discussion groups.
Settings of research and school profiles
- Lungani Primary School
- Thokozwayo Primary
- Mbongwa Secondary
- Bramley Primary
The school moved from the control of the Methodist Church to the then Ministry of Education in 1952. It outlines the background regarding the school's statistical information and quintile rankings.
Discussion of themes emerging from data
Principal’s understanding of system thinking
There are several responses that point to the uniqueness of clients' understanding of systems thinking. The respondents enriched our understanding of systems thinking in terms of the way they responded to the question.
Strategic Planning
In fact, we also conduct a SWOT analysis using the school's nine key areas. Prestridge (2013) advocates the importance of system tools in the process of providing leadership and guidance to stakeholders in schools.
Process of school development planning
School development planning is undertaken to give direction to the work of the whole school in order to ensure that students receive a quality education both in terms of their holistic development and in terms of their academic achievement (Broadhead & Cuckle, 2002; SDPI, 1999). The process of school development requires understanding the interrelationships of the school as a system.
