To my mother, Nobahle Ivy Zulu, for loving me, encouraging me to study and always reminding me that 'the only future is in education'. The study's findings indicate that the relationships between male managers and female teachers are not good in the researched schools. Male drivers do not seem to be interested in the programs intended to improve their driving skills.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCING THE STUDY
Background and purpose of the study
Rationale
Focus of the study
Key research questions
Research site
Significance of the study
Such knowledge will be useful in finding ways to improve power relations for school effectiveness. It also seeks to highlight the power relations between male school managers and female teachers. The findings can be important for the school to help them improve their power relations.
Clarification of terminology
- Management
- Leadership
- Gender
This is important because other schools can compare the findings of this study. This study uses the following definitions of power: Power is a relationship between forces that are not static but strongly opposed (Jorgensen, 2007, Foucault, 1993). At Mageba High School, I was unable to secure interviews with the group of women I initially wanted to interview.
Outline of the reports
This study was limited to a specific school in a specific community, therefore the findings cannot be generalized to all schools in different contexts. As a result, I couldn't even interview the management because I couldn't balance that information with the opinions of the female teachers. This could have given me an opportunity to interact with the primary school teachers and get their opinion.
Introduction
Understanding power
Jorgensen (2007, p.14) further explains that “power is embedded and embodied in the contextual rules of the game by which we do and say whatever we do and say”. In the case of the relationships between male managers and female teachers, power is central; they consciously or unconsciously contest power. Both male school managers and female teachers have power, but their power is not equal and does not have the same level of authority and influence.
Sources of power in education
- Positional power
- Personal power
- Control of rewards
- Control of resources
- Coercive power
In the school scenario, both male leaders and female teachers can exercise this kind of power. In this study, I want to understand whether this form of power has an impact on the power relations between male leaders and female teachers. I want to understand how female teachers respond to male leaders when they exercise this kind of power.
Understanding management
Managers force teachers despite the good legislation to protect workers. The school management under the leadership of the principal must be able to jointly involve all educators, support teachers and non-teaching staff, parents and other available resources in the school to achieve their goals as effectively as possible. To achieve these goals and objectives, there must be an understanding of the functions of management.
Functions of management
- Planning
- Controlling
In this study, governance is defined as the activities that ensure that all the school's resources, including all the school's human resources, are coordinated in a systematic way to ensure that the school's vision is realized. Bush and Bell (2003) purpose of planning includes; choice of direction, formulation of goals with the involvement of all stakeholders and careful selection of tools that will help to achieve the desired goals. Therefore, it is important that the manager knows how to properly plan and have a strategy that will help him achieve the organization's goals.
I also want to understand if female teachers feel marginalized or if they feel they are part of the planning process. They give a manager a direction in his/her endeavor to achieve the goals of the organization. Mathonsi (2005) suggests that it is the principal's duty to create an environment that will make teachers feel at home.
On the other hand, I want to understand how female teachers view the leadership role of male school managers. This also includes having control over the organization's finances, systems and processes (Clarke, 2007 and Bush, 2003). My view is that leaders should put the interests of the organization above individual interests.
I believe that in order for the school to achieve good results, all teachers should participate in decision-making in the school, although at different levels.
Selected management theories
- Collegial theory
This can further lead to a situation where members are given leadership positions in sub-committees based on their contribution to discussions as well as their skills and knowledge of the work to be done. The appointment of the leaders of these subcommittees must be transparent and democratic. If a subcommittee leader is unwell, the members of that committee reserve the right to replace him or her with another leader.
This makes members feel that they are fully represented in the management of the committee as a sub-unit, and at the school as a whole. Collegial Theory is a shift from the old ways of management where the principal was responsible for managing the entire school alone (Bush, 2003). The leadership style of the principal influences, and is influenced by, the nature of the decision-making process in this theory (Bush, 2003).
I believe that listening to the views of teachers strengthens the position of the headmaster, as teachers develop confidence in school policy, and they see their expertise, knowledge and skills also in running the school. I am also interested in what role, if any, female teachers play in the school's subcommittees. It is assumed that each person has a unique and individual perception of the organization (Bush and Bell, 2003).
These theories help to consolidate democratic values and principles in school management.
Theoretical Frameworks
- Gender and Power Theory
The interests of the groups within the school community become more important than the objectives of the organization. The political model views the organization's goals as highly contested, rather than fixed and ambiguous (Bush, 2003). The focus of this study is to explore the power dynamics between male school managers and female teachers.
On the other hand, in the political model, personal interest rises above that of the organization. Therefore I believe that using the political model along with transaction theory will help me understand the political transactions that occur between male managers and female teachers. Another factor that has a major impact on the power dynamics between male principals and female teachers is the environment outside the school.
Using the political model will help me understand the dynamics surrounding the power relations between male managers and female teachers. This theory will be appropriate for this study because it includes the ways in which male managers and female teachers relate to each other (the division of power between the two genders). Using this theory will help me understand if the behaviors of male principals and female teachers are influenced in any way by the surrounding environment.
I will also use this theory as a tool to understand the views of male managers and female teachers regarding the power dynamics between them.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
- Introduction
- Paradigm
- Research design
- Data generation instruments
- Ethical issues
A case study produces a large contextual description of the phenomenon under discussion (Babbie & Mouton, 2001; Cohen, et al., 2007). The Case Study design helped me to collect data within the real life experiences of the participants. I am aware that this number (of participants) is not representative of the entire ward community, therefore the findings will not be generalized (Cohen et al., 2011).
The duration of the interviews was determined, among other things, by how the participants understood the questions and the need to probe when the participant had answered. I explained to the Principal the purpose of the investigation and assured him that I would not withhold from him any relevant and important information in this regard. Cohen et al., (2011, p. 85) define ethics as "..a matter of principled sensitivity to the rights of others." This emphasizes the importance of protecting participants' rights.
The purpose of the research was explained to all participants as well as their role as participants and what was to be done with the results. I assured them that their participation was voluntary and that they could withdraw from the study at any time and at any point in the study if they wished (Cohen, et al., 2010). In this connection, pseudonyms or fictitious names were used instead of the participants' real names.
I assured the school that the names of the participants would not be published if and when the research findings were published.
Chapter Four
- Transparency in the allocation of subjects
- Participation in sub-committees
- The influence of culture in power relations at Mageba High school
- Women development in the school
- Characterisation of their relationships
- Emerging issues
Responses from managers and female teachers in this regard suggest that the two groups had different perspectives. The female teachers felt that the managers abused their power, while the latter felt that they protected them. This may also have a negative impact on the relationship between male leaders and female teachers.
The responses show that managers' and female teachers' perceptions of committee participation differed. The responses seem to suggest that cultural influence negatively affected the power relations between the male managers and the female teachers at this school. They also suggest that managers and female teachers had different views on how culture influences their relationship.
The second was that female teachers took leave more often (such as early departure and also from late arrival). The members of the focus group also felt that another factor affecting their relationship was that managers showed a lack of trust in the female teachers. Responses from male managers and female teachers indicate that the two groups had different and conflicting perspectives.
Female teachers felt that managers were abusing their power, while female managers argued that they were protecting female teachers.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Introduction
- Summary of the study
- Biographical information of the female teacher
- Female teachers’ understanding and explanation of power dynamics between them and male school managers
How managers understand and explain the power dynamics between themselves and female teachers. How female teachers understand and explain the power relations between them and managers. What strategies can be used to promote positive power relations between female managers and female teachers.
The relationship between male managers and female teachers at Mageba High School is not good. Both male managers and female teachers should attend workshops that will encourage tolerance and trust between them. Tell me how would you characterize your working relationships with female teachers in the school (how is your relationship with women in the school?).
Do you recognize, accommodate and reward the diverse expertise that female teachers bring to school? How much influence does the external environment have on the daily functioning of the school? What else would you like to tell me about the relationship between male leaders and female teachers?
Strategies that can be used to improve power relations between male managers and female teachers. The title of my study is: Exploring power dynamics between male school managers and female teachers. The planned study will focus on school managers (especially the principal and deputy principals) and female teachers.
