Secondary school heads’ perceptions of the effectiveness of results-based management : Highglen district, Harare

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the perceptions of secondary school heads about the effectiveness of result based management (RBM) in schools. For over a decade since its inception as a public sector management approach, the RBM system continues to encounter uptake-related problems in schools. There is not much-documented evidence about RBM effectiveness from the perspective of secondary school heads as institutional gate keepers and curators of the system at grass roots level. That constituted the problem to be addressed by this study. Research questions that guided the study sought to establish the school heads’ level of RBM awareness, its perceived applicability, perceived conditions for results-based effectiveness and strategies to improve its uptake and effectiveness. A qualitative research approach was adopted to investigate the perceptions of secondary school heads in the Highglen district, Harare. An intensive case study design involving 12 secondary school heads selected from 12 public secondary schools in Highglen was considered appropriate for this study. Qualitative research tools namely personal interviews and open-ended questionnaires were used to collect data. Analysis of the responses was done using the six-step model proposed by Creswell. Interpretation of data was done from the interpretivist world view. Empirical evidence from this study revealed that a majority of secondary school heads had a vague understanding of the meaning of the RBM system. It emerged that school heads were subjected to very limited exposure and training on RBM, hence, their limited appreciation thereof. School heads also perceived the RBM system as an extra burden because there were no benefits associated with it. At the school level, RBM was impeded by limited financial resources, lack of expertise and poor motivation. Result based evaluations and feedback lacked in schools. The appraisal form was perceived as too long and too wordy. Based on the literature review and findings, the study recommends the collaborative design of an improved result based management system. The study also recommends the use of both monetary and non-monetary incentives to improve the uptake of RBM.

Die doel van die studie was om die persepsies van sekondere skoolhoofde oor die effektiwiteit van result based management (RBM) in skole te eksploreer. Vir meer as 'n dekade vanaf die begin van die opname van die result based management (resultaat gebaseerde bestuursbenadering) ondervind skole steeds probleme met die implimentering daarvan. Daar is nie veel gedokumenteerde bewyse oor die resultaat gebaseerde bestuur se effektiwiteit uit die perspektief van sekondere skoolhoofde (it is also acceptable to use skool prinsipale) as die hekwagters en kurators op voetsoolvlak.Die faktore genoem is wat gelei tot die probleem wat deur die studie aangespreek word. Die navorsingsvrae wat hierdie studie lei beoog om die skoolhoofde se vlak van bewustheid oor resultaat gedrewe bestuur RBM te eksploreer asook die aangenome aanpasbaarheid oor verskeie toestande, die effektiwiteit en die strategiee om effektiwiteit te bevorder. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsings benadering was gebruik om die persepsies van sekondere skoolhoofde in Highglen distrik in Harare te ondersoek. Intensiewe gevalle studie waarby skoolhoofde van 12 publieke skole in Highglen was gesien as toepaslik vir die studie. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmiddele wat gebruik was om die die data in te samel in die studie was persoonlike onderhoude en oop vraag vraelyste. Die data was analiseer deur middel van die ses stap model soos voorgele deur Cresswell (2014:197). Die data was interpreteer deur die gebruik van die interprecitiese wereldbeskouing.Empiriese bewyse van die studie het onthul dat die meerderheid skool hoofde het 'n beperkte begrip van die resultaat gebaseerde bestuur sisteem.Dit het voorgekom asof die skoolhoofde nie voldoende opgelei of blootgestel is aan die bestuur stelsel nie, dus hul gebrek aan waardering daarvan. Skoolhoofde ervaar ook die resultaat baseerde stelsel as addisionele werk veral omdat daar geen voordeel of beloning daaraan gekoppel is nie. Op skool vlak word die stelsel beinvloed deur beperkte finansiele bronne, min of geen kundigheid en lae vlakke van motivering. Daar was 'n tekort aan resultaat gebaseerde evaluasies en terugvoer in skole. Die waarderingsvorm was gesien as te lank en woordryk. Die studie maak die aanbeveling van 'n samwerkende ontwerp van 'n bevorderde resultaat gebaseerde bestuur stelsel gebaseer op die literatuurstudie en empiriese bevindinge. Die studie beveel ook aan dat beide geldelike en nie geldelike aansporings middels gebruik moet word om die opname van resultaat gebaseerde bestuur te bevorder.

Injongo yolu phando yayikukuphonononga iimbono zeenqununu zezikolo eziziisekondari malunga nokusebenza ngempumelelo kolawulo olusekelwe kwiziphumo (RBM) ezikolweni. Kwiminyaka engaphezu kweshumi ukusukela oko yasungulwayo njengendlela yokulawula icandelo likarhulumente, inkqubo ye-RBM isaqhubeka nokuhlangabezana neengxaki ezinxulumene nokuthathwa kwazo ezikolweni. Akukho bungqina bungako bubhaliweyo obumalunga neziphumo zolawulo olunempumelelo ngokwembono yeenqununu zezikolo eziziisekondari njengabagcini bamasango neziko lemfundo nabagcini benkqubo kwinqanaba elisezantsi. Oko kube yingxaki ekufuneka isonjululwe kolu phononongo. Imibuzo yophando ekhokele uphando ifuna ukuseka inqanaba leenqununu lolwazi olusekelwe kwisiphumo solawulo, ukubonwa kwayo, iimeko ezibonwayo zeziphumo ezisekelwe kwiziphumo kunye nezicwangciso zokuphucula ukuthathwa kwayo kunye nokusebenza kwayo. Indlela yophando esemgangathweni yamkelwa ukuphanda iimbono zeenqununu zezikolo eziziisekondari kwisithili saseHighglen, eHarare. Uyilo lwesifundo esinzulu esibandakanya iinqununu ezivela kwizikolo eziziisekondari zikarhulumente ezili-12 eHighglen lwabonwa lufanelekile kolu phando. Izixhobo zophando ezisemgangathweni ezizezi, udliwano-ndlebe lomntu siqu kunye noluhlu lwemibuzo oluvulekileyo lwasetyenziswa ukuqokelela idatha. Uhlalutyo lweempendulo lwenziwa kusetyenziswa imodeli yamanyathelo amathandathu ecetywayo nguCreswell (2014: 197). Ukutolikwa kwedatha kwenziwa kwimboniselo yehlabathi yokutolika. Ubungqina obubambekayo kolu phando bubonise ukuba uninzi lweenqununu zezikolo eziziisekondari bezinokuqonda okungacacanga kwentsingiselo yenkqubo yolawulo esekelwe kwiziphumo. Kwaye kwavela ukuba iinqununu zifumene ulwazi oluncinane kakhulu noqeqesho kulawulo olusekelwe kwiziphumo yiloo nto zibangela ukuthakazelelwa kwazo oko. Iinqununu nazo zabona inkqubo yolawulo esekelwe kwiziphumo njengomthwalo ongaphezulu kuba bekungekho nzuzo enxulumene nayo. Kwinqanaba lesikolo, ulawulo olusekelwe kwiziphumo lwaluthintelwa yimithombo yemali enyiniweyo, ukunqongophala kobuchule kunye nenkuthazo ephantsi. Iimvavanyo ezisekelwe kwiziphumo kunye nengxelo yokunika ingxelo ibinqongophele ezikolweni. Ifom yovavanyo yabonwa njengende kakhulu kwaye inamagama kakhulu. Ngokusekwe kuphononongo loncwadi kunye neziphumo zobungqina, uphononongo lucebisa uyilo lwentsebenziswano lwenkqubo yolawulo esekelwe kwiziphumo eziphuculweyo. Uphononongo lukwacebisa ukusetyenziswa kwenkuthazo yemali nengeyiyo eyemali ukuphucula ukuthathwa kolawulo olusekelwe kwiziphumo.