Philip C. Van der Westhuizen

Problems facing beginning principals in developing countries: A study of beginning principals in Kenya

Abstract Beginning principals in developing countries such as Kenya face problems that differ drastically from problems faced by their counterparts in developed countries such as the U.S.A., U.K. and Australia. In this study, the most serious problems facing beginning principals in developing countries like Kenya include inter alia : students who cannot pay school fees and buy books; shortage of school equipment; shortage of physical facilities; lack of staff accommodation; lack of playgrounds; students travelling long distances; and use of English as a medium of instruction. These problems were ascribed to the educational systems failure to provide enough financial support for schools. And while there is little that beginning principals can do about the financial problems, they should be made aware of them.

Organizational Culture and Academic Achievement in Secondary Schools

A number of factors have been identified that affect academic achievement of learners. Among these factors, organizational culture seems to be a key factor. This is a complex factor characterized by many variables. To classify the variables included in organizational culture, a theoretical model was constructed. Two sets of variables were identified from the model: the tangible and intangible variables. The findings in this research indicate that a healthy and positive organizational culture exists in high-achieving schools whereas the same cannot be said for lowachieving schools. A positive organizational culture seems to exercise an exceptionally positive influence on members of a school and is instrumental in directing their behavior in achieving the stated goals of the school. It is recommended that management strategies should be developed and put in place to improve the organizational culture of low-achieving schools with the aim of improving their academic achievement.

The Professional Development Needs Analysis Questionnaire for Deputy Principals

ABSTRACT This article reports on the design of the Professional Development Needs Analysis Questionnaire for Deputy Principals (PDNAQ) to measure the problems they experienced and the skills they needed. In the literature, no validated questionnaire to measure the problems experienced and skills needed by deputy principals in South African schools was found. One hundred and fifty-seven deputy principals in secondary schools in the North-West Province of South Africa participated in the study. Both confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were used to determine the construct validity of the PDNAQ. Fifteen problems and four skills constructs emerged. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. The article concludes that the PDNAQ may be used in similar contexts to determine the problems experienced and skills needed for the professional development of newly-appointed deputy principals.

Leading and manage diverse schools in South Africa

All school populations are diverse in many ways. The diversity in South African schools has been compounded since 1994 with the migration of Black learners to former ‘white’ schools. Some schools and their principals have succeeded in coping efficiently with the new social and cultural makeup of their schools, while others have been struggling and even resigned under the pressures of all the conflicting demands from stakeholders. The theoretical and empirical investigation reported in this paper shows that principals and schools could benefit enormously from learning from the experiences of the more successful schools and their principals.