- Title
- Utilising the participatory action learning and action research approach in developing school improvement plans in community schools
- Creator
- Rangana, Noluvo
- Subject
- Active learning
- Subject
- Action research
- Subject
- School improvement programs, Community schools
- Date Issued
- 2023-04
- Date
- 2023-04
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- Thesis
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64021
- Identifier
- vital:73640
- Description
- This study sought to determine how Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) can be used to develop school improvement plans in community schools. The study looks at the Centre for the Community Schools whose objective is to collaboratively develop alternative approaches to school improvement that are relevant and responsive to the realities of under-served community schools. CCS used a PALAR approach in their engagements with multiple stakeholders to develop school improvements, and this study sought to investigate the experience of those multiple stakeholders. Those multiple stakeholders are participants in this study and together we formed an Action Learning Set (ALS). The lessons we learned from their perceptions of the PALAR approach, and the contextual factors that must be considered when using PALAR, led us to draft guidelines that support the use of PALAR when developing school improvement plans in community schools. A literature review was conducted on the main concepts of this study starting on a historical perspective of schools in Europe, the United States of America, and South Africa. This historical perspective gave an international point of view on the thinking of schooling internationally. This international account on the history of schooling was followed by a South African explanation on our history of schooling, looking at education in the apartheid era and education post-apartheid era. This was important in understanding how the concept of school improvement plans came about in South Africa. The literature review also highlighted the importance of school improvement plans and shed light on what a community school is, and what it is not. The study made use of PALAR as a methodology and is located in the Critical paradigm. The research approach was a Critical Participatory Action Research approach, and the study was framed with a combination of the critical pedagogy and the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory. The study made use of Participatory Visual Methods as tools to generate data , in particular, drawings, collages and cellphilms. To analyse the data, we used a thematic analysis and the nominal group technique. The findings of the study reveal that the PALAR approach is an empowering approach that acknowledges diversity and fosters meaningful relationships. The findings also showed that this approach is time consuming, messy and lacks structure. Further to this, the findings of this study suggest that language, coherency, and culture are important factors to consider when making use of the PALAR approach. This study used an African calabash to present a framework on how the PALAR approach can be applied in the African context. Finally, the study proposes guidelines that can be used to develop school improvement plans in community schools and how those guidelines can be used in the African context using the acronym SERV (Situatedness, Empowerment, Roles, and Vulnerability).
- Description
- Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, School of Initial Teacher Education, 2023
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (xxiii, 275 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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Collections
NMU School for Education Research and Engagement
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | RANGANA, N.pdf | 6 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |