A case study on mamaging change in the Child Friendly School programme in the Goodhope area

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the current management of educational change in the Goodhope Area (Botswana), with specific reference to the Child Friendly School Programme. The study begins by highlighting the background information of the programme as well as the statement of the problem. The problem was investigated by means of a literature survey and an empirical inquiry. The literature study commenced by outlining the nature and scope of change, the role school principals play in managing educational changes in schools and explored strategies that are necessary for change. The literature survey revealed that educational change is a process that brings growth with the ultimate goal to improve the outcomes. In the role of school principals it was established that some of their roles are to monitor and create support among staff members, motivate the staff and community involved in change, create a culture of commitment among staff members and manage resistance to change. Vision building, establishing desirable values and culture, creating structures of delivery, motivation, training and empowerment were revealed as some of the effective strategies for managing change in schools. A qualitative inquiry using interviews, document analysis and observation was conducted to explore the experiences of the school principals in the implementation of the Child Friendly School Programme in the Goodhope Area. Simple random sampling was used to select 10 schools from a population of 25 schools. Purposeful sampling was also used to select suitable participants who were directly affected by the themes under investigation. The data were analysed using descriptive formats. The study revealed that school managers regard change as a process that brings growth. Lack of training and involvement during the CFSP was mentioned as one of the challenges in managing the programme. Some school managers outlined that though they are faced with challenges brought by CFSP, they have good experiences about the programme as it has improved teaching and learning process in their schools. There has been increased supervision and collaboration among educators in schools. Information sharing and communication has improved among educators. Workloads and conflicting priorities at work were mentioned as one of the changes brought by CFSP. Improved managerial skills have also been mentioned as one of the changes brought by the management of CFSP. Creation of school vision, accountability, motivating and supporting staff were outlined as the key roles in managing CFSP. With regard to the strategies for effective management of change, it was established that school managers gave diverse strategies. These include vision creation, creation of teams and structures, desirable values, training and development, stakeholder involvement and good interpersonal skills by the manager. The study concluded by recommending that there should be a clear desirable vision of how to manage change and training should be provided on managing change in an educational change.