The role of the school management team in implementing the development appraisal system

Abstract

The research deals with the Developmental Appraisal System (DAS) which was introduced in 1998 to address the professional development of teachers in the Republic of South Africa. This process was influenced inter-alia by the following challenges which seem to be faced by teachers, namely: development of teachers' professionalism, personal growth, and promotion of teachers. The purpose of this research was to determine the role of the school management team (SMT) to implement the required Development Appraisal System (DAS) as part of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). The focus of this research was the professional development of teachers, which inevitably involves the role of the school management team (SMT) in implementing the Developmental Appraisal System (DAS) in schools. The role of the School management team was subsequently studied in relation to the implementation of the DAS policy with a focus on the composition of the SMT, the roles, responsibilities and core duties of the different members of the SMT. The collected information from the literature review formed a basis for the development of a management plan as part of a theoretical framework for the school management team to effectively implement the Developmental Appraisal System (DAS) in the school. The research made use of a qualitative case study to determine the extent of the role of the school management teams to implement the Development Appraisal System policy in a primary school in the Lichtenburg APO. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The target population of this research was the members of the school management team as well as purposefully selected teachers from a specific school. Findings include amongst other insufficient competence of school management members to implement the Development Appraisal System effectively. Guidelines were accordingly formulated for the improvement of the expertise of the school management team to implement the Developmental Appraisal System in the school that serves as the study population for the qualitative case study. The research concluded that if the Developmental Appraisal System is effectively implemented according to policy and by taking into account the needs of the teachers; it may be to the benefit of all stakeholders of the school community.