The Educational Psychologist and School Organization Development in the Reconstruction of Education in South Africa: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

In South Africa, as the myriad of 'apartheid holy cows' are buried, so the opportunity for reconstruc.tion takes on an unprecedented challenge. The renewal of South Africa's dishevelled education system is central to the country's renaissance. Against this backdrop, this article briefly describes some current positions on systems thinking and educational psychology service delivery in the South African context. Derived mainly from a formative evaluation of a Cape Town-based teacher in-service project which focuses on whole school development, three substantive issues related to school organization development are raised. They are the issue of effecting a paradigm shift from a positivistic to a systemic worldview; the issue of the relationship between power and organization development, and the issue of sustainability of organization development. These issues are discussed with particular reference to the challenges that they present to educational psychologists as school organization development consultants in South Africa's education reconstruction process.Terwyl die talle 'heilige koeie van apartheid' in Suid-Afrika begrawe word, onstaan daar op 'n ongekende skaal geleenthede vir rekonstruksie. Teen die agtergrond beskryf die referaat enkele huidige posisies t.o.v. sisteemdenke en opvoedkundige sielkundige dienslewering in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Drie onafhanklike (substantiewe) kwessies, gekoppel aan skoolorganisasie-ontwikkeling word in die referaat geopper, aan hand van 'n formatiewe evaluasie van 'n Kaap-gebaseerde indiensprojek wat op die ontwikkeling van die hele skool gefokus is. Hulle is die kwessie van 'n paradigmatiese verskuiwing van 'n positivistiese na 'n sistemiese wereldbeskouing; die kwessie van die verhouding tussen mag en organisatoriese ontwikkeling, en die kwessie van die volgehoudheid van organisatoriese ontwikkeling. Die kwessies word bespreek met besondere verwysing na die uitdagings wat hulle bied aan opvoedkundige sielkundiges as konsultante van skoolorganisasie-ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika se rekonstruksieproses van die onderwys.

Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Prevention in South African Schools

“…2. Interventions aiming at the improvement of the standard of education and the enhancement of a culture of teaching and learning (De Jong, 1996;Mabeba & Prinsloo, 2000). 3.…”

The importance and potential of community partnerships in urban schools in an era of high-stakes accountability

“…An important factor that highlights the need for bringing in partner organizations is their ability to help urban schools develop and expand their capacity to do their work. Based on organizational theory (Bolman & Deal, 1991; Foster-Fishman, Berkowitz, Lounsbury, Jacobson, & Allen, 2001; Hatch, 2018; de Jong, 1996), this capacity includes the technical capabilities and infrastructure needed to create outcomes, the necessary staff and accompanying skills to attain outcomes and goals, and the fiscal flexibility and availability to finance desired outcomes and strategies. Research further suggests that urban schools need additional capacity to successfully educate all students and the resources to provide this additional support are often available in their community (Epstein, 2005; Sanders, 2006; Waddock, 1995).…”

Changing Roles for Educational Psychologists within Inclusive Education in South Africa

“…The credibility of educational psychologists as consultants depends to a large extent on how expertise is shared, feedback provided, problem solving implemented as well as other variables. De Jong (1996) notes for instance that the patriarchal nature of South African society, with its male dominated power base, raises a strategic question in relation to educational systems consultancy. The roles that age, gender, race and status variables play must be kept in mind.…”

“…Inevitably, such an a-contextual and individualistic approach has ignored systemic factors and the influence of broader socio-economic factors in the generation and perpetuation of ineffective educational psychological support for learners with behavioural and emotional problems, disabilities and learning difficulties. Furthermore, identifying with an individually-focused approach, has also removed educational psychologists from a position of potential influence on policy and management in education (Ainscow, 1999;De Jong, 1996;Donald, 1996;Kriegler and Skuy, 1996;Sharratt, 1995). Dissatisfaction with the roles that educational psychologists played in the past, has lead to proposals for the reconceptualization of their roles within a preventative, health promotive and developmental educational support system (Department of Education, 1997a;Lazarus et al, 2000).…”