Swartz, Chris B. (2011-03)
at addressing the educational imbalances of the past.
Policy changes in the curriculum were thus inevitable. A part of transformation in education
was the quest for greater participation by all school communities in South Africa through an
approach of effective school-based curriculum management and development.
A qualitative research design, guided by an interpretive research paradigm, was employed
to answer the research question. The aim of the study was to explore how curriculum
coordinators experienced their leadership role and functions within the context of schoolbased
curriculum development. Data was generated by means of semi-structured questions
to provide rich descriptions and explanations of the experiences and perceptions of
curriculum coordinators in their particular contexts.
Firstly, the literature revealed that it is indeed an enormous challenge for curriculum
coordinators to initiate curriculum change, and secondly, that it is very difficult for curriculum
coordinators to demonstrate their leadership role and coordination function as curriculum
leaders effectively and to provide good support and direction. Curriculum coordinators are
faced with the challenge of empowering themselves, enabling them to implement curriculum
change continuously so that the curriculum is managed effectively.
The research findings indicated that the curriculum coordinators do fulfil their
responsibilities regarding curriculum management. Nevertheless, curriculum coordinators
were not sure what their leadership function and role should be. Furthermore, the study
revealed that there is a need to develop specific guidelines and clear policy to help
curriculum coordinators to execute their roles and responsibilities effectively.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die grootskaalse demokratisering van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing na April 1994 het
ongekende kurrikulumtransformasie in die onderwystelsel tot gevolg gehad. Dit was
hoofsaaklik daarop gemik om die onderwysongelykhede van die verlede te probeer regstel.
Beleidsverandering in die kurrikulum sou dus onvermydelik wees.`n Aspek van
transformasie in die onderwys was ook die strewe om groter deelname vir alle
skoolgemeenskappe in Suid-Afrika te bewerkstellig deur `n benadering van effektiewe
skoolgebaseerde kurrikulumbestuur en ontwikkeling.
Die studie het dit ten doel gehad om die leiersrol en funksies van die
kurrikulumkoördineerders binne skoolgebaseerde kurrikulumontwikkeling te ondersoek en
vas te stel hoe hulle dit ervaar. Om die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord is `n kwalitatiewe
navorsingsontwerp binne die interptretatiewe navorsingsparadigma onderneem. Data is
gegenereer deur gebruik te maak van semi-gestruktureerde vrae wat aan vier
kurrikulumkoördineerders gestel is om insig te kry in hul ervarings en persepsies van hul
Uit die literatuurstudie blyk dit eerstens dat dit inderdaad `n groot uitdaging vir
kurrikulumkoördineerders is om kurrikulumverandering te inisieer en te bestuur. Tweedens
is dit uiters moeilik vir kurrikulumkoördineerders om hul leiersrol en koördineringsfunksie as
kurrikulumleiers effektief te demonstreer en om effektiewe leiding en ondersteuning te bied.
Die uitdaging vir kurrikulumkoördineerders is om hulself te bemagtig om voortdurende
kurrikulumverandering te kan implementeer om sodoende effektiewe kurrikulumbestuur te
Uit die resultate is bevind dat kurrikulumkoördineerders wel probeer om hul
verantwoordelikhede ten opsigte van kurrikulumbestuur te vervul. Nietemin ervaar hulle dat
hulle nie heeltemal seker is oor wat hulle leiersfunksie en rol behoort te wees nie. Verder
toon die studie dat kurrikulumkoördineerders `n behoefte het aan `n duidelike beleid en
raamwerk wat hulle sal help om hulle verantwoordelikhede effektief te kan uitvoer.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6532