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Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| author | Oelofse, Brandan |
| author2 | Jansen, Jonathan |
| author_browse | Jansen, Jonathan Oelofse, Brandan |
| author_facet | Jansen, Jonathan Oelofse, Brandan |
| author_sort | Oelofse, Brandan |
| collection | Thesis |
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| description | Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135975 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
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| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135975 Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape Oelofse, Brandan Jansen, Jonathan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher-administrator relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teachers -- Professional relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape UCTD Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Oelofse, B. 2026. Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/54b1c7b4-be0c-4be2-bc64-f55f49eb9827 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explored the experiences of novice teachers regarding the support of School Management Teams (SMTs) in lower-quintile public secondary schools within a Sampled Metropolitan Education Districtin the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Despite policy efforts to strengthen the induction and mentoring of novice teachers through the Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) and the National Teacher Induction (NTI) framework, novice teachers in many South African schools continue to experience inadequate guidance, inconsistent mentoring, and limited opportunities for professional growth. This research addressed this gap by examining how SMTs interpret and enact national policies at the school level, how such enactments affect the adjustment and performance of novice teachers, and how teachers navigate their responsibilities with or without structured support. The study adopted a qualitative multiple-case study design situated within an interpretivist paradigm, focusing on five novice teachers, each within their first three years of service. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis and thematically analysed. Meyer and Rowan’s (1977) Institutional Theory was applied as the theoretical framework to explore the relationship between policy structures, leadership practices, and individual teacher agency. Ethical standards, including informed consent, confidentiality, and reflexivity, were strictly observed, while credibility was enhanced through triangulation and member checking. The findings revealed a significant policy–practice gap: although PAM and NTI outline phased induction, mentorship, and workload relief for new teachers, these provisions were rarely implemented in practice. SMT support was inconsistent and largely administrative, while procedural compliance was prioritised over developmental engagement. Novice teachers described feeling isolated, anxious, and underprepared for classroom management, particularly in resource-constrained contexts. In response, they relied on informal peer support, digital networks, and self-directed learning as coping strategies. Although such initiatives demonstrated resilience and adaptability, they cannot replace structured mentorship and Continuous Professional Development (CPD). From a theoretical standpoint, the study extends Institutional Theory (Meyer & Rowan, 1977) by illustrating how formal policies function through mediating actors, relational dynamics, and organisational culture. It shows that compliance alone does not ensure effective induction; meaningful support depends on leadership behaviour, school culture, and relational trust. The resilience of novice teachers emerged not only as a personal trait, but as a socially situated construct shaped by these contextual conditions. Therefore, the study underscores that sustainable induction requires a shift from bureaucratic compliance to developmental leadership that embeds mentorship, reflection, and collaboration within institutional practice. The findings contribute to South African education scholarship by foregrounding the lived realities of novice teachers in lower-quintile schools–contexts often excluded from mainstream research. Practically, the study proposes multi-level recommendations. The Department of Basic Education should implement mentor-accreditation schemes and developmental accountability measures; universities should prepare mentors and sustain post-graduation support; and SMTs should institutionalise instructional coaching, formative feedback, and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to embed reflective practice. The research concludes that the success of teacher induction lies not in policy design, but in implementation. Translating policy into practice requires empowered SMT leadership, relationally grounded mentorship, and coherent alignment between national frameworks and school-level realities. Embedding these supports within institutional structures can enable novice teachers to move from survivalist coping to professional mastery, thereby enhancing retention, instructional quality, and equity in the South African education system. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die ervarings van beginneronderwysers ondersoek met betrekking tot die ondersteuning wat hulle van Skoolbestuurspanne (SBS) ontvang in laer-kwintiel openbare Hierdie studie het die ervarings van beginneronderwysers ondersoek met betrekking tot die ondersteuning wat hulle van Skoolbestuurspanne (SBS) ontvang in laer-kwintiel openbare sekondêre skole binne die Geselekteerde Metropolitaanse Onderwysdistrik (GMOD) in die Oos-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Ten spyte van beleidsinisiatiewe om beginneronderwysers se induksie en mentorskap te versterk deur die Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) en die National Teacher Induction (NTI)-raamwerk, ervaar beginneronderwysers in baie Suid-Afrikaanse skole steeds onvoldoende leiding, inkonsekwente mentorskap en beperkte geleenthede vir professionele groei. Hierdie navorsing het hierdie leemte aangespreek deur te ondersoek hoe skole se SBS’e nasionale beleid by skoolvlak interpreteer en implementeer, hoe sulke praktyke beginneronderwysers se aanpassing en prestasie beïnvloed, en hoe onderwysers hul professionele verantwoordelikhede uitvoer met, of sonder gestruktureerde ondersteuning. Die studie het ’n kwalitatiewe meervoudige gevallestudie-ontwerp binne ’n interpretivistiese paradigma aangeneem, met die fokus op vyf beginneronderwysers, elk binne hul eerste drie jaar van diens. Data is ingesamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentanalise, en tematies ontleed. Meyer en Rowan (1977) se Institutional Theory is as teoretiese raamwerk gebruik om die verhouding tussen beleidsraamwerke, leierskapsgedrag en individuele onderwyser-agentskap te ondersoek. Etiese standaarde, insluitend ingeligte toestemming, vertroulikheid en refleksiwiteit, is streng nagekom, terwyl geloofwaardigheid versterk is deur triangulasie en ledeverifikasie. Bevindinge het ’n beduidende beleid-praktyksgaping uitgelig: hoewel PAM en NTI voorsiening maak vir gefaseerde induksie, mentorskap en werksladingverligting vir nuwe onderwysers, is hierdie voorskrifte selde konsekwent geïmplementeer. ‘n SBS’e se ondersteuning was dikwels administratief eerder as ontwikkelingsgerig, met ‘n klem op prosedurele nakoming eerder as professionele groei. Beginneronderwysers het ervarings van isolasie, angs en onvoldoende klasbestuursondersteuning beskryf, veral in hulpbronbeperkte kontekste. In reaksie hierop het hulle staatgemaak op informele portuurondersteuning, digitale netwerke en selfgerigte leer as hanteringsmeganismes. Alhoewel hierdie strategieë veerkragtigheid en aanpasbaarheid getoon het, kon dit nie gestruktureerde mentorskap en deurlopende professionele ontwikkeling vervang nie. Teoreties brei die studie uit op Institutional Theory deur te demonstreer hoe formele beleide deur tussengangers, verhoudingsdinamika en organisatoriese kultuur funksioneer. Die bevindinge toon dat nakoming alleen nie effektiewe induksie waarborg nie; betekenisvolle ondersteuning hang af van leierskapsgedrag, skoolkultuur en verhoudingsvertroue. Beginneronderwyser-veerkragtigheid het geblyk nie bloot ’n persoonlike eienskap te wees nie, maar ’n sosiaal-gesitueerde konstruk wat deur hierdie kontekstuele faktore gevorm word. Die studie beklemtoon dus dat volhoubare induksie ’n verskuiwing vereis van burokratiese nakoming na ontwikkelingsleierskap wat mentorskap, refleksie en samewerking binne institusionele praktyk inbou. Die studie dra by tot die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysliteratuur deur die geleefde ervarings van beginneronderwysers in laer-kwintielskole, dikwels uitgesluit uit hoofstroomnavorsing, na vore te bring. Prakties stel die bevindinge veelvlakkige aanbevelings voor: die Departement van Basiese Onderwys behoort mentorsakkreditasieskemas en ontwikkelingsgebaseerde te implementeer; universiteite behoort mentore voor te berei en voortgesette ondersteuning ná graduering te bied; en ‘n skool se SBS behoort instruksionele afrigting, formatiewe terugvoer en Professionele Leergemeenskappe (PLGs) te institusionaliseer om reflektiewe praktyk te bevorder. Uiteindelik kom die studie tot die gevolgtrekking dat die sukses van onderwysersinduksie nie in beleidsontwerp lê nie, maar in implementering. Om beleid in praktyk te vertaal, vereis bemagtigde SBS-leierskap, verhoudingsgegronde mentorskap, en samehang tussen nasionale raamwerke en skoolvlakrealiteite. Deur hierdie ondersteuning binne institusionele strukture te vestig, kan beweeg van oorlewingshantering na professionele meesterskap, wat behoud, onderriggehalte en billikheid in Suid-Afrika se onderwysstelsel versterk. sekondêre skole binne die Geselekteerde Metropolitaanse Onderwysdistrik (GMOD) in die Oos-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Ten spyte van beleidsinisiatiewe om beginneronderwysers se induksie en mentorskap te versterk deur die Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) en die National Teacher Induction (NTI)-raamwerk, ervaar beginneronderwysers in baie Suid-Afrikaanse skole steeds onvoldoende leiding, inkonsekwente mentorskap en beperkte geleenthede vir professionele groei. Hierdie navorsing het hierdie leemte aangespreek deur te ondersoek hoe skole se SBS’e nasionale beleid by skoolvlak interpreteer en implementeer, hoe sulke praktyke beginneronderwysers se aanpassing en prestasie beïnvloed, en hoe onderwysers hul professionele uitvoer met, of sonder gestruktureerde ondersteuning. Die studie het ’n kwalitatiewe meervoudige gevallestudie-ontwerp binne ’n interpretivistiese paradigma aangeneem, met die fokus op vyf beginneronderwysers, elk binne hul eerste drie jaar van diens. Data is ingesamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en dokumentanalise, en tematies ontleed. Meyer en Rowan (1977) se Institutional Theory is as teoretiese raamwerk gebruik om die verhouding tussen beleidsraamwerke, leierskapsgedrag en individuele onderwyser-agentskap te ondersoek. Etiese standaarde, insluitend ingeligte toestemming, vertroulikheid en refleksiwiteit, is streng nagekom, terwyl geloofwaardigheid versterk is deur triangulasie en ledeverifikasie. Bevindinge het ’n beduidende beleid-praktyksgaping uitgelig: hoewel PAM en NTI voorsiening maak vir gefaseerde induksie, mentorskap en werksladingverligting vir nuwe onderwysers, is hierdie voorskrifte selde konsekwent geïmplementeer. ‘n SBS’e se ondersteuning was dikwels administratief eerder as ontwikkelingsgerig, met ‘n klem op prosedurele nakoming eerder as professionele groei. Beginneronderwysers het ervarings van isolasie, angs en onvoldoende klasbestuursondersteuning beskryf, veral in hulpbronbeperkte kontekste. In reaksie hierop het hulle staatgemaak op informele portuurondersteuning, digitale netwerke en selfgerigte leer as hanteringsmeganismes. Alhoewel hierdie strategieë veerkragtigheid en aanpasbaarheid getoon het, kon dit nie gestruktureerde mentorskap en deurlopende professionele ontwikkeling vervang nie. Teoreties brei die studie uit op Institutional Theory deur te demonstreer hoe formele beleide deur tussengangers, verhoudingsdinamika en organisatoriese kultuur funksioneer. Die bevindinge toon dat nakoming alleen nie effektiewe induksie waarborg nie; betekenisvolle ondersteuning hang af van leierskapsgedrag, skoolkultuur en verhoudingsvertroue. Beginneronderwyser-veerkragtigheid het geblyk nie bloot ’n persoonlike eienskap te wees nie, maar ’n sosiaal-gesitueerde konstruk wat deur hierdie kontekstuele faktore gevorm word. Die studie beklemtoon dus dat volhoubare induksie ’n verskuiwing vereis van burokratiese nakoming na ontwikkelingsleierskap wat mentorskap, refleksie en samewerking binne institusionele praktyk inbou. Die studie dra by tot die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysliteratuur deur die geleefde ervarings van beginneronderwysers in laer-kwintielskole, dikwels uitgesluit uit hoofstroomnavorsing, na vore te bring. Prakties stel die bevindinge veelvlakkige aanbevelings voor: die Departement van Basiese Onderwys behoort mentorsakkreditasieskemas en ontwikkelingsgebaseerde aanspreeklikheidsmaatreëls te implementeer; universiteite behoort mentore voor te berei en voortgesette ondersteuning ná graduering te bied; en ‘n skool se SBS behoort instruksionele afrigting, formatiewe terugvoer en Professionele Leergemeenskappe (PLGs) te institusionaliseer om reflektiewe praktyk te bevorder. Uiteindelik kom die studie tot die gevolgtrekking dat die sukses van onderwysersinduksie nie in beleidsontwerp lê nie, maar in implementering. Om beleid in praktyk te vertaal, vereis bemagtigde SBS-leierskap, verhoudingsgegronde mentorskap, en samehang tussen nasionale raamwerke en skoolvlakrealiteite. Deur hierdie ondersteuning binne institusionele strukture te vestig, kan beginneronderwysers beweeg van oorlewingshantering na professionele meesterskap, wat behoud, onderriggehalte en billikheid in Suid-Afrika se onderwysstelsel versterk. Masters 2026-04-16T14:17:16Z 2026-04-16T14:17:16Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135975 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 93 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher-administrator relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teachers -- Professional relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape UCTD Oelofse, Brandan Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape |
| title | Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape |
| title_full | Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape |
| title_fullStr | Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape |
| title_full_unstemmed | Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape |
| title_short | Novice teachers' experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape |
| title_sort | novice teachers experiences of support from school management teams within a metropolitan district in the eastern cape |
| topic | Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher-administrator relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teachers -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teacher effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Teachers -- Professional relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135975 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oelofsebrandan noviceteachersexperiencesofsupportfromschoolmanagementteamswithinametropolitandistrictintheeasterncape |