Research Commons
      • Browse 
        • Communities & Collections
        • Titles
        • Authors
        • By Issue Date
        • Subjects
        • Types
        • Series
      • Help 
        • About
        • Collection Policy
        • OA Mandate Guidelines
        • Guidelines FAQ
        • Contact Us
      • My Account 
        • Sign In
        • Register
      View Item 
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Theses
      • Masters Degree Theses
      • View Item
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Theses
      • Masters Degree Theses
      • View Item
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

      An exploration of Board of Trustees' perceptions of their impact on student learning

      Sheterline, Richard Colin
      Thumbnail
      Files
      thesis.pdf
      1.149Mb
      Citation
      Export citation
      Sheterline, R. C. (2013). An exploration of Board of Trustees’ perceptions of their impact on student learning (Thesis, Master of Educational Leadership (MEdLeadership)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/8480
      Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/8480
      Abstract
      The radical changes within the Tomorrow’s Schools reforms came to fruition in 1989 amid much debate about the ideology that underpinned the change and the capability and roles of boards of trustees. The roles of boards have evolved from a primary focus on compliance to the current focus on student achievement. This has raised the question of whether trustees, individually or collectively, have an impact on student learning through their governance roles.

      This small-scale study sets out to explore the perceptions of a small group of trustees. It uses a qualitative framework, based on data from semi-structured interviews with ten trustees across five primary schools. The interview data was supplemented with school and sector-based documentation. The study sought of trustees their perceptions of their impact on student learning through an analysis of the data, and with consideration given to participants’ context.

      The literature review provides an historical review of Tomorrow’s Schools and outlines how boards are enabled, or constrained, by aspects of the governance model.

      The findings of the study suggest that trustees perceived that they had both a direct and indirect impact on student learning. It identified challenges for trustees related to the governance-management model, and how trustees understood student learning. It highlighted a perceived lack of support for trustees and a need for improved quality and quantity of trustee training, as well as noting the influence of compliance on trustees’ thinking.

      This study raises questions about the support that the current governance model provides for student learning and concludes with a range of recommendations for policy-makers and for future research. It suggests that, in relation to student learning, Nash’s (1989) comment that the ‘jury is still out’ about the effectiveness of the model may still be valid.
      Date
      2013
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Name
      Master of Educational Leadership (MEdLeadership)
      Supervisors
      Kedian, Jeremy
      Morrison, Michele
      Publisher
      University of Waikato
      Rights
      All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
      Collections
      • Masters Degree Theses [2381]
      Show full item record  

      Usage

      Downloads, last 12 months
      39
       
       

      Usage Statistics

      For this itemFor all of Research Commons

      The University of Waikato - Te Whare Wānanga o WaikatoFeedback and RequestsCopyright and Legal Statement