La enseñanza de lenguas mediante tareas y las destrezas orales

The model posits that effective SMTs ensure that their schools allow both teachers and learners to put learning at the centre of their daily activities. Such a productive internal school environment nurtures and reinforces interpersonal interactions which are important in team performance and predetermined achievement standards for all learners.

The school’s climate has a strongly directive influence on the motivation and achievement of teachers and learners in the school. According to Van Deventer and Kruger (2003) a healthy climate is characterisised by the basics like discipline, quality and frequency of interactions and their modes, interpersonal relationships, and management and leadership styles. It can as well be observed in less tangible qualities of the school life such as a supportive and responsive attitude towards learners and a sense by teachers that they are part of a community of professionals focused on good instruction.

After envisioning the future of the school in terms of learner achievement and formulating relevant policies to guide the actions of individuals in the school, the SMT should engage in the process of building a positive school climate in order that discipline, a cooperative spirit and other foundations of fruitful interactions prevail. Making the schools great places in which to work productively is a crucial responsibility of the SMTs if they are to turn the lower learner achievement around. So as to form the basis for a sound culture of teaching and learning, positive school climate will have the following effects: the reduction of absenteeism and drop-out rates because learners want to be at school, the promotion of learner motivation and their will to learn, increased willingness

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on the part of teachers to take risks, to step outside the defined boundaries, and to make classroom more exciting and challenging to learners, and the encouragement of learners to continue with confidence in their efforts even if they fail to succeed the first time (Savo,1996).

However, my experience and this research have proved that it is not always easy to create a healthy and positive school climate characterised by a school community where all members share a set of essential values, participate in decision making, and support a common purpose. When I was appointed as a head of department in a school that had been producing low grade twelve results, I immediately sensed aspects of an unhealthy climate. This environment was characterisised by negativism and defeatism and teacher pessimism and resistance, aspects which were commonly expressed during staff meetings. The discussions were centred on war stories about troubled learners who cannot pass and other management issues rather than matters that could fine-tune school leadership and classroom practices. These have since been significant barriers to learner achievement in our school. I believe there are many such schools in the province.

To change this climate, the SMT should dedicate itself to combating teacher isolation by allowing collaborative decision making made possible through effective communication and focusing on building a sense of school community by creating a welcoming, solution-oriented, no-blame, and professional environment. The point of departure in transforming this hostile environment should be the establishment of a clear school mission which promote learner achievement and clearly communicate expectations regarding learner behaviour, which are constantly and consistently applied. Then each school department needs to spell out its well-established expectation for success, encourage and monitor consistent delivery of quality classroom instruction and demonstrate instructional leadership. This will result in schools gradually moving towards achieving the district-wide goals.

178 7.2.5. Enhancing teams and teamwork

My model posits that moral purpose flourishes in schools which uphold team management; these are schools where teamwork thrives within the SMTs. The SMTs need to model teamwork in their schools to provide an environment in which learning can be articulated, tested and refined. Essentially, the critical elements of teamwork which can facilitate improvement in team performance and learner achievement are communication, effective co-ordination and division of work load amongst members.

Teamwork in school prevails when there is commitment of time and resources to building communication skills within the teams. Open and easy communication within the team is critical for goal accomplishment and completion of regular activities within the team.

The findings of this research indicate that communication within a team facilitates the sharing of moral purpose, and thus, can discriminate between effective and ineffective teams. SMTs practicing effective communication are likely to be able to influence teachers to support the fostering of moral purpose. This model reflects a proposal that not only communication will have a direct effect on teamwork, but at the same time, it will provide avenues for teachers to participate in leadership. Accordingly, effective communication should involve such factors as increased listening, openness to suggestions, and prompt, relevant feedback, which are also communication-based indicators of effective team functioning (Dyer, 1987). These factors are visible in a team where the SMT members practice dialogue rather monologue in their communication. A team member practicing dialogue would speak openly and authentically, giving prompt feedback to his or her subordinates.

Coupled with communication is effective conflict management. This means that teamwork can only lead to a feeling of personal worth among team members when interpersonal differences or disagreements within the team are positively managed.

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Generally, conflict refers to perceived or experienced incompatible differences in the individual or between two or more individuals, which may lead to some or other form of opposition (University of Pretoria, 2010:107). A conflict becomes a harmful and a disruptive force if the tension within the team is such that it impedes members from achieving team goals. These disruptive conflicts within a team are commonly known as dysfunctional conflicts. Some of the outcomes of dysfunctional conflicts include:

distance between people increases owing to the development of a climate of mistrust and suspicion, individuals concentrate on their own narrow interests, existing differences worsen, feelings of bitterness and hostility increase, and resistance rather than teamwork develops (Mullins, 1999).

However, not all conflicts are harmful. Conflict may be useful if it awakens members to alternative points of view and stimulates creativity in problem-solving and decision-making. The effects of conflict depend on how the members of the team manage, control and resolve the problem. Van Deventer and Kruger (2003) found that positive conflict management actions such as peaceful coexistence, compromise and problem solving can have an impact on teamwork. Peaceful coexistence means avoidance of conflict by retreating from the arena of confrontation while compromise is a “give-and-take”

exchange, resulting in neither party winning or losing. Problem solving seeks the resolution of disagreements through face-to-face confrontation of the conflicting parties.

This seemed to be an effective way of conflict management in my research.