How an analysis of reviewers' reports can enhance the quality of submissions to a journal of education

 Not only has the number of scholarly journals worldwide increased substantially in recent years but also the number of articles published in them. However, closer examination reveals that the percentage of articles actually published has remained in the region of 25%. This implies that much of researchers’ time and energy has been wasted because of failure to have their research findings published. This has been occurring despite the availability of a surfeit of publications on the theme of ‘How to write and publish a scientific article’. Analysis of the process of article writing and publishing reveals that it consists of four phases: writing and submitting an article, processes followed by the editor, actual review process by the reviewers, and how authors deal with the feedback. A literature survey shows that the last phase has not been discussed in the same detail as the other three. The authors contend that if prospective authors gave greater attention to this phase and learned from the findings outlined in this article, it would lead to an improvement in the quality of future submissions to a journal, of education in this particular case. ‘We have read your manuscript with boundless delight. If we are to publish yourpaper, it would be impossible for us to publish any work of lower standard. And, as it is unthinkable that, in the next thousand years, we shall see its equal, we are, to our regret, compelled to return your divine composition, and to beg you a thousand times to overlook our short sight and timidity.’Reputedly a rejection slip from a Chinese economics journal (Day, 1983:90)

The Caring School Leadership Questionnaire (CSLQ)

The purpose of this research was to develop the Caring School Leadership Questionnaire (CSLQ) as a valid and reliableinstrument to measure the extent of care being given by school leaders (principals) to teachers. The research involved 1,041teachers and 65 principals from 68 primary schools in the North-West Province of South Africa. The construct validity ofthe CSLQ was determined by means of a confirmatory factor analysis. The three main constructs regarding caring thatemerged from the factor analysis proved to be the same as those theoretically identified as the three main determinants ofcare. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients furthermore proved the CSLQ to be reliable. The key finding flowing from theinvestigation was that the CSLQ may be applied with good effect in 180º-, 360º-, as well as self-evaluations of school leaders.Keywords: caring, caring school leadership, determinants of care, management, measuring instrument for caring schoolleadership, measuring care in leadershi

Social justice praxis in education: Towards sustainable management strategies

Social justice, defined as an impetus towards a socially just educational world, is based on the assumption that all people, irrespective of belief or societal position, are entitled to be treated according to the values of human rights, human dignity and equality. Diverging from the classical positivist approach in social science research that takes injustice as its impetus, the researchers departed from a socio-rationalist approach into exploring sustainable management strategies for effective social justice praxis. This approach has enabled the construction of a conceptual-theoretical framework and an iterative qualitative inquiry, which has as its central principal the sustainable management strategies for effective social justice praxis. Four key findings affirmed the belief that good praxis was to be found in Gemeinschaft relationships, in the influence exerted by government and education systems and structures, where government and principals were found to be co-responsible in ensuring that the best interest of the child was served. This responsibility included practices found in collaborative efforts, where communities became the guardians of their schools due to a disciplined school that followed constitutional values. Lastly, these practitioners aligned their management strategies with human rights values, as well as human dignity and equality, and their strategies found pride of place in extant ubuntu principles.Keywords: determinants; education; human rights; management strategies; restorative; social justice praxis; sustainable development; transformative; ubunt

Applicability of the Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire – Rutgers Elementary: A South African case study

The Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire – Rutgers  Elementary (OCDQ – RE) was used to determine the current organizational climate of primary schools in North-West Province, South Africa. This questionnaire evaluates the actions of principals and educators; the current organizational climate in primary schools can be determined from the results. A quantitative research approach, with 904 teachers from 68 schools, was used to determine the applicability of the measuring instrument. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that certain items measuring directive behaviour in the OCDQ-RE grouped with supportive behaviour of the principal. Hence, in this study, these items were regarded as supportive towards the educators and their work by the respondents. According to Cronbach’s alpha coefficient the questionnaire can be regarded as reliable. Recommendations are made to renderthe questionnaire even more applicable for the South African context.Keywords: improving organizational climate; organizational climate; OCDQ; primary schools; school climat

Educators and the quality of their work environment: an analysis of the organisational climate in primary schools

The prevalent organisational climate in primary schools in the North West Province was determined in order to formulate management strategies to increase the organisational climate. For this purpose, a quantitative research method, founded in post-positivistic points of departure, was applied. In the process, the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire – Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE) was applied in order to determine the behaviour of principals and school educators. The investigation indicated that the behaviour of the principals and that of the educators contributed only to an average degree to the establishment of a more effective organisational climate in the primary schools investigated. Furthermore the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that certain items in the original climate questionnaire, which were grouped in the directive behaviour of the principal, were viewed by the respondents in South Africa as supportive but, in some instances, also as restrictive.Keywords: educational environment; effective schools; improving organisational climate; improving school climate; management styles; Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ); organisational climate; primary schools; school climate; teacher morale and attitude

Relaxin: Review of Biology and Potential Role in Treating Heart Failure

Relaxin is a naturally occurring human peptide initially identified as a reproductive hormone. More recently, relaxin has been shown to play a key role in the maternal hemodynamic and renal adjustments that accommodate pregnancy. An understanding of these physiologic effects has led to the evaluation of relaxin as a pharmacologic agent for the treatment of patients with acute heart failure. Preliminary results have been encouraging. In addition, the other known biologic properties of relaxin, including anti-inflammatory effects, extracellular matrix remodeling effects, and angiogenic and anti-ischemic effects, all may play a role in potential benefits of relaxin therapy. Ongoing, large-scale clinical testing will provide additional insights into the potential role of relaxin in the treatment of heart failure

The training needs of supervisors of postgraduate students in the social sciences and humanities

The two main functions of the university, namely teaching and research culminate in PhD-training. The literature places a primacy on the role of the PhD-supervisor on the quality of the PhD in terms of completion rates and completion times. Formal training of the supervisor is very seldom mentioned in the literature and no overview exists on formal training for supervisors. It is the aim of this article to give a coherent, integrative and structured overview of the existing literature. The skills and knowledge a supervisor needs and in which he/she should be trained are divided into four categories. Firstly, general perspectives on postgraduate study and supervision were identified. These include aspects, such as the aims of doctoral research and study, and the characteristics of the student, the supervisory process and the supervisor. Secondly, it is obvious that the supervisor should possess the necessary skills and knowledge to do research. The skills can be subdivided into skills relating to the different phases of research, namely the introductory, design, creative and presentation stages. Thirdly, the supervisor should know how to teach the student the different phases mentioned above, for example, how to teach the student to present his/her research results. Fourthly, some general or generic competencies cut through all the phases of research, such as management outcomes, relationship outcomes, and conceptual and professional outcomes. Some skills and knowledge are very important but are not susceptive to training, such as the personality traits of students and supervisors. Other aspects should rather be included in a code of conduct. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.16(3) 2002: 185-19