Beyond clerical support: school administrative clerks’ ethical contribution to the professional functioning of their schools

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Senior Lecturer, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town

2 Distinguished Professor, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town

Abstract

This article is based on the view that school administrative clerks’ professional contribution to schools are significant and noteworthy. However, the nature of their work especially for South African working class contexts remains under appreciated. The article addresses this caveat.  Using an ‘ethics of the self’ framework the article posits that school administrative clerks in low socioeconomic contexts rework their subjectivities by adopting ethical goals and practices in response to their working environments. As they engage in these ethical practices, we contend that their practices contribute to students’ well-being and that their practices positively influence school administration, teaching and learning. Based on a qualitative study of selected school administrative clerks, this article key contribution is that through the clerks’ ethical self-formation practices they provide a modest but noteworthy professional / educational service in South Africa’s working class schools.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Article Title [Persian]

فراتر از خدمات اداری: سهم اخلاقی کارکنان اجرائی در کارکرد حرفه ای مدارس

Authors [Persian]

  • عبدالله یسات 1
  • اسلام فتار 2
1 دانشیار، دانشگاه وسترن کیپ، کیپ تاون، افریقای جنوبی
2 استاد برجسته، دانشگاه استلنبوش، کیپ تاون، افریقای جنوبی
Abstract [Persian]

مقاله حاضر درصدد تبیین نقش ارزشمند و اساسی مشارکت حرفه ای کارکنان بخش اداری و اجرائی در مدارس است. با این حال، ماهیت و نقش آنان در محیط شغلی طبقه کارگر آفریقای جنوبی کمتر مورد قدردانی و توجه قرار گرفته است. نویسندگان با بهره گیری از یک چارچوب " خود اخلاقی" بر این نکته تاکید می ورزند که کارکنان اجرائی مدارس با توجه به ویژگی های اجتماعی و اقتصادی فرودستانه خویش و از طریق اتخاذ اهداف اخلاقی و شیوه های پاسخگویی ویژه خود ، به بازآفرینی شیوه های انجام کار دست می زنند. با افزایش مشارکت آنان در این شیوه های اخلاقی ، ما معتقدیم که شیوه های رفتار حرفه ای آنها به تعالی فراگیران یاری رسانده و بر مدیریت مدرسه و روند تدریس و یادگیری مدرسه اثر مثبت می گذارد. با بهره گیری از روش تحقیق کیفی ، نویسندگان مقاله تلاش کردند نشان دهند با استفاده  اعمال و رویه های مبتنی بر خودکفایی اخلاقی ، کارکنان بخش اجرائی و اداری مدارس در افریقای جنوبی کمک شایانی به خدمات حرفه ای / آموزشی ارائه می دهند.

Keywords [Persian]

  • خود- اخلاقی
  • فاعلیت
  • رویه ها
  • کارکنان بخش اداری
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