Prof RJ Botha

Qualifications

• BSc
• BEd
• MEd
• DEd 

Fields of academic interests

• Training and Development of School Leaders

Field of Specialisation

• Education Management
• International Ediucation
• Comparative Education

Books

Selected Publications

• Botha R.J. 1997. The impact of principal training in South Africa:  A school perspective. EDUCATION TODAY' Journal.  47(3) of September 1997.
• Botha, R.J. 1999. Die effek van uitkomsgerigte onderwys op die onderrig en leer van Wiskunde in die sekondêre skool `TYDSKRIF VIR ONDERWYS EN OPLEIDING’.  20(2) of November `99.
• Botha, R.J. 2000. OBE and quality: cursory remarks about a possible relationship EDUCARE’ Journal.   Volume 29 (1 & 2) of 2000.  
• Botha, R.J. 2000. Quality and effectiveness in the mathematics education:  The role of the professional mathematics teacher/educator `SA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION’.   20(2) of August 2000. 
• Botha, R.J. 2002. Outcomes-based education and educational reform in South Africa                               education. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION’.  Volume 5(4) of October 2002.
• Botha, R.J. 2004.  Excellence in leadership: demands on the professional school principal In `SA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION’.  Vol. 24(3) of August 2004.
• Botha, R.J. 2004. . Empowering school-based management via decentralised financial control `AFRICA EDUCATION REVIEW’.  Vol. 3(1) of November 2004.
• Botha, R.J., & Marishane, R.N. 2006. Leadership in school-based management: a case study in selected schools `SA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION’.  Vol. 26(3) of August 2006.
• Botha, R.J. 2006. Partnerships in school governance as an educational reform strategy: A comparative perspective STRATEGIES FOR POLICY IN SCIENCE AND EDUCATION’.  Vol. XIV, Iss.1-2 of November 2006.  Bulgaria.  ISSN: 1310-0270.
• Botha, R.J. 2006. Effective SBM: the critical role of management and governance. `JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES’.  Vol. 5(1) of Dec. 2006. 
• Botha, R.J. 2007. ool-based management: stakeholder participation and the impact of stakeholder values”.  `AFRICA EDUCATION REVIEW’.    Vol. 4(1) of June 2007. 
• Botha, R.J. 2010.  School effectiveness: conceptualising divergent assessment approaches. `SA JOURNAL OF EDUCATION’.   Vol. 30(4) of November 2010.
• Botha, R.J. 2011. The managerial role of the principal in promoting teacher professionalism in selected Eastern Cape schools. `AFRICA EDUCATION REVIEW’. Vol. 8(3) of November 2011.
• Botha, R.J. 2011. A study in some of the contextual factors in the assessment of school effectiveness. `JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES’.  Vol. 27(1) of April 2011. 
• Botha, R.J. 2012. School-based management and school expenditure: a case study in selected primary schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. `JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES’.   Vol. 30(2) of Feb 2012. 
• Botha, R.J. 2012. The role of the school principal in the South African SGB: a case study of different perceptions  `JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES’.   Vol. 30(3) of March 2012. 
• Botha, R.J. 2012.  Exploring practices determining effectiveness in SA secondary schools. `INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES’.  Vol. 4(2) of August 2012, pp. 79-90. 
• Botha, R.J. 2012. Evolving leadership required in South African schools. `RESEARCH IN EDUCATION’.  Published in Issue 88 of Nov. 2012, pp. 40-49.
• Botha, R.J. In Press. Time management abilities of school principals according to gender in selected Gauteng schools `AFRICAN EDUCATION REVIEW’.  
  

Editor and contributing author of two scholarly textbooks in Education Management:

• “School leadership in a changing concept: A case for school-based management”.  Botha RJ (ed).  Co-authored by RN Marishane and P du Plessis.  Pretoria:  Van Schaik.  Published: April 2011.
• “School-based financial management and leadership: empowering the disempowered.  Botha RJ (ed).  Co-authored by RN Marishane, P du Plessis, C Wolhuter, H Steyn and B Challens.  Pretoria:  Pearson (currently in print).

Paper presentations

He has read 15 research papers at International Conferences abroad, namely:

• PAPER presented at the 15th CESE Conference (`Comparative Education Society in Europe') in Dijon, France. June 1992.  "Some critical aspects in the evaluation of schools:  an African perspective".
• PAPER presented at the ACEA Conference (`Australian Council for Educational Administration') in Sydney, Australia. July 1995. "The training of Educational leaders in Africa:  Changes and Challenges". 
• PAPER presented at the NZEAS Conference (`New Zealand Education Administration Society') in Christchurch, New Zealand. January 1996.  "Leadership in Education:  The training of School Leaders in Africa". 
• PAPER presented at a CCEA Symposium (`Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration') in Christchurch, New Zealand.  January 1996.  "An overview of the changes in educational administration in South Africa”.
• PAPER presented at the CIES Western Regional Conference (`Comparative and International Education Societies’) in Provo, Utah, USA.  October 1999.    “Changes in the South African society and education system after democratization”.
• PAPER presented at the NASSP Convention (`National Association of Secondary School Principals’) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  March 2002.    “The role of the school principal in the transformation of education in a post-Apartheid South Africa”.
• PAPER presented at the CIES Conference (`Comparative and International Education Societies') in Orlando, Florida, USA.  March 2002.   "The introduction of a system of OBE in South Africa:  Transforming a marginalised and disenfranchised society". 
• PAPER presented at the 12th World Congress of Comparative Education in Havana, Cuba.  October 2004.  "Excellence in leadership: Demands on school principals in Third World countries". 
• PAPER presented at the 4th International Conference on Comparative Education and Teacher training organised by the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society in Sophia, Bulgaria.  May 2006.  "Partnerships in school governance as an educational reform strategy.
• PAPER presented at the 13th World Congress of Comparative Education in Sarajevo, Bosnia.  September 2007.  "Effective school-based management in South African schools:  the role of management and governance”.
• PAPER presented at the 14th Annual Conference of the Indian Distance Teaching Association in Guwahati, India.  November 2008.  "The role and place of an online discussion forum in ODL at Unisa in the training of school leaders”.
• PAPER presented at the annual conference of the Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN) in Lagos, Nigeria. October 2010.  "Inspire through change”.
• PAPER presented at the annual conference of the African Council of Distance Education in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, July 2011.  "Divergent assessment approaches to school effectiveness”.
• PAPER presented at the annual SACHES Conference in Kampala, Uganda. August 2011. "Creative leadership for tomorrow’s schools”.
• PAPER presented at the World Forum of Comparative Education in Beijing, China in October 2011.  "Educational reform in SA schools: the role of leadership”.

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

• Served on HEQC of the Council of Higher Education for a period of three years where he had conducted numerous accreditation site visits to Private Tertiary Providers. 
• Served on the editorial board of `The international principal’ (New Zealand based)
• Served on the ‘International Journal of Leadership in Education’ (United States based)
• Invited by Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah during 1999 to spend a year as Visiting Scholar and Guest lecturer.
• Referee for various accredited journals such as the South African Journal of Education, African Education Review and the International Journal of Leadership in Education.
• Mentor in the Mentorship programme of the College of Education at Unisa.
• Approved, qualified assessor at Unisa.
• Fellowship to Brigham Young University in Utah in 1999.

Projects

• Supporting schools in the Southern Cape

Other

RJ (Nico) Botha is Professor in Education Management in the College of Education.  His fields of specialisation are Educational Leadership and International Education. He had been involved with the training of school principals and other educational leaders for more than 20 years and had presented more than 15 research papers at International Conferences abroad and more than 20 research articles on this issue. He holds, inter alia, a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from the University of Pretoria and a Doctorate in Education Management from the University of South Africa. He has just completed a book on Educational Leadership in a time of change and is married with three children.