A Study on The effectiveness of time management among (PDF)

A Study on The effectiveness of time management among secondary school principals in Damascus Governorate قشمد ةظفاحم يف ةيوناثلا سرادملا يريدم ىدل تقولا ةرادإ ةيلعاف by ZAHER NUHAIL ZEINUDDINE A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP AND POLICY at The British University in Dubai Dr Abdulai Abukari May 2018  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) II DECLARATION I warrant that the content of this research is the direct result of my own work and that any use made in it of published or unpublished copyright material falls within the limits permitted by international copyright conventions. I understand that a copy of my research will be deposited in the University Library for permanent retention. I hereby agree that the material mentioned above for which I am author and copyright holder may be copied and distributed by The British University in Dubai for the purposes of research, private study or education and that The British University in Dubai may recover from purchasers the costs incurred in such copying and distribution, where appropriate. I understand that The British University in Dubai may make a digital copy available in the institutional repository. I understand that I may apply to the University to retain the right to withhold or to restrict access to my thesis for a period, which shall not normally exceed four calendar years from the congregation at which the degree is conferred. The length of the period to be specified in the application, together with the precise reasons for making that application. _______________________ Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) III COPYRIGHT AND INFORMATION TO USERS The author whose copyright is declared on the title page of the work has granted to the British University in Dubai the right to lend his/her research work to users of its library and to make partial or single copies for educational and research use. The author has also granted permission to the University to keep or make a digital copy for similar use and for the purpose of preservation of the work digitally. Either the author, the Registrar, or the Dean may grant multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes only. Copying for financial gain shall only be allowed with the author’s express permission. Any use of this work in completely or in part shall respect the moral rights of the author to be acknowledged and to reflect in good faith and without detriment the meaning of the content, and the original authorship.  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) IV ABSTRACT This study aims to identify the average time spent by the secondary school principals in Damascus Governorate from the official working time on all tasks required by virtue of their position for each level of school management: administrative, technical and social. Moreover, to detect the impact of independent variables of the principal, school, and educational zone. The study sample consisted randomly of (70) principals, representing 75% of the total study society. A tool developed based on educational literature and questionnaires used in previous studies. Then presented it to arbitrators at the British University in Dubai and the University of Damascus, to verify its authenticity. Stability verified using (Cronbach Alpha). The questionnaire consisted of three parts: the principal’s data, school, and educational zone, the amount of time spent on the day-to-day administrative work, and time management according to the three administrative levels. The study results are: 1. A difference in total working hours between male and female managers. 2. A difference in the performance time of various administrative tasks. 3. A difference in ordering tasks according to their importance. 4. No differences in time management performance according to the independent variables. Based on the results, the researcher set important recommendations, such as to adopt the results and recommendations of this study, and to organize training courses for managers to improve their time management skills.  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) V ةساردلا صخلم ل لفر ةةة لا ةةةولل لقافدل ظا لف يف لا نرادالا ااردل ءاعةةةهف صذلا لا لا لد ل لم فع فلا لل لةةةساردلا هذه فدهت اللإا :ليسردالا ةراللإا تفف ف ل ل ى ف ل لكل ،مهبهنل مكدب مهنل لب مطالا مفهالا عياج لم ظاسعلا لا لا لاو ،صر .ليايم فلا لقطناملو ،لسرداملو ،لسردالا عفدال لمقف الا تاعيغفالا عثأ فوكلاو .ظ فافجلااو ،ظنفلاو ( ل فًيئا و لساردلا لني لفلأت70 ءفب ي فل ل اتو ،اًعفدل )75.ظمكلا لساردلا عافجل ل % او ص بعفلا بللأا لل الفنفسا ةالأ ثحفبلا ر ط لساردلا فادهأ يقدفلو فهضع مث .لقبفس تفسارل ظا للدخف ل تفيفبفس للف ل مادخفةةسفب فهتفبث ل قدت مث ،فهادةةق ل قدفمل ، ةةولل ل لفجو ظبل ظا لييفطفعبلا ل لفجلا ظا ياكدل لنجل لم ايم فلا لقطنالاو ،لةةةسردالاو ،ليةةةهخةةةولا عفدالا تفيفيب لناةةةتت اا جأ لث ث ل ليفبفةةةسلاا لفلأت داو .)ففلأ خفبيوعك( ،لي .لث لا لفراللإا تفف ف الا او لا لا ةرال و ،ظل يلا ظسردالا صراللإا لا لا مفهل لم لا لا فعق رادقلو :ليلففلا جئففنلا لل لساردلا لمق ت داو 1.هفيا ك تﺧاو فلجل ظا ﺢض لف فسا تل ل لفبا ااردالا نلرفجاو لفيلإ.ث 2. لفراللإا مفهالا االأ لاو ظا ف فﺧا كفنه.لفمفخالا 3..فهفياهلأ فًقاو مفهالا بيتعت ل ح ف فﺧا كفنه 4..لمقف الا تاعيغفالا ب دب لا لا ةرال االأ لد ل ظا ليئفهح قوعا كفنه سيل تارول ميقنتو ،لةةةساردلا هذه تفيةةةق تو جئففي ظئنبت فهاهأ ل تفيةةةق فلا ل لد ب ثحفبلا لةةةقوأ ،جئففنلا لم الفاف او ي دفل ااردامل ليبفردت.لا مل مهترال ى ف ل  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) VI DEDICATION With all my sincere love, I dedicate the success of this work to: The holy spirit of the most successful time manager and the best teacher of humanity, our prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The spirit of the time manager, my closest teacher and my first encourage to learn my dear father. The spirit of the time manager, my daily teacher, who stayed awake for me, my dear mother. My beloved wife, who continues to encourage me with all her efforts all day and night. My dear father in law, who has the previous credit of advice and perseverance. All my beloved family members, who spared my time with them for this work. My dear professor, who has the best education, advice, and guidance at every moment of my studies, Dr Abdullai Abukari. The whole distinguished family members of the British University in Dubai. Without you all, this success would not have seen the light. Please accept all my love, thankfulness, praise, and appreciation.  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) VII TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................1 1.1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 1.2. Study Problem.................................................................................................................2 1.3. Main Research Question .................................................................................................3 1.4. Study Importance ............................................................................................................3 1.5. Study Limits ....................................................................................................................4 1.6. Study Structure................................................................................................................4 1.7. Chapter Conclusion ........................................................................................................5 Chapter 2. Literature Review .................................................................................................6 2.1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................6 2.2. The Concept of Time.......................................................................................................7 2.3. Time Importance .............................................................................................................7 2.4. Time Features..................................................................................................................8 2.5. Types of Time .................................................................................................................9 2.6. Time Wasting ................................................................................................................10 2.7. Time in Modern Management Thought ........................................................................12 2.8. Time Management Concept ..........................................................................................12 2.9. Time Management Importance ....................................................................................13 2.10. Time Management Strategies .....................................................................................13 2.11. Time Management Methods .......................................................................................14 2.12. Time Management Principles .....................................................................................15 2.13. Time Management Steps ............................................................................................16 2.14. Time Recording...........................................................................................................17 2.15. Time Analysis ............................................................................................................17 2.16. Time Saving ...............................................................................................................19 2.17. Time in School Management .....................................................................................20 2.18. The Concept of School Time Management.................................................................20 2.19. The Importance of School Time Management............................................................20 2.20. Time Wasting in School Administrative Work...........................................................20 2.21. School Principal Management of School Time...........................................................21 2.22. School Time Management Problems ..........................................................................21  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) VIII 2.23. Chapter Conclusion ....................................................................................................22 Chapter 3. Methodology........................................................................................................23 3.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................23 3.2. Study Analysis Methods................................................................................................23 3.3. Study Sample.................................................................................................................24 3.4. Study Design .................................................................................................................25 3.5. Study Tool.....................................................................................................................25 3.6. Study Tool Stability ......................................................................................................28 3.7. Study Data Collection ...................................................................................................28 3.8. Study Analysis Process .................................................................................................28 3.9. Ethical Consideration and Tool Reliability and Validity..............................................28 3.10. Chapter Conclusion ....................................................................................................29 Chapter 4. Study Results.......................................................................................................30 4.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................30 4.2. Study Results and Answers to the Study Questions......................................................30 4.3. Study Results Summary ................................................................................................45 4.4. Chapter Conclusion ......................................................................................................46 Chapter 5. Discussion of the Study Results .........................................................................47 5.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................47 5.2. Detailed Discussion of the Study Results .....................................................................47 5.3. Summarized Discussion of the Study Results...............................................................58 5.4. Recommendations .........................................................................................................58 5.5. Chapter Conclusion.......................................................................................................59 Chapter 6. References............................................................................................................60 Appendixes: ............................................................................................................................72 Appendix A. Bibliographic Sources.....................................................................................72 Appendix B. Study Tool Sample..........................................................................................87 Appendix C. Study Tables ...................................................................................................94  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) 1 The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Chapter 1. Introduction: 1.1. Introduction: This chapter explains that Time is one of the most valuable resources we possess, which exceeded the value of money. Therefore, it must be invested very carefully. Phillips (2002) considers that our lives are the time allotted to us on Earth and that our most important task is to make the best use of this time. Time is important for humans because it represents an important moving dynamic dimension in our life that cannot be controlled easily, and because it is a unique and distinct container that embraces all human interactions and products (Ferner, 1980). Developed countries, societies, and institutions depend on the subject of time and its management as one of the important strategic topics and give it the top of its priorities in order to increase its level of progress, because of the time association with various sciences and its overlap in all scientific various operations (Abd El-Baki, 1996). Therefore, the educational administration focuses on its engagement with the principals of institutions working in the field of education, in directing managers and teachers to respect the time and to use it optimally to achieve the tasks expected from them all according to their profession (Najjar, 2008). Time is one of the most important resources available to the school principal, which is a constant and dynamic resource. It plays a crucial role in successfully carrying out administrative processes and achieving the desired objectives of the school. However, to ensure this, school principals must manage the distinctly defined work hours in a better way to perform their tasks associated with the content of the learning process. Hence, to allocate the needs they require from the available working time, as they represent the most important priorities and the only means to achieve the desired goals of the school using the continuous and purposeful process of planning (Krug, 1992). In this regard, the educational authorities expect from the school principal to achieve by virtue of his/her position high educational services and higher rates of coordination among staff to be considered as an effective director (Awender, 2001).  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) 2 In order to identify the success or failure of secondary school principals in Damascus Governorate in managing their time on the tasks assigned to them, and how they spend time on the tasks and activities they practice in their schools during official working hours. This study comes to highlight the actual ways and methods of the time management process among the secondary school principals in the Damascus Governorate of Syrian Arab Republic, on the tasks and activities assigned to them during official working hours. Therefore, this chapter will be organized to present the problem of the study and its main and sub-questions, which will be discussed and detailed later in the following sections. This section will also present the importance of this study and its role in raising the level of educational administration in general. The limits of this study will be set in the Syrian Arab Republic in particular. 1.2. Study Problem: Based on the researcher's experience and his practice with a number of school principals, as a teacher, and his reading of many previous studies on this important subject (Najjar, 2008), the results indicated that the vast majority of managers might not use the official working time available to them. Moreover, they may also waste most of it on tasks that are not related to the educational process. Nevertheless, the researcher finds them complaining constantly, and refer the problem to the limitation of time, where managers become an easy prey to time spoilers, which control them and prevent them from performing their tasks optimally within the work time hours. The European Education Information Network (2010) sees that this leads to the emergence of conflicts within and outside the school community, which may reach the family and the local community, thus, waste more time on tasks that do not relate to the basis of formal work. Therefore, prevents the improvement of the educational process of learning, and the achievement of the school’s desired goals successfully. The officials in the Syrian Ministry of Education have identified the school administrators as having seven specific daily working hours, as well as assigned official duties and specific responsibilities within their job descriptions (The Syrian Ministry of Education, 2013), or (See Appendix B, Part 2). Therefore, expect them to take advantage of the official working time allocated to them purposefully and effectively in the implementation of the administrative tasks required from them, in order to achieve the objectives expected in general, and the objectives of the school at the three levels of management: administrative, technical, and social.  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) 3 1.3. Main Research Question: The researcher embodied the problem of the study by asking the following main question: How effective is the time management process among the high school principals in Damascus Governorate? 1.3.1. Study Sub-questions: This study attempts to answer the following sub-questions: 1. What is the amount of time spent by the principals of secondary schools in Damascus Governorate in daily work timings on each of the required official tasks? 2. Are there statistically significant differences in the rate of daily time spent on all tasks for each of the three levels of school management: administrative, technical and social among secondary school principals in Damascus Governorate? 3. Is the performance of time management among high school principals in Damascus Governorate different from all three levels of management depending on the principal’s personal variables such as age, gender, social status, qualification, and experience? 4. Is the performance of time management among high school principals in Damascus Governorate different from all three levels of management according to the variables of the school, such as the school's gender, and the number of learners? 5. Is the performance of time management among high school principals in Damascus Governorate different from all three levels of management according to the variable of the district? 1.4. Study Importance:  The importance of the study is that it will highlight the issue of time management in secondary schools in Damascus governorate.  It also derives its importance from the addition of new educational knowledge, which may be provided by this study through its results and its final recommendations to contribute to reducing the area of shortage expected in this field.  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) 4  The findings and recommendations of the study will help to establish a reliable basis for assessing the need for appropriate training for managers of these schools to improve their time management effectively. 1.5. Study Limits: This study was conducted within the following parameters: 1. The human selection limit: most of the principals of secondary schools in Damascus Governorate according to the response of all managers to the study tool and subject. 2. Time limit: The first semester of the academic year 2017-2018 which ends on 15 January 2018 according to the Syrian educational system (two semesters a year). 3. The spatial limit: It is been confined to the province of Damascus in the Syrian Arab Republic. 4. The study tool: The results were based on the validity of the tool used, the coefficient of its stability, the method of statistical processing of the study hypotheses, and the sample representation of the Study society. 1.6. Study Structure: This dissertation was built in the following order: 1.6.1. Introduction: where the history and importance of time and its theoretical and applied studies were shortened. In addition to identifying the problem of this study, its questions, importance, limits and design. 1.6.2. Literature Review: will present and study most of researches, theories and studies that have been based on the importance of time and its role in controlling and developing the administrative process in general, and school administration in particular. 1.6.3. Methodology: The presentation of the study’s mechanism, tools, design, independent and dependent variables, the ethics of the study, and the method of analyzing the results. 1.6.4. Study Results: The answers to the main study questions, the final statistical tables, and the results of the study will be presented and compared with the previous studies. 1.6.5. Discussion of the Study Results: The results of the study will be analyzed in details, statistical differences will be extracted, and their role will be shown to have a positive or negative impact on the effectiveness of time management among secondary school  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) 5 principals in Damascus Governorate. Thus, propose recommendations for the development of time management in the field of educational administration in general, and in the Damascus Governorate in particular. 1.6.6. References: Which presents all the references that researcher benefited from in this study. 1.6.7. Appendixes: Which include a model for the study tool, statistical tables, and bibliography. 1.7. Conclusion: It is true that (time is a slicing sword which you should fight it better) according to the prevailing Arab ideal. Time is very important in all administrative areas in general and school administration in particular. Therefore, this study is of great importance in determining the effectiveness of time management among secondary school principals in Damascus Governorate as mentioned. The following chapter will describe the theories and studies that dealt with the effectiveness of school time management by presenting the history of literature in this field.  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) 6 Chapter 2. Literature Review: 2.1. Introduction: Time is one of the most important elements of life, on the level of individuals, society, and country. Thus, Time is the real value capital of a person. On the other hand, Time is the container that embraces humanitarian action and its product, and it is the amount of human endeavour and movement (Phillips, 2002). In spite of the value of time in human life and its importance to them, the majority of people do not value, respect, or exploit time in a productive and effective manner (Ferner, 1980). On the contrary, they seem proud of the process of wasting time in different ways. Yet, the vast majority of people complain about the problem of non-availability of time for them, despite the enormous amount of information in various technologies offered to them in the field of time management (Mackenzie & Nickerson, 2009). Mackenzie and Nickerson (2009) pointed out that we are still caught in the time trap and froze there even with a mountain of information we have, and so much dazzling equipment, yet we still think there is not enough time! Again, why is this happening? Here we wonder whether the problem lies in time or in ourselves. Perhaps the problem lies in the strong impulses of human nature that reject the rules of time management because of their conflict with the laws of human nature, and this conflict is what hinders what we have to do, and what leads us to fall into the trap of time. This chapter presents most of the documented researches, theories and studies that are based on the importance of time and its role in the control and development of the administrative process in general, and school administration in particular. Which matches the main subject of this study. This chapter has been arranged according to the following sub-topics: The concept of time, it’s importance, features, types, and consumers. Followed by time in administrative thought, the concept of time management, the importance of time management, and its strategies, methods, principles, and steps. Then how to record time; analyze it, save it, and the relationship between time and the administrative process. Follows by the principle of this study through the identification of time in school Management, it’s concept, importance, wasting, and methods of managing time by the school principal.  The Effectiveness of Time Management among Secondary School Principals in Damascus Governorate Zaher Nuhail Zeinuddine Dissertation for Masters of Education (MLP) 7 2.2. The Concept of Time It is difficult to provide a precise and specific definition of the concept of time since it is generally represented by the existence of the logical relationship of an activity or event to an activity or another event (Venderkam, 2010). Based on this, Gronmo (1989) described five different concepts of time as follows: 1. Physical and mechanical time: a measure of the movement of a physical object for another physical object, such as the rotation of the earth around the sun. 2. Biological time: which measures the evolution and growth of biological phenomena, the physical maturity of living organisms, and the body's biological growth rate. 3. Psychological time: which is an internal feeling depends on the nature of the circumstance or the event experienced by the individual and his psychological state. 4. Social time: it depends on important social and historical events such as the migration of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and the birth of Jesus Christ. 5. Metaphysical time: or the world beyond nature and we know only about what is mentioned in the holy books about the Judgment Day, eternity, etc. Marie (2018) pointed to the existence of some beliefs and divergent thinking about the concept of time in ancient civilizations. The belief of the Romans was that time is a looping time cycle or a running river, unlike Greece who believed that time was circulating. Some African tribal groups so far organize time by specific and separate historical blocks whose central part is a tale of a heroic event, while so far many contemporaries see that time is running in a straight line. Moreover, humans interested in time through the invention of many means of its estimation such as a stone obelisk, sand, water, and mechanical clocks. 2.3. Time Importance: Time is important because it is a specific resource available to all people equally, no one can increase it or control it, it is the longest and shortest of other resources, it is fast-paced, unmanageable, and runs at the same pace. In addition, time stems from the importance of being a container and the measure for each work. Nevertheless, it embraces human interactions and various productions, as well as being the dynamic dimensions of human life (Douglas & Douglass, 1994).