Principals Leading In Under Performing Schools In Difficult Circumstances

Author(s):

Jan Heystek(presenting / submitting)Trevor Van Louw(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

26. Educational Leadership

Format:

Paper

Session Information

26 SES 04 A, Underpreforming Schools and School Evaluation

Paper Session

Time:

2013-09-11

09:00-10:30

Room:

D-306

Chair:

Stefan Brauckmann

Contribution

The position of Principal is a challenging one in any context (). In the South Africa context this challenge is to a large extent (also) linked to the terrible legacy of many years of subjugation and neglect. Many South African schools are still suffering due to inadequate infra-structure, poor socio-economic conditions and a high illiteracy rate. This situation is many a time aggravated by over-hastily developed policies and frequent policy changes that make the challenging position of the principal even more challenging especially since these frequent policy changes are viewed as having a negative impact on an already low performing academic environment.

This research aims to understand how principals navigate in this difficult contextual environment in their quest to lead and manage their schools to improved education results.

With Principals increasingly having to account for the quality of education and learner performance at their schools it becomes paramount to understand the impact that the mentioned circumstances have on their motivation; does it make them more determined or does it make them feel that they are in the hands or powers outside their own control. The interviews will focus on the concept and action of sense making, to determine if the principals are able to make sense in all the contextual factors where and how to manage and lead and determine policies.

The key question for the research is: How are the principals able to make sense in the complex contextual situations to lead their schools to develop the quality education?

The objective will be to understand if principals are able to see the wood from the trees; if they are able to determine priorities or to be able to manage the conflicting messages and issues to the advantage of their staff and learners. The agency and structure dichotomy will be in focus. Are principals able to be agents of positive change in and sometimes against structures that may make it difficult to lead schools towards higher quality education? The assumption is that a successful principal is able to keep possible negative influences linked to the frequent onslaught of changes and influences on the staff to the minimum and in so doing create an environment that is conducive for high quality teaching and learning

Method

This paper captures a second phase of a project aimed at determining the agency potential of principals in difficult contextual situations. This paper will focus on the outcome of focus group interviews with principals. The second phase of the project will built on the data gathered in the first phase by means of questionnaires competed by principals. This phase’s goal is to get deeper understanding of the problems principals identified in the first phase, for example the influence of teacher unions and the relationship with officials in the department. The idea behind the focus group interviews is to determine whether the principals see themself as victims of the structure or whether they have sufficient insight and resilience to lead in spite of the complexities. Three focus groups will be conducted. Each focus group will exist of 6 principals selected purposefully from the 180 principals attending a leadership program. The principals will be selected based on their school’s performance. Each group will represent a good, average or poor performing school community.

Expected Outcomes

The interviews will be conducted from now until June. The initial indicators from the questionnaires were that the principals are seemingly burdened with many problems that make it difficult for them to cope with the difficult contextual factors. The number of low or under performing schools is an indication that principals find it difficult to change the learning and teaching culture in their schools. The interviews will therefore focus on why and to what extend principals experience their work conditions as constraining their ability to act. Principals to be interviewed are currently enrolled for an official leadership program and the research will therefore also focus on determining if the program has any positive influence on these principals’ ability to bring about positive change despite the contextual factors that impact negatively on their schools. The principals is in the second year of the two year program and therefore the interviews may shed some light on the principals professional and personal growth in this program.

References

Caughron J J. and Mumford M D. 2012. Embedded leadership: How do a leader's superiors impact middle-management performance? The Leadership Quarterly, 23 342–353 Forrester, G. 2011. Performance management in education: Milestone or millstone? Management in Education, 25(1): 5-9. Fullan, M. 2001. Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Halpin D, Croll P, Redman K. 1990. Teachers' Perceptions of the Effects of In-Service Education. Source: British Educational Research Journal, 16(2) 163-177 Hustler D, McNamara O, Jarvis J, Londra M and Campbell A. Teachers’ Perceptions of Continuing Professional Development. Queen’s Printer, DfES Jackson, N. & Carter, P. 2000. Rethinking organisational behaviour. Harlow, England: Financial Times Management. Johnson S O. 1977. A Study of the Perceptions of Black Administrators Concerning the Role of the Black Principal in Florida During the Period 1973-78. The Journal of Negro Education, 46(1) 53-61 Kets de Vries, M.F.R. 2009. Reflections on character and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Mestry R Hendricks I and Bisschoff T Perceptions of teachers on the benefits of teacher development programmes in one province of South Africa. South African journal of education 29(4), Rosenfield D, Oandasan, I and Reeves S 2011. Perceptions versus reality: a qualitative study of students' expectations and experiences of interprofessional education . Medical education, May, 45(5), 471-7] Sharma S. 2010. Perceptions of teachers & school leaders on competencies of teachers & training needs. Academic leadership. The online journal, 8(1) Steyn G M. Educators' perceptions of continuing professional development for teachers in South Africa: A qualitative study. Africa Education Review, 7: 1, 156 — 179

Author Information

Jan Heystek (presenting / submitting)

North West University

School of Education

Potchefstroom

Trevor Van Louw (presenting)

Stellenbosch University

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