School leadership in South Africa: towards embedding presence for Principals for the creation of societal value=Ubuholi ezikoleni eNingizimu Afrika: Kubhekwe ekugxiliseni ubukhona boThishomkhulu ukuqhakambisa ubugugu bomphakathi.

Abstract

The study examined school leadership in terms of ‘presence,’ sensing, and societal values in schools in Ekurhuleni South District, in Gauteng, South Africa. The value contribution of society to build cohesion with school leadership was explored. Selective approach was used to select fourteen (14) secondary school principals and three (3) NGOs working with schools. The school leaders and NGOs were involved in structured interviews using Scharmer’s Theory U for the process through an inductive approach and interpretive research. Analyses of the responses helped to establish themes and their categories to explore school leadership and societal values that build school effectiveness. The thesis relied on three research pillars: 1) The Ontological view as the external world of learning and experience; 2) The Epistemological view as a relationship of the researcher and the school leadership as the researched; and 3) The Axiological view as the school context of work for the principal and educators. Challenges identified facing secondary schools are leadership failure, lack of discipline, socio-economic conditions, and instability. The following objectives guided the research: 1) To provide a South African based school leadership framework that expresses South African context; 2) To identify key pillars and drivers for visibility and influence on school leadership; and 3) To identify enablers that promote the alignment of societal value as an expression of presencing. This made the research process participative, conversational, and facilitative to solicit experiences of the participants. To collect data, questionnaires were developed as research instruments. To analyse data, ATLAS.ti tool provided qualitative available data to make information arranged, reassembled and managed systemically. That helped to inform and validate school leadership framework that influences school excellence, collective responsibility, and shared leadership. The research concluded and recommended that the context of society where schools are adds an indirect but important role towards school improvement plans. The study concluded that there is a need for further research on school leadership framework to address school related challenges. School leadership was found as an important factor for school functionality, to inspire teaching and learning and to encourage ‘presencing’ and societal value creation in a post democratic society.

IQOQA Lolu cwaningo lwabheka ubuholi ezikoleni ikakhulukazi ‘ubukhona’, ukuzwa kanye nobugugu emphakathini, Ekurhuleni South District, eGauteng, eNingizimu Afrika. Umnikelo wobugugu bomphakathi ukwakha ubumbano nabaholi bezikole wahlolwa. Indlela yokuqoka yasetshenziswa ukukhetha othishomkhulu basezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu abayishumi nane (14) kanye nezinhlangano ezingenzi nzuzo (NGOs) ezintathu ezisebenzisana nezikole. Abaholi bezikole kanye namaNGOs baphonswa imibuzo ehleliwe kusetshenziswa iScharmer’s Theory U ngohlaziyo oluholela kokuthile kanye nendlelakubuka yokuhunyushiwe. Ukuhlaziya izimpendulo kwalekelela ekubumbeni izindikimba nezigaba zazo ukuhlola ubuholi nobugugu bomphakathi obenza isikole sisebenze ngendlela efanele. Lo msebenzi wawuncike ezinsikeni zocwaningo ezintathu: 1) Yi-ontological view njengomhlaba ongaphandle wokufunda nokuzwa impilo; 2) Yi-epistemological view njengobudlelwano bomcwaningi nobuholi besikole njengabacwaningwayo; kanye 3) Ne-axiological view okuyisikole njengesizinda somsebenzi kathishomkhulu nothisha. Izingqinamba ezatholakala zibheke nezikole zamabanga aphezulu ukwehluleka kobuholi, ukungabibikho kokuqondiswa ubugwegwe, ezenhlalo nomnotho kanye nokungazinzi.

Lezi zinhloso ezilandelayo zalandelwa ukuqhuba ucwaningo: 1) Ukunikeza uhlaka lobuholi bezikole obuhambisana nesimo saseNingizimu Afrika; 2) Ukuhlonza izinsika ezibalulekile nezingasiza ukubonakala nethonya ebuholini bezikole; kanye 3) Nokuhlonza izinto ezingasiza ukuthuthukisa ukuhambisana nobugugu bomphakathi kuzwakale nobukhona. Lokhu kwenza inqubo yocwaningo ibe evumela ukubamba iqhaza, enengxoxo, nenokulekelelana ukuze kuvele obala okuzwiwa ababambiqhaza. Ukuqoqa imininingo, kwasetshenziswa uhlumibuzo njengensiza yocwaningo. Ukuhlaziya imininingo, insiza i-ATLAS.ti tool yanikeza imininingo eyikhwalithethivu ukuhleleka kolwazi, ukuyihlanganisa kanye nokuyihlela ngononina. Lokhu kwasiza ukusho nokuqinisekisa uhlaka lobuholi olunethonya ekwenzeni kahle kwezikole, ukuzibophezela ngokubambisana, nokuthwalisana ubuholi. Ucwaningo lwaphetha ngokuphakamisa ukuthi umphakathi njengesizinda lapho izikole zikhona uneqhaza elibalulekile ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukiswa kwezikole. Ucwaningo lwaphetha ngokuthi kunesidingo socwaningo ngohlaka lobuholi ezikoleni ngenhloso yokubhekana nezingqinamba eziyamene nalokhu. Ubuholi bezikole batholakala buwutho olubalulekile ekusebenzeni kahle kwesikole, ekukhuthazeni ukufunda nokufundisa, ukukhuthaza ‘ubukhona’ kanye nokubumba ubugugu emphakathini osuwabuswa ngentando yeningi.

Amagama asemqoka: Ushintsho. Ubuholi ezikoleni, Ukubunjwa kobugugu bomphakathi, Umthwalo wokuziphendulela, Ukusimama, Uguquko, ‘Ubukhona’.