Induction experiences of newly promoted heads of department in the Umlazi District.
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Date
2012
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Abstract
Recent years have seen a move to enhanced focus upon the induction of school leaders. Initial
induction programmes for school leaders tended to focus mainly on school principals. There is
new found realization of the need to broaden the focus on school principals to include Heads of
Department. This study explores the induction experiences of newly-promoted HoDs.
The study used a qualitative approach using the interpretive paradigm. Three new HoDs
reflected on their personal experiences of being inducted into the system through semistructured,
face-to-face interviews. They were selected through the use of purposive and
snowball sampling techniques. The participants narrated on how they were inducted by the
Department of Education (DOE) as well as their respective school management teams within the
Umlazi District.
The findings reveal that both the DOE and schools offered formal induction programmes to new
HoDs. All the new HoDs who participated in this study claimed to experience feeling of anxiety
and stress. The DoE as well as the schools with which the participants are affiliated, showed that
they valued the process of introducing novice HoDs by conducting such induction programmes
soon after their appointment. All the new HoDs were inducted through forum of workshops held
in the Umlazi District.
Description
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.
Keywords
Mentoring in education--KwaZulu-Natal., Teacher orientation--KwaZulu-Natal., Teachers--In-service training--KwaZulu-Natal., Theses--Education.