Leading teaching and learning: lessons from two secondary school principals leading in a deprived context.

Abstract

The role of principals has significantly evolved. In modern schools, principals face multiple responsibilities. Today’s principals are often likened to CEOs, as they are tasked with leading and managing complex organisations while performing managerial, instructional, and political roles. This multifaceted role is especially challenging for principals, as they work in environments fuelled by constant changes and heightened accountability. Furthermore, the context in which schools are situated heavily influences leadership. Some schools are located in environments that are supportive and conducive to effective leadership. However, many others are situated in deprived contexts where multiple factors collude to making the task of leading and managing more challenging. This study explored the leadership practices of principals leading schools in deprived contexts, focusing on how they navigate these challenging environments. It also aimed to identify the factors that constrain and enable their leadership, utilising the Leadership for Learning model as its theoretical framework. Adopting a case study methodology, the study employed semistructured interviews as the primary data collection method. Two principals from secondary schools situated in deprived contexts were purposively selected for this inquiry. The thematic analysis of the data revealed that the principals employed various strategies to promote effective teaching and learning in their schools. These strategies included fostering collaboration with the school community and adopting the three-legged approach to ensure active participation from multiple stakeholders. The principals also prioritised strengthening the instructional core by ensuring full curriculum coverage, delegating monitoring responsibilities, and assigning the most effective teachers to Grade 12. In addition, the principals went beyond their traditional roles by taking on extra responsibilities, such as teaching, marking and other administrative tasks, to address the challenges of resource constraints and ensure the continuity of teaching and learning. While the principals demonstrated adaptability in navigating leadership challenges, the study also highlighted significant systemic obstacles, such as inadequate resources and bureaucratic delays in procurement processes, which negatively impacted teaching and learning. Despite these challenges, the principals identified parental involvement and support from internal and external stakeholders as critical enablers of their leadership practices.