Exploring the leadership responsibilities of school management team members in promoting teachers' well-being in the Madadeni circuit.

Abstract

School Management Team (SMT) members are critical in promoting teacher well-being and improving educational outcomes. Therefore, by supporting teacher well-being, SMT members can indirectly improve learners’ outcomes, as happy and supported teachers are better equipped to provide high-quality education. Thus, the study aimed to explore the role of SMT members in supporting teacher well-being and identify best practices that can contribute to a healthy and conducive work environment for teachers. A qualitative research design was used, and the interpretivism paradigm was chosen to understand how SMT members, as participants, use their leadership practices and strategies to promote and maintain teacher well-being. Survey questionnaires were distributed to five participants, and semi-structured individual interviews with two SMT members were employed. The data from the five purposely sampled participants was analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that the SMT members recognised that teacher well-being comprises physical, emotional and mental health, which is influenced by numerous factors such as stress, workload and work-life balance. Another finding was that SMT members understood that if the workload is not distributed fairly, this might cause high-stress levels. The main contribution of this study lies in its potential to positively impact the education sector by highlighting the critical role SMT members play in promoting teacher well-being. As the study recommends, the SMT members must encourage, support, and guide teachers to attend wellness programmes.